In His Image
Scripture Reading: Genesis 1:26-31
26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have
dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth
and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in His own
image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 Then God
blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have
dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that
moves on the earth.”
29 And God said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all
the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food. 30 Also, to every
beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which
there is life, I have given every green herb for food”; and it was so. 31 Then God saw everything
that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth
day.
Let's look at the definition of the word 'image'.
1. a physical likeness or representation of a person, animal, or thing,
photographed, painted, sculptured, or otherwise made visible.
2. an optical counterpart or appearance of an object, as is produced by
reflection from a mirror, refraction by a lens, or the passage of luminous rays
through a small aperture and their reception on a surface.
3. a mental representation; idea; conception.
4. Psychology. a mental representation of something previously perceived, in
the absence of the original stimulus.
5. form; appearance; semblance: We are all created in God's image.
6. counterpart; copy: That child is the image of his mother.
The definition is crucial in recognizing the value of being made in God's image. In that
day, Adam and Eve were made in His image and God looked at what He created and it
was good.
Genesis 3:7-8
7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they
sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.
8 And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and
Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the
garden.
Why did they just recognize they were naked? When God made them it says it was
good. They were like the Father. I believe they were clothed in His righteousness.
When they chose to sin, His righteousness left them and they recognized their
nakedness. Without His righteous covering, they saw themselves as just a man of
dust. They only saw the physical; what physically was. So, because they now saw
themselves in just the physical, guess what happened when they had children?
Genesis 5:1-3
1 This is the book of the genealogy of Adam. In the day that God created man, He made him in
the likeness of God. 2 He created them male and female, and blessed them and called them
Mankind in the day they were created. 3 And Adam lived one hundred and thirty years, and
begot a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth.
Each generation was made in the image of the generation before them; until Messiah
came!
1 Corinthians 15:47-49
47 The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven. 48 As
was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so
also are those who are heavenly. 49 And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we
shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man.
This is why it is so important that we be ‘born again’. We must be born of the Spirit,
of the heavenly. We must do the opposite of our human ancestors Adam and Eve
who recognized that they were not clothed in His righteousness. We must come to
recognize that through Yeshua we ARE clothed in His righteousness.
Ephesians 4:21-24
21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22 that
you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the
deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man
which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
We must put on the new man; the spiritual, the heavenly.
Colossians 1:15-18
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by Him all things
were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or
dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17 And
He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. 18 And He is the head of the body, the
church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the
preeminence.
Yeshua is the image to which we must all conform.
Romans 8:28-30
28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are
the called according to His purpose. 29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be
conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30
Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified;
and whom He justified, these He also glorified.
Just as Moses did not know the awesome things he would do in service of YHWH; we
don’t know what He has in His will for us, but He knows. And whatever He has called
us for, He has given us everything we need to accomplish His purpose. We just have
to be willing. He will give you a vision if you seek it with diligence. But I will almost
guarantee that when you see that vision, it will be more than you could have
imagined. Even if you can handle your vision, it’s likely that those around you won’t
be able. Joseph’s father rebuked him for having such a lofty vision and his brothers
came to hate him. You may wonder why desire a vision. Hosea 4:6 tells us that God’s
people perish because they lack vision. Vision is like a destination. If you have no
destination then how can you conceive of how to get there? You must first have a
destination; then you can pull out a map and start moving toward that place. So, even
without praying for individual revelation we should know our final destination is to
conform to the image of Christ. So, how do we do that?
Colossians 3:8-11
8 But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy
language out of your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with
his deeds, 10 and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the
image of Him who created him, 11 where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor
uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.
That’s the first step in the right direction. Start reading the Bible to completion. Be
filled with the Holy Spirit. Be clothed in His righteousness. Walk and talk in the way
He would want you to. And before you know it you’ll look back from whence you’ve
come and realize how far He has brought you and look forward to finally believe that
you really can make it to where you’re going.
