FIRST DAY. The Image of God.
第一日 神 的 形 像
“And God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.’ ”--GEN. i. 26.
Here we have the first thought of man—his origin and his destiny entirely Divine. God undertook the stupendous work of making a creature, who is not God, to be a perfect likeness of Him in His Divine glory. Man was to live in entire dependence on God, and to receive directly and unceasingly from Himself the inflow of all that was holy and blessed in the Divine Being. God’s glory, His holiness and His love, were to dwell in him, and shine out through him.
When sin had done its terrible work and spoilt the image of God, the promise was given in Paradise of the seed of the woman, in whom the Divine purpose would be fulfilled. “God’s Son, the effulgence of His glory, and the very image of His substance” (Heb. i. 3) was to become a Son of man, in whom God’s plan would be carried out, His image revealed in human form. The New Testament takes up the thought of Creation, and speaks of those who are “fore-ordained to be conformed to the image of His Son”; of “the new man renewed after the image of Him that created him”; and gives the promise: “We know that when He shall be manifested, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is.”
And, between the eternal purpose and its eternal realization, we have a wonderful promise in regard to the life here upon earth. “We all, beholding the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image, from glory to glory, as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Cor. iii. I8).
It was of this that Paul had said just before: “Shall not the ministration of the Spirit be glorious by reason of the glory that excelleth? Let us take home the promise of the text as the possible and assured experience for daily life to everyone that gives Christ His place as the Glorified One. Let us keep the heart set upon the glory of that image of God in Christ, in the assurance that the Spirit will change us into the same image day by day, from glory to glory. O my soul, take time to believe firmly and confidently that this promise will be made true in Thy Christian life. God Almighty, Who created man in His image, seeks now to work out His purpose in changing thee into the image of Christ Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit.
“Let that mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.” “I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.”
“Lord, increase our faith.”
「神說，我們要照着我們的形像，按着我們的樣式造人」。（創一：26）
在這節經文中我們看見關於人類的第一個思想——他的源頭和定命完全是神聖的。神從事一件極偉大的工作，要在祂神聖的榮耀裏把一個不是神的受造之物，作成完全象祂一樣。神是要人完全依靠祂而活着，並且直接的、不斷的從祂自己得到一切出自於神的聖潔和祝福。神的榮耀、聖潔和愛本來就是要住在人裏面，並且籍着他照耀出來。
當罪完成了它可怕的工作，並損壞了神的形像時，在伊甸園裏神就應許女人的後裔要來成全祂的旨意。「祂（神的兒子）是神榮耀所發的光輝，是神本體的真像」（來一：3）。就是這位神子要成為人子，神的計劃因祂得以實現，神的形像要在人的樣式中顯明出來。新約接續了這個創造的思想，並且說到那些人乃是「神豫先定下模成祂兒子的模樣；」「這新人是照着神的形像造的；」又應許說：「我們知道主若顯現，我們必要像祂，因為必得見祂的真體。」
在神永遠的旨意和其實現之間，關於我們在地上的生活，神給我們一個奇妙的應許：「我們眾人既…看見主的榮光…就變成主的形狀，榮上加榮，如同從主的靈變成的。」（林後三：18）
關於這件事，保羅在前面經文中曾提過：「何況那屬靈的職事，……因這極大的榮光，……豈不更有榮光麼？」我們應當記這些應許的經文，使它成為我們每個人在天天的生活中確實的經歷。這是那些尊敬基督為那位得榮耀者的人才能有的經歷。讓我們的心注視那顯在基督身上，神形像的榮耀；確信聖靈要一天過一天、榮上加榮，把我們改變成神的形像。哦，我的魂哪！要堅定不移的相信，這應許要在你基督徒的生活中成為實際。那位照着自己形像創造人的全能的神，現今正在作成祂的旨意：就是藉着聖靈的大能要把你們改變成基督耶穌的形像。
「你們當以基督耶穌的心為心。」
「我給你們作了榜樣，叫你們照着我向你們所作的去作。」
「求主加增我們的信心。」
