It Starts with the Creation Mandate

What is the Church for? That question is the foundation for thinking about how we should exist in the world. To answer that question, we have to go back to the very beginning and follow theme that is carried throughout Scripture--God's presence and calling.

Genesis, chapter 1 tells us that God created humans "In his Image." Of course, there has been much debate throughout history about exactly what this means. What is it about humans that makes us distinct from the rest of the animal kingdom? But I don't think that's the best way to go about answering that question.

Instead, we should allow Scripture to answer that question. From Scripture, we can confidently parse out at least two answers to the question of what it means to be made in the Image of God.

The first is that God is present with humans in a way that is different than the rest of his creation. God walked with Adam and Eve in the cool of the day. Even after their first sin, God pursued renewed relationship with them. God's presence is with humans in a way that it is not with the rest of his creation.

The second aspect of being made in the Image of God is stated explicitly in Genesis 1:26-27.

"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."

Do you see it? The Bible says that humans are created specifically "so that they may rule..." This is what theologians call the "Creation Mandate."

In God's blessing to them in verse 28 then expands on how they are to do this.

"God blessed them and said to them, 'Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it..."

Let's focus on the word subdue for a moment. Some people do not like that word because it sounds harsh...oppressive, even. But it's not that...at least it's not all that.

We might say it means to "order the world in a way that brings about flourishing." Think about a garden. Plants will typically grow fine in the wild, but the hand of a skilled gardener who knows how to create the right environment, the right mix of order and freedom, can bring out the best in them.

God presented the raw materials of creation and gave humans the privilege of partnership--to use their gifts and knowledge to shape the world into something even better. This is not just true for gardens, but also for societies.

When we organize and create, we are participating with God in bringing about the flourishing of his creation. This mandate does not go by the wayside in the coming of Jesus. In fact, Jesus himself worked toward the flourishing of people, healing, teaching, casting out demons, and yes, even organizing his Church to carry on the work of flourishing.

In our next post, we'll take a look at how that mandate is continued in the people of God, but for now, let's simply recognize that our primary calling is not to win some culture war, but to live and create and subdue the world in a way that brings about the flourishing God intended.