Editor’s Note: Adam Viramontes is the Lead Pastor at Mosaic Church, Albuquerque, NM. He is a member of the Albuquerque Chapter of The Gospel Coalition. This post is a summary of Owen Strachan’s message from Friday evening at Clarus, March 4, “Image: How Theocentrism Shapes our Public Lives.”

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The glorious doctrine of ‘the image of God’ was the centerpiece for the opening session of Clarus 2016. Owen Strachan helped us understand six guiding principles for this foundational doctrine.

1. Theologically, the image of God implies the uniqueness of the human person.

From the very beginning of human history, from the very first page of the Bible, mankind is an enchanted being. Humanity, made in the image of its Maker, is the pinnacle of creation from the outset. This status, the enchanted nature of mankind, is unique to humanity alone. We are unlike any other creature made by God, simply because we were chosen by God to stand out.

We are not only representatives of God as image-bearers but also vice-regents called to rule and subdue God’s creation under his Kingly authority from chaos into order. There is a summons for God’s people to have their feet in this world.

The central question of the age is, ‘What does it mean to be human?’ We are made to be God-centered beings and there is no other religion or worldview that contributes such an exalted attribute to humanity from the beginning. Though the world offers a plethora of ‘isms’ in an attempt to answer this pressing question, Christianity alone gives true meaning to humanity.

2. Philosophically, the image of God implies solidarity with the broader group.

According to this precious Christian doctrine, there are no indispensable people. Even the graveyards are filled with indispensable people. The truth of this doctrine compels to one simple thing—neighbor love. The fulfillment of the second commandment as we love people. We love all people because all people are made in God’s image.

Does this not have deep implications for our public engagement with the world? We are not having a conversation with the public sphere to win culture wars or to impose our views. We are in this to love our neighbors. We are to love all of humanity—disabled children, the lonely, socially awkward, the friendless, unborn children, homosexuals, transgender, outcasts, homeless and even our enemies.

3. Personally, the image of God tells us that we have an identity, we don’t have to construct one.

We don’t have to make up our identity. We are free from the great modern project of constructing our own identity. God has already given it to us. We are free from image-maintenance. God has told us who we are. We are his likeness.

4. Economically, the image of God drives us towards meaningful work and thus meaningful public engagement.

We are to pursue the dominion mandate of Genesis 1:28. Building families is world-changing work. The small things—familial life and raising children—are glorious things. There is honor and eternity in the midst of the small things.

Our calling as image-bearers is to overcome the chaos of this world. Taming Excel spreadsheets, fitting pipes, nurturing wayward children, perfecting batting stances, founding new companies. This is what it means to be an image-bearer and bringing glory to our Maker. The spirit of secularism is to level things. Christianity calls us to build things for the glory of God.

5. Societally, the image of God means we must love our neighbors as ourselves.

The image of God calls us into community. Political activity as Christians in the world is an outworking of the gospel in our hearts. Chuck Colson declares, “Christians need to be against the world for the world.”Voting in elections and advocacy in the political arena is an outworking of the gospel in our public life.

6. Morally, the image of God means we cannot make up our way of being.

We inherit morality. Morality is not a buffet of palpable options. We are called to stand for the world-shaking reality that every being has worth and value. The secular world we live in is a false shadow that is passing away. We engage in our world but only as those who recognize this is not our true home.

We are engaged in ‘cosmos war.’ There is a raging war around us. We are involved in far worse than a culture war, we are in the middle of a cosmic war. This world is far worse than many of us realize. The true battle is not between the left and the right. The battle is against ‘the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.’ (Ephesians 6:12) Paganism is the force whispering in our ears that there is no morality except the morality we choose for ourselves. We are morally called to stand against the spirit of the world.

Why should we enter into the city of man? Why should we engage in the public sphere? The image of God and the grace of Jesus Christ!

Each year at Clarus we are joined by a number of excellent Christian book publishers in our conference bookstore. Several of these publishers gift our attendees with free resources. Follow the links to read more about this year’s giveaway books and register here for the conference if you haven’t already.

