May 12 | Luke Dahlenburg
What God Thinks Of Our Bodies
Bible Reading: Psalm 139:1-18 and Colossians 1:19-20
Made in A.I. image or God image?
The Ultimate Artisan, God
Psalm 139:1-16, God thinks very highly of the body you have. He’s not repulsed by it.
Psalm 139:17-18, Give thanks to God for your body.
Psalm 103:14-16, Your body isn’t perfect.
Psalm 103:17, God loves you.
Colossians 1:19-20, God put on a body.
Keeping our eyes on God
Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting.
Psalm 139:23-24
Imago Dei and Our Bodies
- Even though life is far from ideal in all the mess, complexities and challenges, the goodness of God’s intent for creation, should continually inform how we view relationships. To the woman in John 8 caught in adultery and the woman who had four marriages and was living with her boyfriend from John 4 – Jesus is compassionate and gracious in how he converses with them.
- Being made in the image of God extends to our bodies. They have great meaning in God’s vision and future and are not insignificant (Psalm 139:1-18).
- This extends to our words. God created with words and Adam named the animals in a linguistic task, establishing the important of words for human flourishing and seeking God’s word for our benefit (Proverbs 12:25, Psalm 119:103, James 3:9-12).
- All the changes and challenges we are confronted with, feel and see in our minds and bodies are met with the hope of the gospel, the future redemption of our bodies (Romans 8:28) and the renewal of our minds by the Spirit (Romans 12:1-2).
- Jesus became flesh (John 1:14) and never ditched his body; he rose with it (Philippians 2) and still has it on. That is, Jesus became what he would redeem.
- Even imperfect and fragile bodies are still fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:13-14, Psalm 103:12-14) so we treat them as gifts and with compassion, to disparage them is to mock God’s image (James 3:9).
- Like those who met Jesus in the Gospel’s, including the disciples, we often fail to comprehend God’s ruler and intent for us (Mark 6:52, 8:20-21, Matthew 12:23). Jesus came to fix that with words and actions in his life, death and resurrection.
- Adam and Eve felt the body shame (Genesis 3:7) that runs rampant though humanity. Ultimate body hope is found in Jesus broken body, even if those we engage with don’t yet realise this.
- The resurrection of Jesus is the hope that death, decay and disorder in our bodies will be one day done away with as we receive new bodies (1 Corinthians 15, 2 Corinthians 4-5) like Jesus did. This perspective gives hope so that we can face the painful aspects of our bodies, meet people who struggle with their bodies and minds with a greater hope than just fixing them up in this life.
- When we meet cultural refugees who are hurting in their bodies, having tried and done many things and living with the affects, the hope of a bodily resurrection means we can love and accept them, in their bodies, while encouraging them with the grace of Jesus now and the hope of a bodily renewal in the future (2 Corinthians 4:7–12).
- Hearing that Jesus brought our bodies (1 Corinthians 6:20) is not devastating or promoting a lack of dignity. Rather, when applied to Jesus, the opposite is the case. He gave his body to reconcile us and our bodies to God. To belong to him is the highest and greatest blessing we could ever hope for.
- God lives in our redeemed bodies by his Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19) encouraging and shaping us towards his vision of life.