Tag Archives: Excellence

God’s Mark of Excellence – His Image

Articles June 15, 2022 Leave a comment

The soul is precisely the one that was sealed with the mark of excellence of our Triune Creator God, because it was made in His image:

“And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female created He them” (Genesis 1:27).

Wernher von Braun, in fact, recognized the human soul as God’s masterpiece. And it is in the human soul that God has impregnated the image of Him:

“Scientists now believe that in nature, matter is never destroyed. Not even the smallest particle can disappear without a trace. Nature knows no extinction, only transformation. Would God have less respect for His masterpiece of creation, the human soul? Every person receives the gift of life on this earth…The knowledge that man can choose between good, and evil should bring him closer to his Creator…” (Federer 2016)

As true as Von Braun’s analysis is, great theologians and scholars throughout history have seriously and deeply studied what concerns the “image of God.” And the Word itself gives us some portions in both the Old and New Testaments.

We have previously quoted Genesis 1: 26-27, which fundamentally have to do with God’s intention to create the human being and, in fact, with His concrete action.

Also, in Genesis 9 we find another verse where the “image of God” is alluded to, thus:

“Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God is man made.” (Genesis 9:6)

Erickson comments that in Genesis 9 murder is prohibited on the grounds that the human being was created in the image of God. Although this passage does not mention that humans still bear the image of God, it is clear that what God has done before is still in effect, even after the fall.[1]

TongueLet us now quote a passage from the New Testament where the subject in question is also referred to; and through which the Scriptures evidence that the human being is created in the image of God, even after the fall.

“[The tongue] with it we bless the God and Father, and with it we curse men, who are made in the likeness of God.” (James 3:9)

Erickson in his book “Christian Theology” presents some views about the nature of the image of God. However, he concludes by indicating that, since there are various interpretations, this is an indication that there is no direct statement in the Scriptures on the subject. Therefore, reasonable inferences must be drawn from what little the Bible says on this subject. And here we share the most relevant, according to Erickson’s analysis:[2]

  • The image of God is universal within the human race. If the passages Genesis 9:6 and James 3:9-10 are analyzed; we observe bans on killing and cursing, respectively. And these prohibitions apply without limitation to all mankind, on the basis that mankind was created in the image of God.
  • The image of God has not been lost as a result of sin or specifically the fall. Thus, returning to the analysis of the prohibitions on murder and the curse, they apply to both sinners and pious believers. Thus, the presence of the image and likeness in non-believers is assumed. If this is the case, it means that the image of God is something that is inseparably connected with humanity.
  • There are no indications that the image is present in one person to a greater degree than in another. Superior natural endowments such as a high level of intelligence; it is not evidence of the presence or of a certain degree of the image.
  • The image refers to the elements in the human composition that allow the fulfillment of human destiny. It is about the powers of the personality that somehow make humans like God, that is, beings capable of interacting with other people, of thinking, reflecting and having a will. God’s creation had a definite purpose: Humans were destined to know, love, and obey God, and to live in harmony with other human beings. And Erickson emphasizes that humans are most fully human when they are active in these relationships, fulfilling God’s purpose. He mentions here also that the attributes of God which are sometimes referred to as the communicable attributes constitute the image of God. And he points out:

“Humanity as humanity has a nature that encompasses everything that constitutes the personality or the self: intelligence, will, emotions. This is the image in which humans were created, allowing them to have the divinely intended relationship with God and with other humans, and exercise dominion. (Erickson 2003)

  • It is interesting that Erickson also mentions the thought of Karl Barth, who says that the image is present in the human as long as it is human. And he looks at the image of God not only consisting of the vertical relationship between the human and God, but also horizontally between human beings. The image is related to the fact that God created a being who, like Himself, can be a partner.
Mischievous boy covered with paints

As this boy is dirty, covered with paints; so does sin in us, the image of God. 

