Called to Be God’s Image Bearers

By Daryl Enfield

Learn about the heavenly Father’s involvement in calling unto Himself a family.

It is only through Scripture that one can comprehend the immeasurable love God has for those He has called. Those who eagerly search after God through prayer and through a focused study of His inspired Word will be blessed with the godly wisdom that the heavenly Father is eager to bestow on each of His children.

But you cannot do this without gaining the knowledge of who you are, the relevancy of your life, and the knowledge of your spiritual gifts. Our Father intends for each of us to use these gifts within and for the benefit of His family of families—the church.

To reflect on God’s involvement in your life, you must think about influential people, nodal events, family experiences, faith experiences, achievements, educational experiences, and work experiences that have shaped who you are. The next step is to write a narrative—the story of your life.

As one who is called, you will be amazed at God’s involvement in your life. The author’s story is truly a testimony to God’s involvement, as His fingerprints are evident throughout his life—just as you’ll find His touch is upon yours.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Oct 7, 2021
• ISBN: 9781664239067

Daryl Enfield

Daryl Enfield is a native Iowan. He has been seeking to grow his faith and to understand God’s plan his whole life. He is a husband, father, grandfather, and great grandfather. This book is his legacy for his family and for the family of faith.

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To those who live according to their calling by seeking after godly wisdom

My child, if you accept My words

and treasure up My commandments within you,

making your ear attentive to wisdom

and inclining your heart to understanding;

if you indeed cry out for insight,

and raise your voice for understanding;

if you seek it like silver,

and search for it as for hidden treasures—

then you will understand the fear of the LORD

and find the knowledge of God.

For the LORD gives wisdom;

from His mouth come knowledge and understanding;

He stores up sound wisdom for the upright;

He is a shield to those who walk blamelessly,

guarding the paths of justice

and preserving the way of His faithful ones.

Then you will understand righteousness and justice

and equity, every good path;

for wisdom will come into your heart,

and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul;

prudence will watch over you;

and understanding will guard you. (Prov. 2:1–11)

CONTENTS

Foreword

Preface

Introduction

The Apostolic Church—The Standard God Set to Bear His Image

Chapter 1 Meditation on the Deity

Chapter 2 God’s Holiness Is the Source of All That Is Good

Chapter 3 The Image of God

Chapter 4 The Image God Intended for His Church

Chapter 5 Savage Wolves Did Not Spare the Flock

The Old Testament—The Story of God and His Family

Chapter 6 How the Love of God Is Revealed through Scripture

Chapter 7 God Calls a Family unto Himself

Chapter 8 God’s Faithfulness and His Rebellious Family

Chapter 9 Cleansing the Land of All That Defiled It

Chapter 10 A Nation Ignorant of Their Heritage

Chapter 11 The Israelites Reject God as Their King

Chapter 12 David, a King Who Loved the Lord God

Chapter 13 Passing along the Heritage of the Knowledge of God

Chapter 14 The Family Divided

Chapter 15 The Messengers God Sent to Israel

Chapter 16 The Messengers God Sent to Judah

Chapter 17 Judah Together with Her Prophets in Exile

Chapter 18 The Road Home, and Still the People Are Disobedient

The Cross—The Statement Defining God’s Love

Chapter 19 The Inhumanity Exacted on Christ

Chapter 20 Fully Comprehending the Magnitude of the Crucifixion

The Image Bearer—What Is the Stewardship of the One Who Is Called?

Chapter 21 A Life Skillfully Lived

Listing of Axioms

Glossary

Notes

Selected Bibliography

FOREWORD

Every person’s life consists of a series of choices, steps along their life path. As you navigate through the text of this book, you will be guided along a journey. Daryl Enfield shares deeply held beliefs and insights into God’s character and his relationship with our God that have been developed within his own life’s pathway. I invite you to explore the journey we all are free to make and to use these writings to better understand the story that God has written and continues to write to His glory.

