I used to think I was broken. I used to pray these long, rambling prayers in which I asked God to fix me. To take all the shattered pieces and put them back together. And at some point I felt like He said, "No."
It wasn't a mean no, but rather an honest refusal to do something that couldn't be done. Because ultimately I wasn't broken. God's image in me was too deep and too true and too powerful to break. Despite what I did, what was inside remained true. I may have dimmed it or hidden it under layers of sin, but it was still there, glowing and waiting. Ever waiting.
Genesis 1 talks about that. In a matter of two verses, God repeats three times that we are made in His image. I think He repeats it so often because He knew we wouldn't believe it. But it is true.
I once heard a guy named John Lynch touch on this point. I think I may have written about this before, but he basically said that if you took the DNA of a caterpillar it would return results that said "butterfly." Regardless of what it looked like, regardless of what it felt like, the caterpillar was a butterfly at the core. That could not be changed.
I think the same is true of us. We were made in His image. Sin is not more powerful than God. Sin cannot destroy what God has set in place. We are all butterflies. Even if we don't know it and we're living caterpillar lives.
Sunday, June 8, 2008
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10 comments:
That's awesome. I've been a caterpillar buried under layers of sin, but I really am a butterfly created in the image of God. Thanks for sharing; great insight.
Thanks, Jon. I needed to hear that today.
Hey! from the Philippines... love the song from Seven Day Jesus, "Butterfly"
"you see me, it's not me
there's something underneath my skin
i wanna tear it all away
to see the beauty that's within..."
Thanks for this insight, jon. Shall go through the chapters with ya...
My good gosh you're a gifted writer. When I read your posts they remind about God in a way that makes me feel a little less scared, a little less alone, and a little stronger.
Thank you.
Again, Jon, this is touching, but is it true. You say that "Sin cannot destroy what God has set in place." Really? Adam & Eve were killed by sin. Me too. Sin kills. Sin destroys. We're dead in our sins. The great news is not that sin doesn't destroy. The really great news is that we don't have to stay that way because of Christ's gift of salvation. If sin didn't destroy, there would be no need for salvation.
Anon -
Were adam and eve killed by sin? I read that they were banished from the garden of eden, out of love, but that's different from the idea you laid out.
Jon
Adam and Eve were absolutely killed by sin. Romans 5:12 ("Therefore, just as sin cae into the world through one man, and eath through sin, and so death spread to all men becaause all sinned."). See also 1 Corin 15:22. in fact, I would argue that is the point of Genesis 5. Everybody starts dying. God was gracious. He said they would die immediately, but in His grace He relented and preserved man so He could send a Savior. The bad news is sin has destroyed all that God made good. Sin broke everything. It broke the world. It will kill us all. All creation now longs to be put back together. Rom 8:22. The good news is that that day is coming because of God's love and grace.
Oh Thank you for sharing that. He desired for me to read that in the gifted way that He flows words through you hands.
i'm kind of behind in finding your blog but God needed me to read this. this is beautiful.
Beautiful.
So... I plan to read through all of these chapter by chapter bible posts you've done... I think your up to 58 now... this could take a while lol
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