It is good to highlight here a synthesis of the study by Miguel Núñez, who states that the image of God has not been lost. Yes upset, disfigured, trampled, distorted; but it definitely has not been lost. By definition, he says, the image of God cannot be lost because God exists permanently. What distorted it is sin. As human beings we have a mind with which we think, just like God; emotions we feel; one intelligence, one spirit, existence, all this just like God. And in terms of soul destruction, we are not going to die, just like God. The human being will go to hell or to the presence of God, depending on whether he is a believer or not; but he will continue to exist, just like God. So, what distorts the image of God is the sin that entered man. The sinful nature affected as long as the mind was darkened, it distorts the perception of the reality of what the human being sees. Likewise, the feelings were affected, the human being has become egocentric, tries to satisfy his own needs selfishly. Before the fall, we would have lived in the presence of God, and we would not have had the deviations that we now have.

Dr. Núñez refers to two biblical passages that were also mentioned earlier in this chapter, Genesis 9:6 and James 3:9. Both passages, he says, occur after the fall. And God continues to affirm through them about the existence of the image of God in man. The image of God remains in us, and the seriousness of a crime, domestic violence or abortion basically lies in the fact that human beings are bearers of the image of God; if it were not in us, we could die just like the animals and nothing would have any consequence, he concludes.[3]

[1] Millard J. Erickson, Christian Theology (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2003), 519.

[2] Millard J. Erickson, Christian Theology (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2003), 519-533.

[3] Miguel Núñez, “¿Es el hombre pecador aun la imagen de Dios?” Edificando,  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uaKE_9n-G_M

Excellence Begins in the Heart of the Human Being – Introduction

Articles May 15, 2022 Leave a comment

“Everything that God is and does is marked by excellence.”

Andreas Köstenberger

As always, first, it is important to mention that the English version of this article has been translated from the Spanish version of Towards Excellence (https://hacialaexcelencia.org/2022/05/15/la-excelencia-comienza-en-el-corazon-del-ser-humano-introduccion/); not necessarily from the original texts and works of authors here cited.

So now, let me begin by sharing that a few years ago, I had the opportunity to venture a submarine trip in Hawaii. A short but surprising journey to the bottom of the sea, where the wonders of the marine realm only seen on the small and big screens, became a beautiful reality. This incredible experience simply confirmed me that wherever we are, we will always be surrounded by beauty and magnificence.[1]

But not only that, it was an extraordinary experience, as it led me to an unfathomable reflection. Just as even in the depths of the sea the Triune Creator God left His mark of excellence; likewise, the Triune Creator God left that same mark of excellence and even superior, in the depths of the heart of the human being, the pinnacle of His creation.

Andreas Köstenberger, in his book “Excellence: The Character of God and the Pursuit of Scholarly Virtue” states:

TE-Andreas Köstenberger-eng“Systematic theologies generally do not list excellence as one of God’s attributes…however, for excellence can be viewed as an overarching divine attribute that encompasses all the others. Everything God is and does is marked by excellence.” (Köstenberger 2011)

And as we have also noted in the previous articles, the mark of God’s excellence is present in all of creation, consequently in humans.

Wernher von Braun, the renowned German scientist who brought us into the space age, laid the groundwork for cell phones, satellite radio, the Internet, GPS, and Doppler radar. But not only that, especially he held a firm belief in the Creator God of the Bible. And we precisely quote Von Braun because after his conversion to Christianity he was a strong proponent of the Christian faith and creationism, thus defending that creationism was a feasible scientific theory for the origin of the universe, life, and man.[2] He stated:

“To be forced to believe…that everything in the universe happened by chance—would violate the very objectivity of science itself. Certainly, there are those who argue that the universe evolved out of a random process, but what random process could produce the brain of a man or the system of the human eye?” (Bergmann 2014)

Science with all its advances is still amazed at the extraordinary structure, composition and functioning of the human body, as it is the case of those who study the human brain and all the complexity that it entails, which, without a doubt, continues to leave tremendously astonished those who tirelessly, advancing in investigation after investigation, do not stop until they specify the magnitude and depth of this organ.

According to an article from the “Institute of Creation Research,” researchers found the rosehip ethereal neuron, and Sherwin, its author, says:

“…in postmortem samples and in sections of brain tissue from surgical procedures. Interestingly, this newly discovered neuron is not found in mice. They are unique to humans, and rosehip neurons can activate a unique set of genes in that single type of brain cell.” (Sherwin 2018)

TE-Human BrainExtraordinary as the brain is, although small in its physical structure, just 3 pounds if we talk about the brain of an adult, it manages the information of 1000 supercomputers. The brain is like a communication center, and it has a computer, a library, and a video camera all in one. And the more the brain is used, the better it becomes![3]

Isn’t it fascinating? But there is still something much more fascinating in the human being, something highly impenetrable. His soul! Why? Because the soul represents the very being of a person.

