Ontological Inversion

Ontological means our "essential being"; or our "personhood". We are created spiritual beings who are given a physical body. We are first spiritual beings, then physical beings! At the fall (Gen 3), there was an 'ontological inversion' - we now see ourselves first as physical beings with physical appetites rather than first as spiritual beings with spiritual appetites. We are spiritual beings having a human experience rather than merely human beings having a spiritual experience. Therefore, our relationship with God becomes so important.

Let's take a look of Gen 1: 26-27. 'Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.'

All the while I thought 'our image' & 'our likeness' in the passage are very much refer to our outward appearance. Only lately that I discover that it is not what I thought initially. Actually, 'our image' & 'our likeness' were not meant to refer to our outward appearence, but they're meant to refer to our very essential being... we are indeed created in His likeness and He has imparted His divine attributes in us. Therefore, we are precious in His eyes.

"When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet.." Ps 8:3-6

Now, I could truly embrace the reason why our King of Kings and Lord of Lords is mindful of us... for we are His spiritual children, created in His own image & likeness. Although I have read Gen 1:26 many times, yet the conviction is very much different... How to describe it?? It is like the knowledge in my head suddenly got transferred to my heart and it get rooted deep within...


Note: This article was written by my good friend, Mei. It brings your Christian life into a new perspective of understanding our purpose and our position in the Lord. Be Blessed.