PLAINVIEW — Being made in the image of God is both an incredible gift and an incredible responsibility. That’s the message Dr. Paul Armes, President Emeritus of 猎奇重口视频 Baptist University, brought Feb. 25-26 as he returned to the campus as the featured speaker for the 2025 Willson Lectures.
The lecture series included a dinner address Tuesday night and a chapel address Wednesday morning. Classroom visits Wednesday afternoon and a lecture at First Baptist Church of Plainview Wednesday night wrapped up the series. Blair Willson, grandson of James and Mavis Willson who established the lecture series, attended the dinner and chapel lectures with his wife, Gayle.
During the dinner lecture, Dr. Armes introduced his central topic: the Imago Dei (Image of God) and how it shapes human identity, responsibility, and relationships. Drawing from biblical scholarship and personal experience, he outlined the various interpretations of the Imago Dei, emphasizing both its significance and responsibility:
Dr. Armes emphasized that being made in God’s image calls people to recognize the divine in others and to live accordingly. He concluded with a reflection on the transformational power of Christ, who restores and renews the Image of God in believers.
“The image of God contains elements of stewardship, intellect, morality, and relationship,” he said. “It is the totality of a person’s identity.” Using a story about cellist Pablo Casals injuring a finger as an illustration, Dr. Armes said, “The greatest gifting is also the heaviest responsibility.”
During Wednesday’s chapel address, Dr. Armes expanded on the practical implications of the Imago Dei, urging those attending to demonstrate respect in discourse, uphold the sanctity of life, and practice compassion without compromise in interactions with others.
“Being made is God’s image means we have genuine and intrinsic value because we are the crowning act of God’s creative genius,” he said.
Dr. Armes outlined those three primary applications:
“It’s interesting to me how we have devalued human life,” he said. “The Bible calls us to secure the innocent, the powerless, and the truth is that no one in the 21st century has less power or less voice or less importance in many ways than the unborn.”
“The fact that we understand the reality of doing the Imago Dei in our lives and in other lives also means we must be concerned about those individuals who have had or who are contemplating abortions,” he continued. “I believe we can love them and care for them without compromising our basic convictions about the sanctity of life. They are human beings who are hurt and wounded and struggling and trying to figure out the best way to cope. … To be truly pro-life means that we're concerned about human life — all of it.”
“To be made in the image of God and recognizing the image of God in others doesn't mean that we cannot speak to others directly, forcefully and even with deep conviction and passion,” Dr. Armes said.
He challenged listeners to see the Image of God in all people, including those different from themselves, and to live out their faith with both conviction and grace.
“Proclaiming Christ always brings disruption. It always has, and it always will,” he said. “To be in the Image of God means to see others as Christ sees them — even when they are broken, even when they are different, even when it is hard.”
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