Coming soon “God’s Mark of Excellence,” an extraordinary topic.

[1] Cecilia Yépez, “Excellence Stems from the Heart – Part 1”, Blog “Towards Excellence”, https://towardsexcellence.org/2017/02/28/excellence-stems-from-the-heart-part-1/

[2] Jerry Bergman, “Wernher von Braun: The Father of Space Flight,” Institute of Creation Research, https://www.icr.org/article/wernher-von-braun-father-space-flight

[3] Donald B. DeYoung, “Thinking about the Brain,” Institute of Creation Research, https://www.icr.org/article/thinking-about-brain/

The God of Creation as Author and Example of Excellence – Introduction

Articles October 3, 2021 Leave a comment

“…from the microscopic and complex of DNA to the magnificent and unattainable galactic world of the splendid universe, the Creator´s mark of excellence is infallibly present.”

Cecy Yepez

For some months “Towards Excellence” has been silent, due to some circumstances, perhaps one of the main ones, because I, the author, was working on a long research whose theme fascinates me. So, for some time I have considered to share excerpts from it with each of you, the beloved audience of “Towards Excellence.”

From now on, I will be pleased to provide a broad overview of the excellence of the Triune Creator God and its implications for the work of leaders, and especially, Christian leaders within their various spheres of influence.

Through the study of Genesis 1 and 2, among other Biblical passages, the fascinating world of creation and its different moments are approached, in which the excellence of its Maker undoubtedly unfolds. It is observed, of course, that from the microscopic and complex of DNA to the magnificent and unattainable galactic world of the splendid universe, the Creator’s mark of excellence is infallibly present.

And of course, this study highlights the sublime and supernatural presence of the mark of excellence in the Creator’s masterpiece – the human being, in whose being His image and likeness were impregnated, which unfortunately was upset, stained and broken by the fall; but it is emphasized that it has the opportunity to be restored through the redemptive work of Christ. Of Whom, incidentally, a wonderful approach is made as “the image of the invisible God”, based on Colossians 1:15-17 and Colossians 2:9.

Space view on Planet Earth and Sun Star rotating on its axis in black Universe. Elements of image furnished by NASA, [Envato Elements].

In fact, to understand even more about the image of God, the character of Jesus and His actions are also analyzed, since He is the perfect example of what human nature should have been.

Thus, this study, in its last part, deals with what concerns Christian leadership, understanding that its actors, made in the image and likeness of the Creator, are challenged to be an example of His excellence where they have been called to lead. And not only that, but as bearers of His image, they have been commanded to exercise dominion over all creation, but they must do so in a way that is consistent with the character of the God of excellence.

For this reason, throughout the excerpts that I will share from this research, the great example of Jesus Christ will be denoted, whose leadership style has revolutionized the world. A leader who sacrificially serves lepers, without fear of infection; a leader who breaks down cultural barriers, not fearing other people´s opinion, such as the encounter with the Samaritan woman; a leader who forgives and restores, as when he courageously defended the woman who was about to be stoned; a confronting leader, as in the eviction of the temple. A true servant leader who gives His life for the cause that was entrusted to Him!

And we delved further, understanding that this leader did not allow Himself to be infected by the profane culture of His environment; but rather fearlessly expanded the culture of the Kingdom of God.

I trust that these excerpts will inspire many as they may have the opportunity to meet the God of excellence for the first time, or reaffirm their knowledge and relationship with Jesus Christ, the God of excellence; or even more, mobilize many to be and act as ambassadors of excellence in this world.

In our next issue, we will start together an extraordinary journey through which we will recognize “the excellence of God in creation”; and certainly, we will join the poetic statement of Job:

“[God] who alone stretched out the heavens
    and trampled the waves of the sea;
who made the Bear and Orion,
    the Pleiades and the chambers of the south;
who does great things beyond searching out,
    and marvelous things beyond number.”

