Intro

This is the first episode of the IMAGO Project! In this episode I talk about why I'm making this podcast, the vision for the podcast, the beliefs behind the podcast, and the standards I'll be sticking to as I make the podcast.

I made this episode for the sole reason that there are a lot of podcasts out there already, so I felt I had to justify the creation of this one. You definitely don't need to listen to this episode to understand the episodes to come, but for anyone who has questions about the podcast, this will hopefully clear the air somewhat.

For those with questions about the inerrancy of scripture, I point you to this article published by the Gospel Coalition: 
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/essay/authority-inerrancy-scripture/
It is comprehensive and should answer most if not all questions you may have, and supplies further reading at the end in case you are not yet satisfied.

All scripture citations are pulled from the English Standard Version published by Crossway in 2001. The intro and outro music is an excerpt from the instrumental version of Ben Potter's, "Omnipotent yet Intimate," and is officially licensed.

Transcript

Ep 1. - Introduction

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. And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” - Genesis 1:26-28 (ESV)

Hello. I am Matthew Vaughan, and this is the first episode of The IMAGO Project, a podcast where we look deeply into the character of God and investigate what it means for us to be made in his image. To kick things off I will be talking about why I am making this podcast, what the vision for the podcast is, what the beliefs behind this podcast are, and the standard that I will be holding myself to as I go through this project. 

Part 1) Why Make a Podcast?

For the past several years, I have felt like there are themes to every season. By themes I mean certain topics or questions or ideas seem to come up everywhere I go. Things like obedience, prayer, humility, etc. Anyway, about a year ago the phrase, “We are made in the image of God,” became a theme. As I thought about what that meant, certain questions began popping into my head. What does it mean to be made in the image of God? If we are made in the image of God, then what are we supposed to look like? How do I make the most of my position as an image-bearer? 

It’s always important to me that I not just be making noise when I speak. I have been told many times that I have a voice for radio, but I didn’t want to make a podcast just because people told me I had a nice voice. I’m vain, but I’m not that vain. No matter what, it was vital to me that I didn’t make just another podcast and add my voice to the cacophony of voices on the internet, but that I did something that would be meaningful and would build up the body of Christ to pursue his works.

As I considered the Imago Dei, or image of God, I became convinced that God had put it on my heart for a reason. In September of 2022 I began dreaming up this podcast, but obligations to school and work made it irresponsible for me to set aside the time to get it recorded and produced. It is now the summer of 2023, and I have graduated and have a bit more time on my hands. I may only wind up doing this for the summer to keep myself productive, but if it seems like God is using it then I’ll keep it going. 

To move into the heart of the podcast itself, I want to set a baseline understanding that even though we are made in the image of God, we are not capable of being him. He is completely beyond our understanding, and so even though we can reflect some aspects of his character, we cannot actually become him, and we cannot wrap our heads around the fullness of who he is. Here’s a little interesting fact for you: There’s a stream of theology called apophatic theology that attempts to describe the attributes of God through negative statements because he is so beyond. Beyond human words. Beyond human thought. Beyond human wisdom. Beyond human strength.

Fortunately for us, the work of understanding God is not left to us. He gifts us with his wisdom, with his words, and with his strength. When we surrender ourselves to him, he gives himself to us. That said, let’s move into speaking a bit more about the vision I have for this podcast.

Part 2) Vision

We desire to build a more intimate understanding of the character of God so that we would seek to glorify and reflect his image in every aspect of our lives.

That’s the vision statement for this podcast. I am all about building up the body so that we can walk in unity and love for the Lord, reflecting his character and embodying the truth he has set within us. This is not about living morally right lives, but about living in the fullest sense of the word; within the eternal love and life brought about by the perfect design of the Father of heavenly lights.

It is my deepest conviction that sin brings death because it is harmful to us; it is the antithesis of God’s creative intent for us. It breaks from the glorious truth he created, and thus breaks the creation itself. Jesus came down to restore that creation, bringing it back into fullness and completion by laying down his life on the cross and then taking it back up again in the tomb so that we could walk in the perfect relationship he had originally intended to have with us. His creative intent is fulfilled when we live within the framework he intended and glorify him in our hearts as we do so. We do not follow his commands out of a sense of grouchy obedience, but from an understanding of and gratitude for the way he has created us to live.

This understanding is reached through the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts, functioning as a fire within us that consumes the works of the world and refines the works of the Father. He transforms us from the inside out, uprooting our sin, bringing us into the new self, and directing us toward the lifegiving truth of the Word. Therefore we do not simply live, but we live to bring his presence near, both in our hearts and in the hearts of others. 

