Throwback Thursday: Created in our image.

Throwback Thursday is a series of posts, wherein I will on (some) Thursdays post a piece of writing from back in the day. Generally not from this blog. I will edit lightly for readability, but my intention is to allow each piece to stand basically as written. Over the years my mind has shifted on many things, as my knowledge of life, the Scriptures, and myself has grown. I'm not in the business of hiding this fact, so these will probably (at least on occasion) contain some things which even I think are crazy.

Originally posted on Facebook on November 3, 2009 at 2:55pm
"Man created God in his own image: angry, bigoted, and hateful." So said a bumper sticker I saw the other day. (The exact wording may have differed, but that was the gist of it.) And when at first I saw it, I was slightly taken back by it, but just brushed it off as a stupid atheist attempt to minimalize God, and put down Christians. Which of course it was. But later in the day as I sat in Mars Hill church listening to Mark Driscoll preach, he got onto the topic of Greek gods and mythology, and their contrast with the God of the Bible. And my mind went back to the bumper sticker. This foolish attempt to mock God was unwittingly speaking a profound truth.

 When we look around the world at pagan religions we see a great deal of judgmental gods, gods whose favor must be bought, or whose anger must be appeased. All the gods that we make for ourselves are selfish, egotistical beings, limited just as we are. No true grace, mercy, or kindness. Everything must be earned. Do enough good, give enough money, make the right sacrifice, help the poor.

 But our God demands none of that. In fact, instead of demanding us to get better before He'll accept us, He sent His one and only Son (John 3:16). Jesus came and humbly lowered himself, and walked on earth with us. Then He went and died a horrific death (Philippians 2:8), paying the penalty for our sins. But He didn't stop at paying the penalty, because after three days He rose and conquered sin and death, and offers eternal life freely to those who ask (1 John 1:9). No strings attached.

 This great and almighty God graciously saves us from our own sin and filth, and yet we try to replace Him with idols who are so much less...gods created in our own image.

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