(Job 9:8-10 – ESV)

See you soon and in the meantime, I encourage you to live a life marked by excellence!

Excellence Stems from the Heart – Part 2

Articles, Inspiration April 10, 2017 1 Comment

“The excellence of the heart of God was definitely impregnated in our heart, now it is we who must expand the heart of God wherever we go.”

 

As I shared in the previous article – Part 1, God did not only prepare everything in advance to welcome us in this planet, but when He created us, He certainly did it with excellence, with deep love and by the way, carefully and wonderfully.  The Bible – His Word reveals it so and science does confirm it as well.
Psalm 139:13-14,16 “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb; I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well…Your eyes saw my unformed body.” This is expressed by this Psalm with vivid poetry that God, the Creator knotted us in such a way, which as a result every human being is truly His masterpiece. But His creation does not only encourage poetic expression; but science as such, definitely confirms how wonderful it is.

So let’s take a look at what National Geographic states about the human brain: “It is, nevertheless, one of the body’s biggest organs, consisting of some 100 billion nerve cells that not only put together thoughts and highly coordinated physical actions but regulate our unconscious body processes, such as digestion and breathing.”[1]

The brain is the most complex information management system in the universe. [Image from the Internet]

And for instance, let me quote Wernher von Braun (1912 – 1977), a space engineer who stated, “Certainly there are those who argue that the universe evolved out of a random process, but what random process could produce the brain of a man or the system of the human eye?,” [2] questioned the creator of the V-2 Rocket for Nazi Germany and Saturn V for the United States.

 

Dear friends, here we are talking only about the brain, which, by the way, we see it as one of the key organs of human life, in fact, it is the most complex information management system in the universe.
As we see, science itself leads us to study and understand that the human body is a wonderful, extraordinary machine. It is the most accurate and efficient machine that has ever existed and does not compare at all with any machine created by man.

But, not only our complex physical body as it is, is the evidence of the existence of “an intelligent being” who is certainly behind the creation of all this magnificent universe, but also our soul that is sealed with the mark of excellence of this being, called God, the Creator, Jesus Christ himself.  “He [Jesus] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation …—all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.”  (Colossians 1: 15, 17)

And it is precisely our soul that was made in the image of God, the Creator, “And God created man in his own image, in the image of God created him; male and female he created them”. (Genesis 1:27).
Wernher von Braun recognized it so, God’s masterpiece is the human soul. [3] And it is in the human soul that God has impregnated His image.

Let’s just take a look around us for a few minutes… look at those living beings that are close to us and are not our peers. Namely, we contemplate the garden of our house, the plants that embellish our room, we hug our pets, or maybe we remember some of our visits to the zoo or some botanical garden. These beings are extraordinary, the animals, flowers, plants, trees; but none of them would dare to compare itself with the smallest of human beings, if it could.

Human beings are truly privileged and unique. Only men and women are the ones who reflect the extraordinary characteristics of God, the Creator.

We are highly creative beings. The creativity of the human being is evident every day, in the music we listen to, in the works of art that delight us, in the beauty of the varied crafts that characterize different peoples and nations, in the extraordinary scientific inventions.

One of the greatest inventions, the car by Ford. [Edison & Ford Winter Estates]

We are intelligent. The human brain has intelligently created the horse’s saddle, the carriage, the boat, the bicycle, the car, the light aircraft, the plane to transport increasingly faster and more comfortably.

But his creativity and intelligence is ongoing, the human brain has crossed the limits of our planet, it has reached the moon and continues to explore space non-stop.

We are beings who communicate with each other. The spoken, written word or sign language are exclusive to the human being. We have been given the privilege of expressing what is in our heart through the word. In fact, God created the universe, through His Word (Genesis 1). Through the word we have the power to build or to destroy, to spur or to discourage, to love or to hate.

These are just some of the characteristics that our God, the Creator has impregnated in our soul. We are indeed His masterpiece! And every “masterpiece” is admirable and worthy of replication.
The excellence of the heart of God was definitely impregnated in our heart, now it is we who must expand the heart of God wherever we go.