That, in short, is Christian living. My goal in creating this podcast is to answer the deceptively simple question of what the implications of being made in the image of God are, and then to dissect how we can reflect that image. To do so we will look into the character of God reflected in the many attributes he displays throughout scripture, and then break down how we can use the knowledge of his character reflected in us in our daily lives.

Each episode will follow a basic structure of looking into a definite characteristic of God, such as his independence, holiness, goodness, love, etc., looking into how that characteristic is reflected in us as his image-bearers, then closing with reflective reading so that we can dwell on scripture throughout our week. Episodes will be posted every week, with the exception of this first week in which I have posted two episodes to get your attention.

That sums up the vision and basic plan for this podcast. We will now be changing gears to look at the basic beliefs behind this podcast, as well as the standard that I will be holding myself and any guests on this podcast to.

Part 3) Beliefs

It is always of the utmost importance to me that I be clear about what I believe. To quote Pastor Nick Maddox of BT McAllen, “To be clear is to be kind.” I want to be clear that while I call myself a Baptist and will mostly be speaking from a Baptist perspective, this podcast will not be diving into the divisions of the church. There are some issues that are not important enough to spend time discussing, so I will be setting a baseline for the essential truths of Christianity, and not so much on the small issues that won’t affect anyone’s eternity. I want this podcast to be approachable for anyone from any point in their walk with Christ, so if you’re looking for an extremely in depth, complex, verse-by-verse exposition, this won’t be the thing to cut your teeth on. 

With that said, let’s dig into the basic beliefs of this podcast, and really of Christianity as a whole:

1. We believe in the Trinity, being reflected in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
   1. The Triune identity of our God is one of the most confounding topics in our faith, but put simply, the Trinity is the opposition of basic math. Where we say 1+1+1=3, the Trinity says 1+1+1=1. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are separate, equal, and perfectly unified Persons that are all equally and fully God, and fully and equally unified as the one God. In the words of the theologian Wayne Grudem, “When we speak of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit together we are not speaking of any greater being than when we speak of the Father alone, the Son alone, or the Holy Spirit alone.”

1. We believe that the Bible is the inspired and flawless Word of God. 2 Timothy 3:16
   1. If we do not believe in the flawlessness of scripture, then we cannot believe in scripture at all. If there are issues, then the whole thing falls apart. I am not going to take the time to break down the inerrancy of scripture because at the end of the day you will either believe it is inerrant or not, but if you doubt that scripture is consistent, I invite you to dive into it and see for yourself that it holds true when tested against itself. On that note, I will say this: Because scripture is the perfect and complete Word of God, it is incomparably valuable, and something that asks and even demands of us close study to make our walk with Christ complete.

1. We believe we are created in the image of God, so understanding His nature will bring greater understanding of who He created us to be and how He desires for us to live. Genesis 1:27
   1. A non believing professor of mine brought up the fact that we as humans have a tendency to think of ourselves as being higher than animals. This professor seemed to believe this was a flaw of humans as a species. However, from the Christian perspective, this is the intent of God himself. He loves his creation perfectly because he is love, but he did create us differently. We see in Genesis 1:20-25 that God speaks and the animals come to be. They are good. However, when we look at the account of the creation of Adam in Genesis 2:7, we see that God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into him. In Genesis 1:27 we see that God created man and woman in his own image. No other animal is formed in this manner or breathed into directly. No other animal is said to have been created in the image of God. We are God’s special creation. We are his children. So, if we seek to understand him better, it stands to reason we will understand ourselves better as well.

1. We believe that heartfelt belief in and confession of the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Son of God being God himself, is the exclusive path to salvation. Romans 10:9-10
   1. You aren’t saved if you do not understand and believe this truth. If you have not confessed with your mouth and believed in your heart, not your mind, your heart, then you have not truly been saved. Heart understanding of the sacrifice of Christ and all it means for us changes a person from the inside out. Head understanding might affect some behaviors, but until the bridge between heart and mind has been built, then you have not truly known Christ. 

