Seven Arrows- Chapter 4

What does the Bible teach us about man?

In the chapter he really gives you the answers of what you should be looking for.

The four pictures of humanity from the perspective of the Bible according to the book, and I think its a good perspective is-

Image Bearers, Rebels, the Redeemed, and Regents.

This goes in line with the story line of Scripture.

Scriptures storyline can be broken down very simply to four epochs or periods-

Creation, Fall, Redemption, Restoration

In Creation- We are made in His image.

Some people have tried to explain this. I’ve even tried to explain this but it really is hard to explain what is meant other than we are different and distinct from the rest of creation.

I love his statement on page 148.

“This statement explains that being made in the image of God is not primarily defined by what we do or our relationships with others but rather by who we are. Efforts to distill the image of God in man down to one single quality are pointless. Every quality that defines us as humans and distinguishes us from the rest of creation shows that God has made us and that we bear his image.” age 148

So at times, we will read a passage and find thing that tell us more about that. God has created us in his image.

At times we will read and find out more about this privilege of being made in the image of God.

The Bible is clear that God loves humans in a different way, because we are made in His image.

One passage that teaches us this is Psalm 139

Psalm 139:13–18 NASB95

For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth; Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them. How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand. When I awake, I am still with You.

So when we read, look for how the Bible present humanity as image bearers.

But the next picture and characterization of humanity is that we are REBELS.

We have rebelled against God.

Stories in the Bible that reveal the sinfulness of even the greatest of characters.

We see flaws in all of the Bible’s patriarchs and even Jesus’s closest followers.

As a whole the Bible disqualifies all of us as rebels.

Romans 3:10–18 NASB95

as it is written, “There is none righteous, not even one; There is none who understands, There is none who seeks for God; All have turned aside, together they have become useless; There is none who does good, There is not even one.” “Their throat is an open grave, With their tongues they keep deceiving,” “The poison of asps is under their lips”; “Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness”; “Their feet are swift to shed blood, Destruction and misery are in their paths, And the path of peace they have not known.” “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

Thats who we are.

Another passage that I always like to mention is Ephesians 2

Ephesians 2:1–3 NASB95

And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.

Thats who we are. The Bibel presents us as Rebels. We are in rebellion against God in our Natural state.

In fact we can even trace it back to our first parents who led the way and set the example of rebellion by the first sin in the Garden.

We are born children of Adam and children of wrath.

Psalm 51:5 NASB95

Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me.

Thankfully though

There is a third way the Bible presents us-

We have been redeemed.

We are the redeemed.

Thats who we are.

Galatians 3:13–14 NASB95

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”— in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

Redemption is to be bought back.

And every one who believes is redeemed.

We have a new identity.

So that bible speak of us in that way.

So when Paul writes to the churches, and describes them, he describes them in light of who they are in Christ.

The Church of Corinth with all their problems, Paul referred to them as:

1 Corinthians 1:1–3 NASB95

Paul, called as an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

He goes on to light them up for the sin in their church, but he begins by telling them that he knows that who they are in Christ is the defining aspect of every believer.

So when we read, we need to look for who we are in Christ.

Lastly,

We are Regents- Or Amabassadors

This speaks of our job now as the redeemed of the Lord.

We are to work to make Christ known to the ends of the world.

Matthew 28:19–20 NASB95

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

2 Corinthians 5:20 NASB95

Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

We have been reconciled to go and preach the message of reconciliation to the world.

“The ambassador’s kingdom mission goes back to the creation mandate to extend God’s reign throughout his creation. Christ brought us to new life, and the Spirit now emboldens us for the mission to proclaim the gospel of the Kingdom of God to all nations so that God will receive the worship he deserves from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.” (p. 171)

This was the goal all along from the beginning.

That we would fill the earth with worshippers.

We do that now in light of the fact that we all come into the world as image bearers, but who have rebelled, and are in need of redemption.

Keep in mind each of these characterizations are in light of what God is doing in our lives.

Rebels is what we did. Every thing else is what God is doing.

So when we go to the text, We want to ask the questions.

What does the passage say? Slow Down

What did the passage mean to those to whom it was originally written?

What does the passage tell us about God?

and What does the passage tell us about man?