Many find it beneficial to understand the essence of God’s character apart from creation or his interactions with people so that we may get to the heart of who he is. How is this possible for us who have never seen, heard, or been shown anything other than what God wills to relate to us, his creation?

Do we want to speak of his power? Power over what? How do we know he is powerful? We know of his power only in relation to his ability to create and dispose of his creation according to his will.

His omniscience? His sovereignty? All these things are only known in relationship to how he deals with us, his people.

Ah, but his glory? Look in scripture; God’s glory is always described as his greatness in the relationship he has established with his people. If it is the cherubim and seraphim who glorify him it is because of the lamb who was slain, or because of his righteousness in judgement. All these things pertain to his relationship.

It appears that God simply isn’t interested in revealing anything to us that is ‘outside’ of creation, or more importantly, that does not pertain to our relationship with him.

How can one even speculate “If God had not created”?? He did create! And thus he is a creator! If he had not created we would be talking of a completely different God. Since it is what he did we must conclude that it is what he is and serves to help us define who he is insofar as he is revealed.

God’s image is not in the abstract (as far as he has revealed it to us). God’s image as it is revealed is summed up in relationship. For even the Trinity is a relationship of three in one in which humans take part when they enter his rest. This relationship is sacrificial giving of life, otherwise known as love.

All other attributes, therefore, serve this character of self expenditure for his creation. Clearly, then, it is futile to try to come up with any sort of ‘objective’ explanation of God’s image, when all that he is shown to us in the context of a relationship with the individual!

And praise the Lord for that! For now when we study his word and seek his face we can know that whatever we find is what he desires us to know for the sake of giving it to us.