Sermon Tone Analysis

Genesis 1:26-27

7414 Seducing By Scents …

Legislation proposed in England in the 1700’s: “All women of whatever age, rank, profession, or degree, whether virgin, maid or widow, that shall impose upon, seduce and betray into matrimony any of His Majesty’s subjects, by scents, paints, cosmetic washes, artificial teeth, false hair, Spanish wool, iron stays, hoops, high-heeled shoes or bolstered hips shall incur the penalty of the law now in force against witchcraft and the like misdemeanors and that marriage, upon conviction, shall stand null and void.”

—House & Garden

For you ladies who are looking to attract yourself to a man…don’t wear perfume, don’t put on makeup, don’t wear good looking clothes or nice shoes, don’t try to correct any abnormalities—if you appear to be something more than you are…that is seduction and if convicted—worthy of death.

I’d bet Adam didn’t mind how Eve looked when God brought her to him after she was fashioned from his rib.

In cartoons, whenever a character saw a pretty girl their jaw dropped, eyes bugged out of their heads…maybe Adam’s response?

God created man (by that term I’m referring to humanity in general).

He made man in His own image…this is where a biblical anthropology must begin (our understanding about man/mankind).

Anthropology is defining the world as we know it in the 21st century.

That would be great if that understand of man came from the Bible but it does not.

And b/c of this we are finding ourselves in the midst of a very real culture war which is being waged on multiple fronts today (social justice, CRT, Intersectionality, Gender identity (LGBTQ+, sexual orientation, education— “gender dysphoria”—distress related to a strong desire to be of another gender).

These are all pressing issues that Xns are faced with b/c our anthropology is biblical.

As Xns we are trying to navigate our own moral responsibility in the midst of this present culture—and practically asking that question “how do we live in the world without being of the world?”

That question (in view of our Xn responsibility—responsibility toward God, toward our families, toward the church, toward our community) brings this culture war to the center of focus particularly in corporate America.

There was a time (no too long ago) when companies were very cautious about taking political, cultural, moral stances (which would isolate the consumer base to some degree).

But now, they are taking positions on cultural issues that are dividing the nation; and many of them are directly opposed to the Bible’s teaching on these issues—Disney, Apple, Coca-Cola, Citigroup).

It can be very confusing for believers to navigate this cultural war, especially as it relates to functioning in the world in which we do live.

Do you conduct business with those companies that stand against your beliefs?

Can you be consistent in that?

Are there alternative companies?

You begin to see what we’re faced with.

Gen 1:26-27 addresses the very cultural war that is prevalent today and when it’s truth is rejected, you will see a host of perversions (ideas) that come to the surface in that war.

For example…when you reject Genesis 1:27 “male and female He created them” (this rejection is accelerating) —you come up with the idea of “Non-Binary”.

Non-binary (defined by “Out and Equal Workplace Advocates”): “a gender identity which falls outside of the gender binary, meaning an individual does not identify as strictly female or male.

A non-binary person can identify as both or neither male and female, or sometimes one or the other.

There are several other terms used to describe gender identities outside of the male and female binary such as genderqueer, gender non- conforming, agender, and bigender.

Though these terms have slightly different meanings, they refer to an experience of gender outside of the binary.”

Then you have to fabricate new pronouns that cover non-binary individuals (he/she; ze/hir/zir).

Now, I now you’re confused…but try teaching this to a 5-6 year old and all the sudden gender confusion develops and why wouldn’t there be distress (gender-dysphoria)?

The world is confused b/c it has rejected the simplicity of God’s explanation of human sexuality (binary—male and female).

To borrow from the movie, this is a “Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.”

Last time, I introduced what is the first (of 3) characteristics of man...

1) The Uniqueness of Man

What sets man apart from every other aspect of God’s created universe is that God makes man in His own image.

Now we spent some time exploring what God means when He says “Let us…our…” He is revealing a plurality within the Godhead (more fully developed as “Trinity” in later revelation).

“Let us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness.”

Made in the image of God is repeated in Scripture:

Now, before us is the question “What is the image of God that in to it God makes man?”

