Our Work Is A Reflection Of The Image Of God
Category: Biblical Worldview
Instead of an article about work, this is an excerpt from a debate on a blog in May 2008:
cominus ". . . Christians do not understand that God is our Creator, He created us in His image and we reflect that image by producing from the resources He provides. That is why we 'go to work' - to reflect His image. Secondary to that, is to make a living i.e.; making a living is a side benefit for reflecting the image of God. Instead of a Biblical worldview, Christians are often deceived into a green philosophy via unfounded theories of stewardship."
Joel "Although your points may have merit; your biblical authority for why we go to work is flawed. The reason we have to 'work' is the curse of Adam’s fall. See. Genesis 3:19 'By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.' Hard work can be a good thing, but in the Garden, Adam and Eve’s sin was the cause of many things, not the least of which was mankind’s (specifically man’s) need to work to survive instead of it being given freely (as a hand out) by God."
cominus "Joel, please, look again at the Scriptures: Gen 3:19 does not say we go to work because of the curse. Starting in verse seventeen, God told Adam that because he listened to his wife, ignoring God's command, the ground was now cursed and he would produce from the soil only upon painful toil and the sweat of his brow.
"God created work well ahead of the curse. Most of the first chapter of Genesis recounts the creation - God's work. At the end of every day, God looked back upon His work and said that it was good. He enjoyed His work.
"The second chapter of Genesis begins with a problem: 'no plant of the field had yet sprung up, for the Lord God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no man to work the ground.' The next few verses describe how God remedied the problem: He sent springs of water that watered the whole surface (and rain would not come until after the Flood) and he created man to tend to His creation - to work the soil.
"This chapter also describes the beauty and wonder of the Garden of Eden, where God placed the man, to tend to it. Adam was given a wonderful place to work, it is implicit that the man took joy in his work. He worked the soil and God brought all the animals to him to be named (studied and classified).
"You are correct, in that there is a curse upon our labor. However, you are mistaken if you think that we work because of the curse. Not to worry, this is a common misperception. Jesus said on several occasions, He was going about His Father's work. He also said He was going to go to the Father and that He would build a mansion for His chosen. He said the believers will rule and reign with Him: that is, we will work in Heaven and it will not be a curse. On the other hand, those going to Hell will not be working.
"Solomon lamented in the Book of Ecclesiastes of the futility of life. Within several passages, he recounts the futility of work, building wealth and leaving an estate for those who will squander it and not remember him. In the end, he comes to the conclusion that the whole duty of man is to fear God, keep His commandments and work to please Him (for He will bring every deed into judgment). Paul affirms this conclusion in several passages, where he reminds us to do everything as working unto the Lord.
"When we work the resources God has given us, we reflect His image as our Creator: He creates; we produce. We bring glory to God in our labor and we are able to reflect another aspect of God's image: Paul tells us to work so we are able to share with those in need (Eph 4:28, see also Rom 12:13). God is our Provider; we reflect that image of our Creator when we share.
"You see, Joel, work is good. We are to take joy in our labor; in everything God has given us to do. We reflect God's image as Creator by producing from the resources He has given us and we reflect His image as Provider by sharing with those in need. 'Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.' [Col 3:23 NIV]"
Joel "Other than the 'work' done by God during creation, please show me one reference in Genesis, prior to the fall of man, where Adam and/or Eve worked? There is no refererence to it other than being a paradise (a garden) where all things were provided. Even 'Shabbat', 'Sabbath' the day of rest is meant to be a kind of brief return to 'the Garden' where no work is done. It was man’s desire to 'be like God' in the act of eating from the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil that led to many things, including the requirement to work as the passage that I referenced points out. I have seen no such passage.
"Perhaps one of the curses put on man to teach him an on-going divine lesson was in essence this - 'if you want to be like me (a creator), then so be it - you have to work hard to create.' God knew that such a job was not easy."
cominus "Joel, Regarding your request for a Scripture to support the premise that man worked before the Fall: Gen 2:15 'The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.' And in verse nineteen, God brought the animals to man to be classified.
"Along your other arguments re Sabbath and previous referring to God intending to give us handouts: God is always at work, Christ was at work, the angels are at work, and God intended man to work. Work is a blessing, however, the curse has made it a task.
"Our problem is that we think we provide for ourselves via our work and we forget, God provides and our job has little to do with it. God gives us our ability, talent and skill; He provides our job. More than that, everything that our work provides for us, is from Him."
Joel "Then in a sense it is always God, and not us that is actually working."
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