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10)

Sources:

[1]  http://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/health-and-human-body/human-body/brain/

[2] http://www.icr.org/article/wernher-von-braun-father-space-flight/

[3] http://www.wnd.com/2016/06/this-rocket-scientist-had-amazing-view-of-god/

Excellence Stems from the Heart – Part 1

Articles, Inspiration February 28, 2017 1 Comment

“Excellence stems from the heart of God, our Creator, who, by means of his eternal love for men and women, called this planet out of nothing…”

 

In the bilingual blog “Towards Excellence” and in honor of its name we begin to develop a series of articles with short reflections on the world of excellence, the depth of its meaning and why not, a forthright challenge to post-modern and post- post-modern society that we, in general, are living worldwide.

Submarine trip, Maui, Hawaii

A few years ago, I had the opportunity to venture a submarine trip in Hawaii. A short but surprising journey to the bottom of the sea, where the wonders of the marine realm only seen on the small and big screens, became a beautiful reality. This incredible experience simply confirmed me that wherever we are, we will always be surrounded by beauty and magnificence.

Let me invite you then, to take a look around you, your surroundings. What do you see? … And after a few minutes we will surely have very different answers. There will be those who describe extraordinary mountainous landscapes, others perhaps even the greatness of snow peaks on a sunny day, many others the beauty of its beaches and the vast sea, and probably some more, the exotic landscapes of a dense jungle.

And all this without considering the magnificent diversity of fauna and flora in each of the most amazing

An enchanting underwater world

An enchanting underwater world

places of our planet.

Our environment, our planet, in short, our home proves that we live in a world of excellence. From the summit of the Everest to the Dead Sea bordering Israel, the lowest point on earth, our gaze certainly delights with the “7 natural wonders of the world” and beyond.

Let’s take a look now, at the beginning of this planet. And for that purpose, if I may, I want to refer to the first chapter of the first book of the Bible, Genesis (Bereshit) in Hebrew, precisely means “In the beginning.”

In sum, Genesis 1 tells us how our planet, our home began, who built it and, in fact, how it was organized, decorated and filled with food, all of this before our arrival, the arrival of human beings.
I challenge you to read Genesis 1 carefully. You will be amazed about how wonderful this story is. However, and for the purposes of this article, I just want to highlight two aspects of this reading:

Dead Sea

Dead Sea

1. Throughout this chapter and while it mentions step by step the creation of our world…the light, the heavens, the earth, the waters, the sun, the moon, the stars, the grass, birds, fish; then God, our Creator, states 6 times: “And God saw all that He made, and it was good;” and a seventh time, after He created the animals and the human being, and He finished His creation, “ And God saw all that He made, and it was very good”.

Thus, one of the most important things that this text stands out is that the creation of God is definitely “very good.” In other words, the creation of our God, which of course includes us humans (Gen. 1:27, 31) was done with excellence, without imperfection, without mistake.

2. “He [God] has made [and still makes] everything beautiful in its time”, (Ecclesiastes 3:11); therefore,

Mt. Everest view from base camp (courtesy of Amosji Attaché Gorkhas)

Mt. Everest view from base camp (courtesy of Amosji Attaché Gorkhas, Nepal)

His heart is willing to do everything with excellence, because His essence itself denotes excellence.

If we look again around us, we confirm this Word; we are surrounded by a majestic nature that certainly delights our gaze and even more, our heart.

Excellence stems from the heart of God, our Creator, who, by means of his eternal love for men and women, called this planet, our world, our home into existence out of nothing, so we can dwell in it.

As parents prepare the best for their new baby to come, his room, his crib, her clothes, her toys and

everything the little baby may need; in the same way, our God, our Father the Creator prepared this world with everything to receive man and woman, creatures made in His own image.

Yes, God is our example of excellence!

Cape of Good Hope, South Africa

Cape of Good Hope, South Africa

“His wisdom is profound, His power is vast…

He alone stretches out the heavens
and treads on the waves of the sea.
He is the Maker of the Bear and Orion,
the Pleiades and the constellations of the south.
He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed,
miracles that cannot be counted.”
                                              (Job 9:4,8-10)

In our next issue, we will discover more about the bases and roots related to a life Towards Excellence. There is much more to discover! Coming soon!