From Condemnation to Invitation

Hello Family,

I used to struggle deeply with the concept of evangelism, what it meant, how to approach it, and why it often felt more confrontational than compassionate. One of the main issues I had with the traditional approach was the tendency to begin with a harsh proclamation: “You are a sinner, and you need to be saved.” Yes, this is scripturally accurate that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). But this is only one part of the story, an important one, but not the beginning. Reducing the gospel to a message of sin and punishment misses the broader, richer narrative of God’s love.

Growing up attending church, I often heard the message of humanity’s fall and all that God had done to save us, but it has taken me years to truly begin to understand the most important part of that message: that we are profoundly loved and redeemed. For those who don’t already believe, starting the conversation with condemnation can seem not just strange but cruel. It frames the gospel as a threat rather than an invitation. We often speak as if the story of creation starts in Genesis 3, with the fall. But it doesn’t. It starts in Genesis 1, with blessing, purpose, and divine love.

A Better Beginning: Love, Worth, and Divine Intention

Genesis 1:26–27

“Then God said, ‘Let us make humans in our image, in our likeness…’ So God created humans in his image. In the image of God He created them—male and female.”

Before sin, before shame, there was glory. Long before the world knew brokenness, long before the first shadow of guilt or fear crept into the human heart, there existed something far greater, far more original: glory. We were created in the image of God—on purpose and with delight. This foundational truth changes everything about how we see ourselves and our world.

God did not form humanity out of boredom, obligation, or need. He is not a solitary being looking for company, nor a distant force demanding servants. God is love, a triune community of perfect unity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. For all eternity, this divine fellowship has existed in complete joy, harmony, and overflowing affection. Creation is not the result of divine lack but the result of divine abundance. Love, pure, eternal, and self-giving, spilled over into creation. And into that overflow, we were born.

Humanity was crafted not as an afterthought, but as the crown of creation, uniquely bearing the imago Dei, the image of God. To be made in His image means we were designed to reflect His nature, to live in relationship, to create, to steward, to love. We were made to walk with Him in intimacy, to dwell in peace with one another, and to care for the world entrusted to us. Our very existence is a testimony to the overflowing joy and generosity of God.

Before the fall distorted our view of ourselves, we were clothed in dignity and purpose. Before shame entered the world, we walked in freedom and communion. And even now, beneath the layers of brokenness, that original glory still calls to us. It whispers to the deepest parts of our hearts: You were made for more. You were made in love, for love, by Love Himself. This is the truth that redefines our identity not our mistakes, not our past, not our insecurities. We were created in glory, by a God who delights in us.

Relationship, Purpose, and Care

Our story continues in Genesis 2, where the intimate and purposeful creation of humanity unfolds. Here we see God acting with tender, deliberate care, forming man from the dust of the ground, shaping him by hand like a potter with clay. Into this lifeless form, God breathes the breath of life, a personal and intimate act that transforms dust into a living soul.

God then places the man, whom He names Adam, into a garden that He Himself has planted for the man. Eden, a place of beauty, abundance, and order, was prepared in advance with intention. Adam is not left without direction, he is given a vocation: to tend and keep the garden. This is more than mere labor, it is a calling. Humanity’s first purpose is stewardship, to cultivate and care for what God has made, partnering with the Creator in the ongoing work of creation.

But God, who knows the human heart, declares for the first time that something is not good: “It is not good for the man to be alone.” (Genesis 2:18). In response, He creates a companion, not a servant, not an afterthought, but a partner equal in dignity and worth. This is not simply the origin of marriage; it is the foundation of relationship and community. From the very beginning, we see that isolation is contrary to our design. We were made for connection.

In this passage, we discover essential truths about our identity: we are not only created in the image of God, but also entrusted with purpose, and gifted with companionship. We are not cosmic accidents, nor solitary beings meant to drift through life in loneliness or confusion. We are created with intention, to live in meaningful relationship with God, to share life with one another, and to engage faithfully with the world around us.

This picture of Eden invites us to remember who we truly are: beloved, purposed, and placed in a world that, though now broken, was originally designed for harmony, beauty, and relationship. Even now, echoes of that divine intention call us back, to communion, to stewardship, and to love.

Image Bearers of God

To be human is to be an image bearer of the living God. This is not a metaphor or a distant theological concept, it is the very essence of who we are. From the moment of our creation, God marked us with His own imprint. This identity sets us apart from everything else in creation. While the stars declare His glory and the mountains reveal His majesty, it is humanity alone that He shaped in His image. In us, He placed a reflection of His character, His creativity, His relational nature, and His capacity to love. He called us "very good". That divine declaration wasn’t based on our performance, our achievements, or our potential. It was a statement of inherent worth and value.

When we lead conversations about faith with this truth that every person is inherently valuable and deeply loved we shift the narrative. We do not invite people into a story of guilt-driven obligation or fear-based obedience, instead we invite them into a story of grace, hope, redemption, and love.

This is the core of the gospel: that the God who made us has never stopped loving us, and through Christ, is restoring us to the fullness of that original design. This is the message the world is desperate to hear, not a call to earn worth, but a reminder that worth has already been given. That is the message worth sharing.