Sermon by: Denise Baxley
Date January 27, 2008
Scripture Reading: Genesis 1:26-31
26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have
dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth
and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in His own
image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 Then God
blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have
dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that
moves on the earth.”
29 And God said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all
the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food. 30 Also, to every
beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which
there is life, I have given every green herb for food”; and it was so. 31 Then God saw everything
that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth
day.
Let's look at the definition of the word 'image'.
1. a physical likeness or representation of a person, animal, or thing,
photographed, painted, sculptured, or otherwise made visible.
2. an optical counterpart or appearance of an object, as is produced by
reflection from a mirror, refraction by a lens, or the passage of luminous rays
through a small aperture and their reception on a surface.
3. a mental representation; idea; conception.
4. Psychology. a mental representation of something previously perceived, in
the absence of the original stimulus.
5. form; appearance; semblance: We are all created in God's image.
6. counterpart; copy: That child is the image of his mother.
The definition is crucial in recognizing the value of being made in God's image. In that
day, Adam and Eve were made in His image and God looked at what He created and it
was good.
Genesis 3:7-8
7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they
sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.
8 And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and
Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the
garden.
Why did they just recognize they were naked? When God made them it says it was
good. They were like the Father. I believe they were clothed in His righteousness.
When they chose to sin, His righteousness left them and they recognized their
nakedness. Without His righteous covering, they saw themselves as just a man of
dust. They only saw the physical; what physically was. So, because they now saw
themselves in just the physical, guess what happened when they had children?
Genesis 5:1-3
1 This is the book of the genealogy of Adam. In the day that God created man, He made him in
the likeness of God. 2 He created them male and female, and blessed them and called them
Mankind in the day they were created. 3 And Adam lived one hundred and thirty years, and
begot a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth.
Each generation was made in the image of the generation before them; until Messiah
came!
1 Corinthians 15:47-49
47 The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven. 48 As
was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so
also are those who are heavenly. 49 And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we
shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man.
This is why it is so important that we be ‘born again’. We must be born of the Spirit,
of the heavenly. We must do the opposite of our human ancestors Adam and Eve
who recognized that they were not clothed in His righteousness. We must come to
recognize that through Yeshua we ARE clothed in His righteousness.
Ephesians 4:21-24
21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22 that
you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the
deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man
which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
We must put on the new man; the spiritual, the heavenly.
Colossians 1:15-18
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by Him all things
were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or
dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17 And
He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. 18 And He is the head of the body, the
church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the
preeminence.
Yeshua is the image to which we must all conform.
Romans 8:28-30
28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are
the called according to His purpose. 29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be
conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30
Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified;
and whom He justified, these He also glorified.
Just as Moses did not know the awesome things he would do in service of YHWH; we
don’t know what He has in His will for us, but He knows. And whatever He has called
us for, He has given us everything we need to accomplish His purpose. We just have
to be willing. He will give you a vision if you seek it with diligence. But I will almost
guarantee that when you see that vision, it will be more than you could have
imagined. Even if you can handle your vision, it’s likely that those around you won’t
be able. Joseph’s father rebuked him for having such a lofty vision and his brothers
came to hate him. You may wonder why desire a vision. Hosea 4:6 tells us that God’s
people perish because they lack vision. Vision is like a destination. If you have no
destination then how can you conceive of how to get there? You must first have a
destination; then you can pull out a map and start moving toward that place. So, even
without praying for individual revelation we should know our final destination is to
conform to the image of Christ. So, how do we do that?
Colossians 3:8-11
8 But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy
language out of your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with
his deeds, 10 and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the
image of Him who created him, 11 where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor
uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.
That’s the first step in the right direction. Start reading the Bible to completion. Be
filled with the Holy Spirit. Be clothed in His righteousness. Walk and talk in the way
He would want you to. And before you know it you’ll look back from whence you’ve
come and realize how far He has brought you and look forward to finally believe that
you really can make it to where you’re going.
Sermon by: Denise Baxley
Date January 27, 2008