We all have these choices to make, and in doing so, we can choose to be valuable players in God’s story and engage in a life well lived. From beginning to end, you will see this story unfold as Daryl shares the lessons he has learned from his own journey with God; lessons learned in times of plenty and want, comfort and hardship, and personal challenges. Insight is gained into who God is and His relationship to us through His character and Word, His Son’s work, and the continued work of the Holy Spirit. This book is a quest, driven by passion, to discern the character of God in His image, not the image of man.

When asked to write this foreword, I immediately said yes to such a humbling honor. This story, though focused on who God is and who we are, as created in His image, is a testament to Daryl’s ongoing quest to draw ever closer to his Father as he strives to achieve a life that will be deserving of that desired charge. Well done, good and faithful servant! (Matt. 25:21, NIV). He has expressed that these are the words he hopes to hear the heavenly Father say.

Because this is such a personal writing, knowing who the author is and how he has engaged in his quest become important. So who is Daryl Enfield? This man and his family entered our church family in November 1998 in a most unusual way. The Enfield family was living in north central Iowa as members of a farming community, searching to deepen their faith and to grow their relationship with the Father. They were invited to join our church in what we call a Love Feast. During the year, we gather as a family of families over a feast in celebration of the work of Christ in anticipation of the great feast to come. They drove the 170-mile round trip to join in the celebration, and on that night, their lives changed—changed for their remaining days. They continued to make the trip for many months as they thirsted for more understanding and engaged in our family as new members. They took seriously their own life development and sought to deepen their understanding of their faith in their relationship with the Triune God and to live in such a way as to adorn God’s story. Over the years, the church family was witness to this journey and saw a humble man grow an ever-deepening love for God and a rich understanding of theology. These years later, we have a man and his wife who serve faithfully in our family of families, using their God-given gifts in a mature manner in any way that God presents, all while acting out the principles of faith laid out in God’s story.

God blessed me with being a part of this journey and a witness to the work that has been accomplished by God in a man’s life and his ministry. Daryl has grown his mastery of the Word of God to a point where he is a valuable tool who can speak truth in a world that is severely wanting of such truth. The speaking of truth bears fruit and gains listeners in our midst because these principles are shared in the context of our current culture. The truth does not waver, but the culture in which this truth is expressed is constantly changing and needs the principles spoken as theology in culture.

Why did I say yes to writing this foreword? Because in this book, Daryl contextualizes the story of God’s work in our time. He takes the theology of God’s work and does theology in culture as he shares his personal journey through the story of God and His redemption of humanity. When God used circumstances to bring us together on our journeys through God’s story, I don’t think either of us could have seen the path that God put us on. Two simple country boys’ lives were joined together as coservants in the stewardship of our church’s ministry—from farm to faith.

At a time in our world where enmity between everyone rules, seeing the story that God has laid out to fulfill His purposes in this broken world is critical. The church in the West has lost its way and no longer finds hope in God but rather lives in fear. It has sold its birthright as adopted children of God to the flesh of our government. When the church is characterized by fear rather than hope, we need a prophetic voice to proclaim that the Word of God is filled with hope, love, and compassion. Seeking the kingdom through the failed legislation of men and women who don’t know God’s plan or story is derailing the church. The voice in this book calls out in this modern wilderness, proclaiming who God is and what He is doing in our lives.

As you go along this journey, open your eyes and examine the path in the light of who God is and what He seeks to do in our time through his church. The church needs, as always, to seek first the wisdom of God and to grow in the knowledge of understanding. I offer this prayer that Paul wrote to the Ephesians:

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name. I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen." (Eph. 3:14–21)

I pray that all who engage seriously in joining Daryl on his journey will find the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. And by being filled with the fullness of God, you will serve His purposes that He has prepared you for from the moment you were formed in your mother’s womb, with all the power offered in Paul’s prayer. Seek God and find your character and path in His unchanging and steadfast character.

