Viewing God Through Broken Glass
When broken image bearers obscure the face of God
Have you heard questions like the ones below when speaking about churches? Did someone claiming to represent God hurt you or someone you love? I want to dig in to why so many people view the church negatively.
“Why would I associate with a bunch of hypocrites?”
“Someone from the church hurt me or someone I love.”
“If God is so loving, then why are his people so hateful?”
I grew up in the home of a Southern Baptist minister. My life was church. We practically lived in the church building.
Growing up so close to religious leaders and congregations allowed me to see the good, the bad, and the ugly of Christian life. While most of the christians I have worshipped with over the years have been wonderful image bearers, some have failed in that regard.
In all honesty, I have failed many times in my role of reflecting the image of God.
If we imagine christians being a mirror of sorts to reflect the Creator, then we can extend that metaphor. A christian who poorly reflects their Creator is like a broken mirror. You can sort of see a reflection, but it has been distorted and mangled.
God created mankind to reflect His image
Genesis 1:26–27
26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
27 So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.
God created all mankind in His image. This is an important point that has to be considered. Whether a person chooses to acknowledge God’s lordship or sovereignty, they are still created in His image.
We reflect qualities of our Creator regardless of our belief in Him, surrender to Him, or faith in Him. When we create anything, we are reflecting the creativity of God. The love we share with our family or friends reflects the love of God.
Scripture takes this idea of reflecting the image of God very seriously. James even calls out those who praise God with the same mouth that they use to speak ill of mankind.
James 3:9
With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness.
Sin shatters our reflection of God
Those who do not believe in God, or surrender to His lordship, still carry the fingerprints of God. Even bad people have some faint traits of the characteristics of God. Whatever good there is in the world, God is the genesis of it.
When we see nonbelievers living in ways contrary to God’s design, we don’t question their behavior because we are seeing what we expect. Why would they reflect an accurate image of something they do not believe? How could they?
This is not true when we consider those who call themselves Christians. We expect those who surrender to God to bear His image and provide a clear reflection of His characteristics. When they fail, people often blame God.
It is important not to blame God for the failures of men. Sin entered the world in the Garden of Eden and humanity was poisoned. Our relationship with a holy God was severed and faith in Christ alone can restore what was lost.
While faith in God, repentance of sin, and surrender to His will restore the relationship between man and God, we must undergo a process of sanctification. God does not perfect us in an instant at the time of salvation.
Sanctification: the process of refining us into the image of Christ
Salvation: A free gift of God to those who will believe in Him, repent of sin, and follow Him
It is important to keep in mind that those christians who hurt others might be early in that sanctification process. They might be ignorant and young in their faith. Remember that churches are not social clubs for perfect people.
Churches are places where imperfect people come to worship a perfect, holy God. They are places where broken people come for repair. I once heard a preacher say,
You will never find a perfect church. If you do, don’t join it or you might break it.
It is critically important to also note that not everyone who claims to be a Christian is one. Not everyone who claims to represent the Church or the Savior truly does. Churches should take great caution with placing people in positions, but only God knows the heart.
Matthew 7:21–23
Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
Jesus is the standard
Mankind was created in God’s image. Some live true to their purpose by reflecting his characteristics, but no man will ever be able to perfectly represent God. Our sinful nature will always get in our way.
Salvation brings with it a change of heart. God begins an amazing transformation in us at the time of our surrender.
2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
While we are a new creature, our sinful nature will still call to us. Our pride and our selfishness will often get the better of us. We must continue to repent of sin in our life.
This is why many call Christians hypocrites. They see believers condemn sin and then turn around and commit it. Christians should speak out against the evils in the world and do their best to refrain from sinning, but they will fail.
When Christians fail, they should feel the pricking of their heart by the Holy Spirit. That prick should lead them to ask for forgiveness and turn from that sin. This is a daily part of the Christian life.
If any Christian claims to be perfect, they are a liar. There has only ever been one sinless man. Jesus Christ was fully man and fully God. He walked this earth for 30+ years showing that it was possible to be blameless.
Conclusion
If you have ever been hurt by the church, or someone who claimed to be affiliated with the church of God (referring to the totality of the Christian faith, not a specific denomination), it is important to understand that you have not seen a reflection of God.
You have not seen a reflection of the intention God has for His people. God did not ordain evil perpetrated against you. Either an evil imposter or a broken mirror showed you an imperfect representation of a holy God.
Evil doers and broken mirrors have misused Christianity throughout the centuries as a weapon. Ill-intentioned people have used the Word of God as a club to bruise others. A true mirror reflecting the image of God would show mercy, love, and grace.