From B&H Publishing: Ministry in the New Marriage Culture, by Jeff Iorg

Same-sex marriage is here. So what do pastors and church leaders do now?Churches are now faced with ministry dilemmas unknown to any previous generation. Hoping the problem goes away isn’t a reasonable strategy. Christians must answer difficult questions about ministering both to couples in same-sex marriages and all the people impacted by those unions. Jeff Iorg, a seminary president and experienced pastor, has assembled some of the leading voices on a range of topics from children’s ministry to preaching to legal issues in the new marriage culture. Readers will be equipped, perhaps for the first time, with practical answers to some of these complex questions. — From the Description

From Crossway Books: The Final Days of Jesus: The Most Important Week of the Most Important Person Who Ever Lived, an E-Book by Andreas J. Köstenberger and Justin Taylor

You may be wondering what can be done to make Christ’s last week come alive in ways it hasn’t before. It would help to understand the historical background and cultural script a little better, but you don’t want a big book. It would help, too, if your authors were trustworthy, knowledgeable evangelical scholars who could write clearly for laypeople. Look no further—this is the book for you! — Craig L. Blomberg

From The Good Book Company: Is God anti-gay? And Other Questions About Homosexuality, the Bible and Same-Sex Attraction, by Sam Allberry

The gospel is good news, for homosexuals too. The gospel doesn’t define us by our temptations but by the righteousness of Christ. This book sets forth the biblical case. The author captures perfectly the gospel’s call to repentance and offer of mercy. Read this book and consider how God is calling you to love, in word and in deed, all of those around you. — Russell Moore

From Kress Biblical Resources: Upsetting the World: Following Paul’s Example of Frontline Evangelism, by John Crotts

The apostle Paul’s message, methodology, and ministry strategy are the keys to fruitful evangelism and healthy church life. This fresh, insightful analysis of Paul’s ministry in Greece is a superb study, showing why Paul was such a great leader, an effective church planter, a persuasive preacher, an outstanding pastor, and a remarkable pioneer missionary. No matter what ministry God has called you to, you will find this book a wonderful help and encouragement. — John MacArthur

From Moody Publishers: Disappearing Church: From Cultural Relevance to Gospel Resilience, by Mark Sayers

Few authors can weave together history, theology, sociology, missiology, and cultural observation in a manner that not only makes sense but is compelling and accessible. But Mark Sayers can. Drawing on an incredible breadth of sources he creates a tapestry narrative of how the church got to where it is today from where it all began in the book of Acts. He shows that the battles the church is fighting today against cultural lies are not new battles, but rather current ones against old heresies wearing new faces. He uses scholarship as a foundation, but writes with a light touch and a rare gift for description. Writing for “normal” readers – non academics and non theologians – while describing complex ideas is difficult, but Sayers does it remarkably. — Barnabas Piper

In addition, Crossway Books is giving away 10 copies of the newly released, ESV Men’s Devotional Bible. 

This year’s Clarus speakers are what we might call thought leaders. They are doing the hard work of leading institutions and ideas that are sharing the way evangelicals are working through important issues in culture. In the next week we’ll post a list of the books that publishers are gifting to attendees (once again, four solid titles) and next week we’ll post a list of the many organizations and publishers that will be with us in our Books and Resources Room.

Today, we want to introduce you to our speakers if you haven’t taken a good look at them. One purpose of Clarus is to introduce you to the kinds of leaders and preachers that you’ll want to keep track of and learn from in year’s to come. Sometimes you already know them, as in the case of Alistair Begg or Paul Tripp. Sometimes you don’t, but you’ll be glad when you do, as in the case of our speakers most years and this year.

So, here are the men we’ve asked to come and address this year’s theme, Pilgrims in a Strange Land. Click through to some of their writings for a sense of what they’ll bring to our conference this year.

Owen Strachan

Owen Strachan (Ph.D., Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) serves as Associate Professor of Christian Theology and the Director for Theological and Cultural Engagement at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He also serves as President of The Council for Biblical Manhood and Womanhood (CBMW), an organization whose purpose is “to set forth the teachings of the Bible about the complementary differences between men and women, created equally in the image of God, because these teachings are essential for obedience to Scripture and for the health of the family and the church.”

A well-established writer, Owen is author of several books, including: The Colson Way: Loving Your Neighbor and Living with Faith in a Hostile World, The Pastor as Public Theologian: Reclaiming a Lost Vision, and Risky Gospel: Abandon Fear and Build Something Awesome. In addition, Strachan has authored popular articles for The Atlantic, First Things, The Council for Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, The Gospel Coalition, The Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, 9Marks, and at his blog, Thoughtlife, hosted by Patheos. He can be found on Twitter at @ostrachan.

