Imago Dei and the Empty Self

(This paper was in response to 2 articles I read: Jesus as the Imago Dei: Image-of-God Christology and the Non-linear Linearity of Theology by Stan Grenz, and Why is the Self Empty by Philip Cushman).

I really appreciated Grenz’s explication of Christ as the anti-type for human anthropology. Last year we studied Ridderbos’ triangulation of the relationship between the Old Testament (the type), its fulfillment in Christ (the anti-type), and the heavenly realities that the Old Testament types were modeled after and that Christ points to (the archetype). However, we did not make the application to anthropology, which, in a sense, seems to miss the real point of application for us.

Jesus Christ is the express image of God and the way by which we know God; He is also the guide/pattern for our lives. As Grenz points out, man was created in the image of God (Genesis 1), but, ultimately, created to be conformed into the true image of God and to share in His glory. The only way this is possible is through Christ who is the true Human, and this will only happen through the power of His resurrection when we are called to live with Him in heaven. What a glorious privilege; what a glorious end!

Thus, when I read the Cushman article regarding the observations of secular psychologists that reveal that people try to fill themselves with disposable goods because they experience emptiness in the core of their humanity, the plight of man seems most pitiable! Especially in light of the fact that we were created for so much more- and because of our sinful refusal to submit to the lordship of our Creator we miss out on the opportunity afforded to us through His Son to be filled with all the fullness of God (Eph. 3:19).

Furthermore, while we wait for Christ to return or call us home, He gave us Himself as a pattern to live by. Moreover, He places us in His family, the Church, in order that we do not have to go through life as autonomous beings. We can learn to live interdependently with others, thus helping to avoid falling into the trap of modern self-help psychology and self-indulgent advertising.

But thanks be to God, there is hope for those who put their trust in Him. Praise be to Christ who died that we might live- who saves fallen man from himself!