I agree with commentator Keneth Mathews when he says Genesis tells us “who” is created in God’s image (male and female) but not the contents of that image.

So, whatever the Imago Dei is…it corresponds to God creating man unique and crowing him with glory and honor.

Just as an introductory comment: many commentaries are divided over this (in much of church history as well) the relationship b/t “image” and “likeness.”

Since they are 2 different words, many suggest that Moses is indicating 2 different aspects of God’s creation of man (though not necessarily agreement on what those 2 aspects are).

Some say it represents spiritual similarities and physical likeness.

Others have thought thought that “image” refers to the ability to reason while “likeness” refers to a person’s correspondence to God in spiritual attributes.

There is no “and” between these 2 phrases which makes them parallel in Hebrew. 2 different words but they are both used for the sake of emphasis and saying essentially the same thing.

An amazing truth: we are created in God’s likeness.

Does that make us like God? Well, yes and no.

There are many ways in which we are not like God.

We may be asking the better question when trying to figure out Imago Dei if we were to say “What is God like?”

Studying God (Theology Proper) can begin to answer that question as it pertains to His attributes.

There is a way of differentiating b/t attributes in the manner of how humans relate to God (incommunicable and communicable attributes).

The incommunicable perfections are those characteristics unique to God (e.g., self-existence, simplicity, immensity), whereas the communicable perfections are those characteristics transferable in part to humans (e.g., goodness, righteousness, love)

What God does not impart to His creatures (namely man) aseity, immutability, infinity, eternality, omnis…, perfection.

What “Image” does not mean:

Since God is spirit (Jn 4:24) He is not limited to a physical body like we are.

So the image is not biological, physiological or related to appearance.

In fact, human DNA is shared with plants and animals.

98% is shared with pigs, gorillas, chimpanzees,

90% with cats

85% mice

80% cows

70% slug

60% bananas

Many biological functions b/t humans and animals are similar: organs (heart; lungs; intestines).

So we’re talking something other than physiological:

However, God does reveal Himself using terms that we can understand (anthropomorphisms, anthropopathisms):

God expresses emotions (laughs—Ps 2:4; grieves (Gen 6:6; Eph 4:30).

We also have descriptions that we can relate to:

Sometimes God appeared in a physical form (Gen 18:1-2) Especially Incarnation.

What “Image” means:

When God created man (what distinguishes him from all other creation) He did so, forming in man certain characteristics.

This answers the question “How are we like God?”

The Heb term is selem: refers to something that has been carved.

It mostly is used in reference to idols/idol worship—where an image has been carved into wood, stone or gold.

God reveals that man is essentially carved in God’s image—that He has become the pattern for the creation of man.

There are at least 3 ways man demonstrates the image of God as a creature:

Personality

Both male and female possess traits of personality (like God does).

What are those traits?

Intellect: It has been observed that plants/animals do not share the complexity of our cognitive processes and representations of experience.

They cannot produce fiction, philosophy, representational art, or mathematics.

And it goes far beyond this to not only accumulation of knowledge but attaining wisdom—practically and skilfully applying that knowledge in life.

We can communicate using oral and

written symbols.

Emotion: Man has the capacity to express sadness and joy

Volition: Man also is self-conscious as a person with the ability to exercise choice (to express his will), to make goals and purposes in life.

God has all of these and part of being made in His image involves that we share this likeness to God.

Morality

God has created man to be a moral being in that he can discern right from wrong and suffer from a conscience that has been offended.

Within this characteristic there is also the added elements of freedom and responsibility.

Now, man’s freedom is not absolute.

Even in the Garden Adam was not autonomous in that God restricted his choices (very limited restriction).

Adam and Eve were then responsible to obey.

We know there was a great change affected in the transgression of Gen 3. Theologians debate whether man lost the image of God or whether it was marred.

I believe man still carries the image of God after the fall (since it is reiterated Gen 5:1-2; 9:6).

For the believer, our sanctification is expressed as:

The moral righteousness that was lost in the fall is that unto which the believer is progressing toward—revealed in LJC.

Spirituality

Since God is spirit and since He also created man to have an intimate fellowship with Himself, God created man to be a spiritual being who is capable of a relationship with his Creator.