1. We believe the global church is the instrument God has chosen to use for the salvation of the world, and that we are unified across Christ-confessing denominations for the purpose of reaching out to those who are dead in sin and guiding them through the Spirit into life and truth in Christ. Matthew 28:18-20
   1. In recent years, seeking and living for conflict with people who are not completely like whoever we are has become the norm in the world. Unfortunately, that pattern of behavior has entered and begun to harm the church, especially the American church. We are so ready to seek out and endlessly debate whatever makes us different. We see ourselves in terms of Presbyterians and Pentecostals, Armenians and Calvinists, Reformed and Unreformed, Baptist and Methodist. We have become overly concerned with perfect theology and forgotten the sacrificial and inviting love of Christ. Let me be clear. I love talking about theology. That’s part of why I am making this podcast. However, I recently came to understand thanks to some wise, God-fearing people that the Samaritan woman at the well did not need perfect theology to understand who Christ was and to tell her village so they could come and know him for themselves. She just needed to know who Christ was. Our primary calling is to go and make disciples, baptize them, then teach them to do what we were commanded to do. The greatest commands given by Christ as he established the new covenant were these; to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself. Not, love the Lord your God with all your heart, and make sure that you know the Bible backward and forward. Not love the Lord and make sure that you only spend time in community with people who completely agree with your theology and who do church the way you think is right. Love the Lord, and love your neighbor. From those two laws we build our lives, and our lives together build the church. 

That was a significant tangent, but the topic of unity is something the Spirit has built a passion for in my heart since he began the work of making me a less polarized person. Those who know me know what I mean. I have opinions. However, in a world that is divided, the church should be a force ushering in unity in Christ. It’s something I will be talking about a lot as I go through making this podcast.

With all of that said, let’s move on from the beliefs behind this podcast to the standards that I will be holding myself to, and that I will be expecting you all to hold me to as well.

Part 4) Standards

That’s right, I want to be called out when I make a mistake. Something our world needs more of is accountability. The digital age has made getting your voice and whatever words you feel like spitting into the world way easier than ever before, which means that anyone can say anything with little to no accountability. However, any time someone is putting their voice out into the world and speaking about scripture and the will of God, it is important that they be held to a high standard in terms of character, conduct, and truth. We see in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 the standard Paul expects of leaders within the church. I expect to be held to the same standards, especially because I intend to pursue seminary education and eventual pastorship. Of course I’m not married, but the basic premise still applies. The following are some standards I formed from scripture beyond 1 Timothy 3:1-7.

1. I will speak without distorting or adding onto the Bible, taking each thought and word captive and removing my opinions and biases from the conversation. Romans 16:17-18
   1. The Bible is complete. It needs no addition, and does not conflict against itself. If I say something wrong, I want to be called on it. I would never be bold enough to pretend to know the Bible perfectly. In preparing for this podcast I have not tried to rely on my own wisdom, but I have pulled much of what I am going to be saying from the work of Arthur Pink in his book, “The Attributes of God,” and from Aiden W. Tozer in his two books by the same name. I am not going at this from my own perception of scripture, but from previous works that are widely acknowledged in theological spheres. 

1. I want to speak clearly, without trying to sound knowledgeable or wise. Ecclesiastes 5:2
   1. I studied English in college, which means I love the sound of my own authorial voice. As such, I have to take care not to try to sound super knowledgeable or wise, especially as I speak about scripture, because the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and I can only understand scripture because I have the benefit of the Holy Spirit doing the work of interpretation for me. Nothing I am saying belongs to me, so if I ever act like it does, call me on it.

1. I want to push every listener toward pursuing wisdom and understanding in His word before going to other sources so that their faith would be built on experiences with Him rather than what they have heard others say of Him. 1 Corinthians 2:5
   1. Here’s some facts: If your daily walk with Christ begins and ends with a forty-five minute podcast and includes no personal study or experience, then you’re putting yourself in a position to make little to no forward progress in the process of sanctification. The whole point of this podcast is driving people to walk more closely with the Lord and dig into scripture for themselves. I want to hear about people listening more intently for the voice of the Spirit and seeking to embody the image of God on a daily basis, and spurring those around them to the same. 

I want it to be known and understood that this podcast isn’t about learning for learning’s sake. It is about laying the foundations for a genuine heart for the purposes of God that drives people out into the world seeking to reunite Christ’s lost sheep with their shepherd. I firmly believe that when we understand who we are both as image bearers of the living God and as new creations in Christ, it builds in us a desire to live out the purposes God created us for. As Ephesians 2:10 says, “We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do.” The purpose of our new life is good works in the Lord Jesus Christ, driven by the Spirit, for the glory of the Father. 

That said, let’s close with prayer and some responsive reading.

Romans 8:31-39 (ESV)

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died - more than that, who was raised - who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written,

For your sake we are being killed all the day long;

We are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, not angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The IMAGO Project is written and produced by me, Matthew Vaughan. All scripture citations are taken from the English Standard Version. The intro song is an excerpt from Omnipotent yet Intimate by Ben Potter. Thank you for listening!