As I read the draft of Daryl’s book, I was asked who the targeted reader is. I immediately said this book was written for Daryl. This is his story in the context of God’s story, a love story that offers praise and glory back to the original author. You too can experience the glory that is given to us by God through Christ and his Spirit by starting your own journey or continuing your journey. Jump into the text with open eyes, mind, and heart, and let God speak to you through the life of a faithful and humble servant who poured his life out onto these pages, and let them drive you along your faith journey to become established in the teachings and works of Christ. Know that these words were written not with ink but with blood, sweat, and tears from Daryl and all who led him upon his journey. Amen.

—Jay Staker

Senior elder

PREFACE

Like David, words that formed his prayer after learning of God’s promise from the prophet Nathan—that his house would be an everlasting dynasty—now fill my heart: Who am I, O Lord God (2 Sam. 7:18), that You would use me in this manner? The following words are not penned out of any pride; instead, they are formed from a heart that is overwhelmed with gratitude that God would use me to bring forth His message of Abraham’s family—a family that the Deity has called to serve Their purpose. I can only say that the untold hours spent in writing this book have been a contemplation of the Divinity. I hope that you will come to see that the thoughts expressed and the scripture used to support those ideas could have come only through divine inspiration. No, it was not a voice speaking into my ear, yet how the understandings that I had gained in the past and the understandings I gained during the time of writing would come together can only be explained as inspired by the Holy Spirit. I must admit there is a sadness in my spirit to know that this chapter of my life has ended. I have no idea how God will use me in the future, except I know this: I must remain committed to defending and encouraging the body-life of His family. Even though the beginning ideas for writing this book were first laid on my heart more than twenty years ago, my maturity in understanding the metanarrative had not yet reached its full potential; retirement has offered me the opportunity to write full time.

My intent is to educate you on the eternal purpose of the Deity in calling a family, which realizes the Deity’s original design of humankind being created in the image of God (Gen. 1:26). The truths, as presented, should begin to fill your spirit with a knowledge of the Deity. First, that knowledge will translate into an obedience to the Holy Spirit’s leading in how one must live life—bearing the proper image of the Deity to a watching world. Second, knowledge begets knowledge; that is, one will gain an earnest desire to know God all the more. To bear the true image of the Deity requires that we know Them, and if we know Them, we cannot help but love Them, because They first loved us.

So You Understand

• Each word or phrase that is italicized is done so to draw the eye and to emphasize the premise or claim.

• My use of the word Deity is a reference to the Trinity. Depending on the context, it may refer to only the Father and the Son.

• Throughout this book, I have capitalized personal pronouns when referring to the Deity, not out of any legalism but out of the reverence I hold. When referring to the humanity of Christ, I use lowercase personal pronouns. I do this to identify the human nature of the incarnate who had to overcome the sin nature. Therefore just as one man’s trespass led to condemnation for all, so one man’s act of righteousness leads to justification and life … by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous (Rom. 5:18–19).

INTRODUCTION

Though the authorship maybe in dispute, the poem Footprints in the Sand has encouraged and inspired many through the years. The last stanza portrays a tender and loving Father God:

He whispered, ‘My precious child, I love you and will never leave you,

Never, ever, during your trials and testings.

When you saw only one set of footprints,

It was then that I carried you.’

The author presents this vision as occurring near the end of a person’s life, but I would contend that for one to lead a life well-lived, one needs to reflect often on how near God is and how often He has carried us, not simply at the end of life’s journey.

I assume that you understand that each person is uniquely made, and one of those unique features is our fingerprints. Certainly, God’s uniqueness is without question, so a forensic review of one’s life in search of God’s fingerprints is amazing, as one intentionally deliberates on the diverse pathways one’s life may have taken. My reference to God’s fingerprints is a way of referring to His involvement in the events that have shaped or redirected one’s life.

To successfully undertake a reflection of God’s involvement in your life, you should create a timeline, along which you list the influential people, nodal events, family experiences, faith experiences, achievements, educational experiences, and work experiences that have shaped who you are. Ponder how each of these influential elements may have directed or redirected the pathway of your life. The next step is to write a narrative—the story of your life. As one who is called, you will be amazed at God’s involvement in your life. My story is truly a testimony to God’s involvement, as His fingerprints are evident throughout my life.

