“So I’m a Christian, now what?” I know, this question sounds ridiculous. What do I mean “now what?” Isn’t the answer obvious? Don’t we all (Christians) know what we are supposed to be doing? Trolling down the road of what seems to be contemporary Christianity has proffered the following observations concerning how one might respond to the “now what?” of the Christian walk.
Being a Christian means belonging to a church and even attending the worship service on occasion. It means giving money to good causes, at least when I have some extra cash to give. Being a Christian means being a generally kind person, at least kinder then some of the more deplorable characters that I know. Being a Christian means staying out of trouble and away from “bad” and “undesirable” folk. It means looking forward to a time when Christ will return and take us out of this horrible world, and maintaining the knowledge that those who do not agree with me will be “left behind”, but hey, that will not be my problem, because I’m a Christian. Okay, perhaps I’m over-exaggerating a tad, but I fear only a tad. However, it does seem that a general misunderstanding of one of God’s primary intentions for humanity exits. Such a concern prompted the book by N.T. Wright After you Believe: Why Christian Character Matters.
In Genesis 1:28-31 God essentially gives Adam and Eve their marching orders,
“And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
Creation is going somewhere, it is not static and God has a future in mind for it. The garden-life, perfect and good, was to spread and colonize the rest of creation. What does it mean to be created in the image of God? Humanity, is a co-regent with God, by God’s own choice. Humanity was to reign with God over creation. While not equal to God, humanity is to bear God’s image into the world, not his own. The moment in which he/she attempts to outshine the image of God in the world, is the moment of sin. Humanity was to reflect the image of God into creation, to care for the garden as God himself would. Yet he could only reflect God’s image if he kept in tune with God. Creation needed an uncluttered and unsmudged reflection of God. Thus, humanity must know God in heart and mind.
Why would God do this? Why not skip man and run the entire show himself? God’s revealed character displays that he is “the God of generous, creative, outflowing love”. This means that God, in a sense (and for lack of a better phrase), “does what comes naturally”. Throughout the Bible we find this chorus continually sung. God’s character is such that he continues to invite humanity to his creative workshop and collaborates with him. Certainly, this is not to suggest that God does not know his next move, and therefore, needs help from humanity. Rather, this does affirm that God’s sovereign rule over his creation is so well in hand, that inviting humanity into his workshop does not undermine His reign in the least. Humanity’s abuse of God’s delegated authority (sin) has distorted the image of God in him/her and skewed his/her vocation of reflecting that image in creation. It distorts our understanding of our vocation and place in the hierarchy of creation.
Our culture blanches at the suggestion that humanity is to rule over all creation. We live in a day where creation and man are to join hands and sing as equals. We have ignored God, stole the throne and invited creation to sit on our lap. However, unlike God, the power that we share is not ours to give, and our sharing is nothing more than an elaborate play. We like to keep creation close, even pretend that we respect it as an equal, while behind the curtains we pull all the strings, manipulating the entire program. Note that God has not taken his image away, we are still created in his image, though distorted. The authority that God has given (our vocation) is still to be used to bring God’s image to bear upon all creation.
If we have been created in God’s image, what is the main thing that we should be doing in this life? We must bring God’s image to bear in us and in all creation. God’s image must be restored in us. We must then, know God in our heart and our mind. This requires a transformation of who we are and how we will be. God’s image must be reflected in creation. Our knowing God must overflow (recall that this is in keeping with God’s own generous and overflowing love character) into creation. Jesus has brought God’s Kingdom to earth, as a result, we, created in the image of God must take our place upon his victorious throne (to which he has invited us to sit with him) and reign over creation here, now, and at this very moment. We must not wait for God to do something, he already has and currently is, we must respond properly to what he has done and currently is doing; reigning with grace, love, and power. This is why the final words of Jesus to this disciples on this earth are shockingly similar to the word’s of the Father to our first parents.
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” —Matthew 28:19-20
Do you see it? While across the ages many things have changed for you and I because of the result of sin and the restoration of salvation, one thing has never been altered, God’s creative purposes for humanity. In Genesis 1 we learn that we were created in the image of God, to bear his image over all of creation. In Matthew 28 we are reminded and re-commissioned to spread the reality of God’s rule over all the earth. “So I’m a Christian now what?” “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it”, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.” This is our vocation, it has never changed and it never will.
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