Not the Beginning of Our Story
By Dave Foucar
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23) There are no truer words than these. As Paul describes it in his letter to the Romans, it is this fact, that we are all sinners, that puts us all on even footing before God. In the midst of arguments and infighting in the early church, Paul sets his readers straight regarding their conceit and arrogance. No one person or people are better than any other because “all have sinned.”
This story of our common sin goes way back. We inherited this sin issue, the constantly falling short, from our earliest ancestors: Adam and Eve themselves. We learn about the fall of man in the 3rd chapter of Genesis. When we read the story, we see that God’s restrictions were not cumbersome. Adam and Eve had everything they needed and more. Still, they disobeyed. Being deceived, they brought sin and death into the perfect world.
Of course, we can’t entirely blame our ancestors, Adam and Eve, because we have made our own choices. Our own disobedience. Our own wandering from God. Our sin is more than an inherited problem. It is our own problem. Because of our own choices and disobedience, we come before God, along with all those who came before us, having fallen short of God’s glory. But sin is not the beginning of our story.
We spend a lot of time talking about sin, the falloff man, and our tendency toward sin. And we should. It is sin that has separated us from God. It is our sin that needs to be forgiven and conquered for us to be reconciled to Him. But, even before the fall, before we sinned, God said “Let us make mankind in our image…” (Gen 1:26). And of course, having determined that He would create us, that is exactly what He did:
“So God created mankind in his own image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.” (Gen 1:27)
Before anything else, we are His creation. Uniquely stamped with His image. Nothing else in all of creation was created in His image. God clearly identified all of His creation as “good”, but it is only man and woman who were created in His image. The Psalmist wondered “what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? (Ps 8:4)” The answer? He cares for us because He created us in His own image, unlike anything else, and He loves us.
Above all the things that we use to separate ourselves, we have a commonality that is deeper than race, sex, culture, economic and social status, nationality, or political difference. We are children of God, created in His image, and loved by Him. This is where our value lies. Not in our own actions, success, or achievements. Instead, our value comes from the love God places on us as His creations. Each of us with a little bit of Him inside of us. This alone is reason enough to treat each other with love and respect. No matter our differences.
How could He love us so much when we fall so short? Why would He do what He has done for us? Why would He send His Son to die on a cross for us? Because we are His loved creation. Zach Williams says it this way in his song, “Heart of God”, “Whoever told you, you ain’t worth the fight. The cross tells a story that’ll change your mind.” We are worth the fight. Take a moment. Look at yourself. You are a loved creation of God.
Now, before anyone suggests I’m taking sin too lightly. I’m not. We can never forget, or take too lightly, that it is sin that separates us from our loving Creator. And, unless we admit our need for forgiveness, it will separate us for eternity. But God, in His grace and mercy, because He loves us, made a way back through Jesus.
Here’s the paradox: The more we understand how serious our sin is the more we understand God’s love for us. Admit today you are a sinner. Along with the rest of us, you have fallen short of the glory of God. But God has made a way back through Jesus because we are His loved creation, stamped with His image. How great God’s love is!
David Foucar has a passion for teaching God’s word and has led Sunday School, Bible Studies, and Small Groups of all ages. He has served as a supply preacher and has been a lead speaker and seminar leader at Couples Retreats, Men’s Retreats, and Family and Youth Camps. David’s first book, “What Do I Say When Asked About Jesus?” is a conversational approach to helping people answer questions about Jesus. The book provides a layman’s perspective on personal evangelism and the basics of the Christian faith. “What Do I Say When Asked about Jesus?” gives the average Christian tools to help share about Jesus while increasing confidence in their own faith. Dave has been married for thirty-six years to the love of his life, Debbie. They have three daughters, two sons-in-law, and two granddaughters.
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