Throughout this book, I present scripture to demonstrate the heavenly Father’s involvement in calling unto Himself a family. It is only through the metanarrative of scripture that one can comprehend the immeasurable love the Deity has for those He has called. Believe me when I say the Deity is the source of revelation to those who are loved. I am confident that the believer who eagerly searches after God through prayer and through a focused study of His inspired Word will be blessed with the godly wisdom that the heavenly Father is eager to bestow on each of His children. One cannot do this without gaining the knowledge of who we are, the relevancy of our lives, and the knowledge of our spiritual gifts. Our Father intends for each of us to use these gifts within and for the benefit of His family of families—the church.

The Commitment Essential to Our Calling

There are two essential components to our walk of faith following our conversion. The first is our responsibility to become established in the faith—the pursuit of knowledge in all that is holy. We cannot accurately reflect the image of God if we do not strive for maturity in our knowledge of a righteous and holy God, while at the same time coming to an understanding of His intent for our lives. Immaturity simply makes us vulnerable to the sin nature, which means our testimony will only corrupt the image of God before others. As it states in Romans 8:12–17:

So then, brothers and sisters, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh—for if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a Spirit of adoption. When we cry, Abba! Father! [a childlike response of affection, similar to Daddy] it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ—if, in fact, we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him. (italics added)

The second essential component is our participation in the church. We read in the apostle Paul’s instructions to Timothy, "I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these instructions to you so that, if I am delayed, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and bulwark of the Truth" (1 Tim. 3:14–15, italics added). Beginning with Abraham, God’s intent has always centered on a family. That is why Christ addressed God as the heavenly Father and Himself as the Son of man; therefore, we are His brothers and sisters.

If we commit to an honest self-reflection of our walk of faith, we surely will admit to lapses in our devotion to the study of God’s Word and communion with Him through prayer. As such, we never achieve the fullness of understanding that God intends for each of us to have. Scripture tells us in Genesis 15:6 that [Abraham] believed the Lord; and the Lord reckoned it to him as righteousness. Did Abraham ever reach the fullness that God intended for him? We see mountaintop highs in his faith, along with lapses in his trust for the Lord’s provision when Sarai convinced him to have a child through her maidservant Hagar; and then twice when he falsely stated Sarai was his sister, out of fear for his own life. We are all guilty of lapses in our Christian walk, depending instead on schemes used by the world to solve our problems. Therefore, when we return from those earthbound experiences, we should strive for greater heights in our relationship (knowledge) with our Father God and our Lord Jesus Christ. As we grow in our understanding, our love for the Father and the Son grows more deeply personal; therefore, our drifting back to the world’s solutions in everyday situations will diminish. As believers, we should have the confidence that Christ’s blood covers our lifetime of failures to trust, but more important, we should dwell on and experience the joy found in living according to the Holy Spirit’s leading, the joy that comes from the contentment that washes over our spirits.

Many mysteries remain, but then, God never intends for man to reach a complete fullness of knowledge, at least not in this lifetime. Our human minds cannot totally fathom all God’s truth, but that does not mean that we should deny it. Like Abraham, we need to believe the Lord, accepting that God is the source of all truth. Never doubting that His Word is the necessary guidance for living a well-lived life—one in keeping with His will. Do you believe that all scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work (2 Tim. 3:16–17)? Or do you selectively choose what you want to believe? My hope is that any selective choosing will vanish from your thoughts by the time you finish reading this book.