Justin Taylor

Justin Taylor (Ph.D., The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) is Executive Vice President of Book Publishing and Book Publisher at Crossway. Crossway’s aim is “to help people understand the massive implications of the gospel and the truth of God’s Word, for all of life, for all eternity, and for the glory of God.” Prior to this role, Justin served as Director of Theological Research and Education at Desiring God. He has been an elder at New Covenant Bible Church in St. Charles, IL, since 2010.

Justin is the co-author of The Final Days of Jesus: The Most Important Week of the Most Important Person Who Ever Lived, and has contributed to several volumes which he also edited, including: For the Fame of God’s Name: Essays in Honor of John Piper, Overcoming Sin and Temptation, and A God Entranced Vision of All Things: The Legacy of Jonathan Edwards. Justin writes regularly at his blog, Between Two Worlds, hosted by The Gospel Coalition. He can be found on Twitter at @between2worlds.

Andrew Walker

Andrew Walker (M.Div., The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) serves as the Director of Policy Studies for the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC), an entity of The Southern Baptist Convention whose purpose is to “engage the culture with the gospel of Jesus Christ and speak to issues in the public square for the protection of religious liberty and human flourishing.” In his role, he researches and writes about human dignity, family stability, religious liberty, public theology, and the moral principles that support civil society. He also examines how ethics inform public policy decisions and investigates the role that religion plays in American political culture. Andrew is currently a Ph.D. student in Ethics at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Andrew is author of the recent book, Marriage Is: How Marriage Transforms Society and Cultivates Human Flourishing, and a contributor for Sexual Brokenness and the Hope of the Gospel. He is managing editor of Canon & Culture and his writing and commentary has appeared in National Review, The Daily Caller, First Things, The Gospel Coalition, TIME, Public Discourse, The Federalist, and The Weekly Standard. He also serves as the Associate Director of the ERLC’s Research Institute. Prior to working for the ERLC, Andrew served as a policy analyst with The Heritage Foundation’s DeVos Center for Religion and Civil Society. He was featured by the New York Times as one of America’s “undaunted” young leaders in defense of marriage. His writings can be found at AndrewTWalker.com. He can be found on Twitter at @andrewtwalk.

If you haven’t already, click here to register.

Clarus ’16 is just around the corner. From Mach 4–6 we’ll be joined by three men who will address our conference theme, Pilgrims in a Strange Land. Click here to read about our speakers, and here to resigner as there is still room available.

We’ve been working with the speakers over the last few months top give shape to the conference. Today we are pleased to share the titles for the eight sessions that will make of the conference. Here they are!

Friday Night, March 4

• Session 1: Owen Strachan, “Image: How Theocentrism Shapes our Public Lives”
• Session 2: Andrew Walker, “Conscience and Religious Liberty: Why the Freedom to Believe is the Freedom to Flourish”

Saturday Morning, March 5

• Session 3: Justin Taylor, “Abortion: Being Agents of Light in a Darkened World”
• Session 4: Owen Strachan, “Gender: Manhood and Womanhood in Christ as Our True Identity”

Saturday Afternoon, March 5

• Session 5: Andrew Walker, “Marriage: Creation, Vocation, and the Glory of God”
• Session 6: Justin Taylor, “Race: Being Agents of Peace in a Perplexing Word”
• Session 7: Panel Discussion with Owen Strachan, Justin Taylor, and Andrew Walker

Sunday Morning, March 6

• Session 8: Corporate Worship with Justin Taylor, “The Great Adoption to Come: The Public Unveiling of Our Identity in Christ” — Romans 8:18–25

For specific session times, see the Conference Schedule.

If you haven’t watched it yet, here’s the invitation video for Clarus ’16:

On Monday night, January 18, we hosted an Info Meeting for anyone interested in learning about DSC’s next church plant, Christ Church. Nathan Sherman, our present Youth and Family Minister, will be the lead planter for this effort. Here’s an FAQ that Nathan put together for us in follow up to the Info Meeting, in case you missed it or need a refresher:

1. I missed the Informational Meeting. Can I listen to the audio?

Yes, you can listen to the audio here.

