In God’s creating work, He set mankind apart from the rest of creation by making us in His image (Gen. 1:26-27). Mankind was meant to reflect God in His creation. In setting mankind apart as His image-bearers, God shared some of His attributes with mankind. He made us spiritual, personal, rational, emotional, creative, moral, etc. As a result, God’s fingerprints are clearly seen in humanity.
Although man was created in God’s image, he was never meant to be a little god, or, as Satan put it, “like God” (Gen. 3:5). Even in the Garden of Eden man was created to be ever dependent on God and His word (Gen. 1-3). Furthermore, God had perfect fellowship with man in the Garden prior to the Fall. Humans were meant to enjoy God forever in a wonderful, sinless world. But man sinned.
Since the Fall of man into sin, humans need God’s word even more due to the darkness of sin infecting all creation (Gen. 3). Thus, as Christians interact with culture, they must understand this world in light of God’s truth, being willing to compare and contrast all they see with the word of God. All forms of story/media either reveal God’s glory by agreeing with God’s word or hide God’s glory by telling lies. All forms of media make truth claims. The authors, singers, characters, directors, etc. are always arguing a point, perspective or truth-claim, and their arguments either agree or disagree with God’s word. Christians must test all things, keeping what is true, trashing what is false, while constantly unveiling where these authors reveal they live in God’s world.
In God’s world, all truth is God’s truth and all lies are the devil’s lies. Christians know the Who and the Why behind the truth presented by God’s image-bearers. We know our Creator intimately through Scripture and through Jesus Christ. The world knows our Creator as well through creation and conscience, but they often suppress this truth (John 1:3-4; Rom. 1). Because all humans possess some knowledge of God, Christians must engage media and the rest of the world for the purpose of recognizing God’s fingerprints. As we recognize God’s fingerprints, we will be on our knees worshiping the Triune God who gave His only Son to redeem sinners and sinful creation (Rom. 8:19-23). We will enjoy media/stories, not for the purpose of enjoying media/stores, but on the contrary, for the purpose of enjoying God through enjoying media/stories.
Jared Moore is 32 years of age, and has served in pastoral ministry in a Southern Baptist context for 12 years. He currently pastors New Salem Baptist Church in Hustonville, KY. He is happily married to Amber and has three children. He has authored one book 10 Sacred Cows in Christianity That Need to Be Tipped. Jared is also a regular contributor at SBC Voices, Servants of Grace, Sermon Central, and Church Leaders, and occasionally writes for Speculative Faith, Credo Magazine, Gospel Husbands, and SBC Focus. I have a B.A. in Biblical Studies from Trinity College of the Bible, an M.A.R. in Biblical Studies from Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary, an M.Div. in Christian ministry from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (SBTS), a Th.M. in Systematic Theology (ABT) from SBTS, and I’m currently a PhD Student in Systematic Theology at SBTS.