A Personal Testimony

At times, I will insert what I have labeled an axiom. By definition, an axiom is a statement or proposition that is regarded as being established, accepted, or a self-evident truth. A collective listing of all the axioms is found in the back of this book. Some contain ideas that have been revealed to me through my study of God’s Word, some through ideas presented by other authors, some through life experiences, and many through the biblical theology being lived out in the body-life of our faith community. Still others have come on the other side of trials that have revealed the Father’s graciousness in a way that my wife, Jane, and I could never have imagined. Consider Jeremiah 27:4–5: Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel … It is I who by My great power and My outstretched arm have made the earth, with the people and animals that are on the earth …

It is that same arm, the arm of a loving and compassionate heavenly Father, that directed Jane’s and my path through major life-altering events. Unlike the footprints image, I have envisioned His arm positioned across each of our backs, with His hand ever drawing us toward Him as we walked through those events. It was during this time that He was lovingly guiding us toward a far better life. This image and the perspective it created are indelibly etched in my spirit.

Axiom No. 1—The life of a believer who surrenders his or her life to a loving and caring Father God experiences a much fuller and richer life than when left to his or her own devices.

That fuller and richer life rests on a greater understanding that we are the very descendants God promised Abraham. Our cluster of churches has been given the responsibility of bringing a worldwide network of churches, in over forty nations, to a one-mindedness around the principles that were handed down by the apostles and were lived out in the apostolic churches during the first three centuries. Many of those worldwide church leaders who attend our annual conference are amazed when they first witness biblical theology lived out through the body-life of our faith community. This theology is demonstrated when our whole family comes together to serve these apostolic leaders by providing housing, meals, trips to and from the airport, and in untold ways that meet the personal needs of Abraham’s gathered family. Furthermore, it is when they sit around our dining room tables for a meal or in our living rooms in conversation that they are presented with a vision of biblical theology as seen through God’s family. What a blessing, that His loving arm has directed our family to participate in this family of families.

My Calling

A senior elder has said that my spiritual giftedness is that of a prophet. It is humbling to think that I have received such a calling from God. The apostle Paul acknowledges the spiritual gift of prophecy: those who prophesy speak to other people for their up-building and encouragement and consolation (1 Cor. 14:3). As stated in the preface, the words penned on these pages often came from deep within my spirit as they were stirred by the Holy Spirit, and many times tears have flowed as thoughts have risen to the level of my consciousness. My expectations are that you will come to comprehend how truly great the Father’s and the Son’s love is for Their family. This will become apparent when you understand that what was achieved on the cross was conceived and made effective through a oneness in purpose and resolve of the Deity. I am confident that realignment in your thinking will cause a discovery of the Almighty that you have never before experienced. God sent His prophets to redirect the orientation of Israel and Judah back toward the proper worship of Him, in order to reflect God’s holiness to the rest of the world. They rejected the messenger; therefore, they rejected God. Their testimony became an affront to God’s holiness, to His name, and to their own heritage—the family of Abraham. When you have finished this book and if you are one who is called, ponder the title, and then decide if your life reflects the true image of the Deity.

In Summary

One’s calling is a gift that can only be understood and cherished as one comprehends the will of a sovereign Deity. At the same time, it is only our obedience to the Holy Spirit’s leading that advances our relationship with the heavenly Father and the Son. Knowledge of the holy can only humble one’s spirit toward an orientation of reverence and awe, thereby altering how one lives one’s life. Knowledge reaches its full expression as it transitions into godly wisdom. Godly wisdom is the greatest blessing a believer can acquire, for with wisdom comes the responsibility to live in a manner that benefits the faith community, and yes, the world. It forms a certain behavior that brings peace and calmness to any situation; as a result, it is an invaluable inheritance that must be passed on to future generations. As one reflects on his or her life, it is appropriate for the mature person of God to create a body of work in order to benefit others. It can come through any venue: writing, music, art, in serving others, or however God has gifted you.

Before you begin reading, I only ask that you fold your hands and ask the heavenly Father to show Himself in ways that you cannot now imagine. Meditate on those ideas or revelations that have been foreign to past thoughts. This is not a difficult read. Allow the Holy Spirit to massage your spirit or soul with the balm of His truth and drink in the Deity’s graciousness.

THE APOSTOLIC CHURCH

The Standard God Set to Bear His Image

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CHAPTER 1

MEDITATION ON THE DEITY

God’s design for humankind has always been about calling a family unto Himself. It began with