Our Bodies Matter to God
During this time at Evergreen, we are discussing the theology of the body. It is necessary for us to wrestle in this discussion of gender and sexuality.
What do we feel about our bodies?
What have we been taught about our bodies? From the church? From the world?
Unfortunately both places have taught us truths that are both positive and negative. We have lost God’s intentional purpose for our bodies and it is time to rediscover this.
In his book, For the Body, Dr. Timothy Tennent says that our bodies are good and trustworthy. They were never meant to be vessels of shame.
As true as this might be, we do not always perceive our bodies in this way. We treat our bodies with disrespect. We dishonor our bodies through our language of shame and judgment instead of kindness and thankfulness. In so doing, are we somehow dishonoring our Creator? Do we trust that everything He made is good? Including our very physical bodies and personality? Because God doesn’t make mistakes and He calls us good.
We are living sacrifices and we can do nothing apart from God.
Romans 12:1-2 - Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
John 15:5 - I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
We distort this image of God through the way we attempt to live apart from him instead of living in communion with HIm. He has created us to desire to live in communion with HIm. What does this look like for you?
Gen 2:7 says, “Neither God nor humanity have a denigrated or tainted view of the physical creation (15). In fact, the physical creation is given to us as a testimony of God’s presence and power. “
Ps. 24:1 says, “For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.”
We were created in the image of God. We were created to be like Him. Gen. 5:1-2 - “When God created mankind, he made them in the likeness of God. He created them male and female and blessed them. And he named them ‘Mankind’ when they were created.”
Timothy Tennent says, “An image is a reflection or representation of something else. It is dependent on whatever it reflects. An image is a reflection or representation of something greater (Tennent, 8-9).” God created us to reflect something of his divine life. We are a representation of the one true God and intentionally created to be like him. How do we reflect God in the world?
We are called to reflect Him in three different ways:
(1) God commissioned us to extend His dominion over the created world. He called us to steward it
(2) We have the capacity to enter into a covenantal relationship with God in a way that is reflected in our own covenant relationships with one another.
(3) As bearers of God’s presence, we are given a moral capacity in the world. The Lord breathed into us His breath of life. His Spirit within us allows us to discern right from wrong and to embody moral capacities
We are image bearers of his divine life in care taking and in our relationships. Our bodies matter to God and they reflect God’s presence, love, and power in the world. How do we perceive our bodies? For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.
Reflection
What does it look like for you to image (represent) God in the world?