the creation of man…

Grudem correctly positions man as not necessary, but man is created to give glory to God (Ephesians 1:11-12). Our response to that should be that we “do all to the Glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). While the Fall caused God’s image in man to be distorted, it wasn’t completely lost. As we are redeemed in Christ we start a progressive recovery of being made fully in God’s image. And we look forward to Christ’s return, knowing we will have a complete restoration of God’s image in us (Grudem 444-445). A significant point that Grudem made is that Jesus became a man, reminds me that while the universe is big, the fact that Jesus became a man signifies the importance of human beings in God eyes (Grudem 450). A personal application is that I must check myself when meeting a person for the first time. I find myself making a snap judgment about a person when I meet them for the first time based on their physical appearance. I should remember that people who are radically different, older, weak, unattractive to the world are still made in God’s image. Every person regardless of race, those seriously ill, the mentally retarded and children yet unborn deserve the full protection and honor as human beings (Grudem 450). Recently a child with Down Syndrome has started attending the middle school ministry. This is the first time that I’ve experienced a mentally handicapped student in the middle school ministry and I find myself looking for ways to make sure that the activities that we do as a youth group, the teaching and small group can accommodate this child with special needs as well as effectively minister to the students at the same time. What an honor that God has given me an opportunity to teach other students the value of human life by showing respect and honor to the mentally handicapped child!

-brian

Grudem, Wayne A. Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2000. Print.