2. Wait, I heard Clint Moore is going with Christ church too. Is that true?

Yes, that’s true. Clint Moore will also be joining Nathan as a second staff elder. This was a grueling and difficult decision for Clint and Joanna, as they wrestled through both their excitement for church-planting on the one hand, and their love for Desert Springs on the other. In the end, it was their love for DSC that actually energized their decision to be sent out by it—they desire for the theology and mission of DSC (“spreading God’s glory broader and deeper”) to find more outposts around the city and the world.

3. Where will it be located?

We are excited to be planting in the downtown area, where we will meet in the afternoons at The Cathedral of St. John Episcopal. While in the past, there has been a large-scale flight from the downtown area of people and churches, it seems that there is a downtown revitalization beginning. Businesses, restaurants, bars, and shops are returning, as well as a grocery store, condos, and apartments to support the number of people who are moving back (see here). Our desire is for more gospel-preaching churches to be in this area to minister to the growing life of the city there.

4. What will be similar to DSC about Christ Church?

• Theology
• Commitment to Expositional Preaching through books of the Bible
• Music
• Children’s Ministry philosophy
• Plurality of Elders
• A high and serious view of membership
• Missions (ongoing support of SNAP as well as partnerships, at some level, with Native America and the Achi)
• Community Group ministry
• Mission and Vision (spreading God’s glory broader and deeper through worship, community, and mission)
• Regional network affiliation with The Gospel Coalition

5. What will be different than DSC about Christ Church?

• Location
• Time – Because we will be tenants of The Cathedral of St. John, our corporate gathering will meet at 5 pm on Sunday evenings
• Church service – a higher liturgy with a weekly call to worship, corporate confession of sin and profession of faith, Scripture reading, preaching, communion, and benediction
• No Men’s/Women’s/Youth ministries – though we will not have structured ministries in these areas, we will still do ministry to men, women, and youth, primarily through the context of our community groups and personal discipleship
• Denominational affiliation with the Southern Baptist Convention

6. What are good reasons to want to go?

• The Great Commission – if you are convinced that the primary means of Kingdom expansion is church planting, then you should be excited about Christ Church. Most will stay and some will go, but The Great Commission (evangelism and discipleship) should be the primary motive for wanting to be part of this plant—everything else is secondary.
• Love for the Local Church – your love for Desert Springs should fuel a desire for more outposts like it around the city
• Ownership of something new and growing – perhaps you have an entrepreneurial spirit and love to see new things begun for the glory of God. One word of caution is needed, though: at some point Christ Church will no longer be new—it will become an established and aging church.
• Geography – perhaps you live, or work, or play in the downtown area and have been longing for a gospel community presence there

7. What are not so good reasons to want to go?

• Just to be part of a small church (Lord willing, we will not remain small)
• Running from conflict at DSC
• Problems with leadership at DSC
• Desire for more church leadership or a power grab
• A feeling of under-appreciation at DSC
• Looking for a fresh start or a jump start in your Christian walk
• You just really like Nathan or Clint
• Preferential issues (cookies, music volume, the style or fashions at DSC, etc.)

8. What will it cost us to leave?

• While we aren’t leaving the country, relational dynamics with long-term friends, family, community groups, children’s friends, pastors at DSC will all change
• The commute to downtown could get old
• For four months of the year, we will be worshipping during afternoon and evening football games (including the Super Bowl)
• As a church plant, Christ Church will not be the polished, well-oiled machine that DSC is
• All hands must be on deck, and not just for setup and teardown for a couple of hours on Sundays (which will be minimal). But in Sunday worship and community group attendance; in service to the church (children’s ministry), in evangelism and discipleship, and in giving. In a larger church, it is easier to think that others will pick up the slack—this can’t be with a church plant.

9. What should I do if I’m considering wanting be a part of the Core Team?

Email Nathan (nathan@desertspringschurch.org) or Clint (clint@desertspringschurch.org) to express interest; or pick up a handout at the Christ Church kiosk on Sundays and drop the tear-off in one of the offering boxes. Interest must be communicated by this Sunday, January 31, so that Nathan and Clint can begin scheduling individual meetings throughout February and March with those considering planting.

10. What is the timeline for launch?

After all interviews with those interested are completed, the DSC elders will review the list and form a Core Team that will be most strategic for both Christ Church and DSC. The Core Team will be notified by mid-April and asked to give a firm commitment by May 1. Beginning in early-August, the Core Team will begin meeting together on Sundays for closed services to solidify the DNA and vision of Christ Church, followed by a full-public launch in mid-November.