Understanding Our Image
To understand our image, we must first recognize that we are made in the image
of God (Genesis 1:26-31) “and God said, let Us make man in Our image, after
Our likeness, and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the
fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every
creeping thing that creeps upon the earth. So God created man in His own
image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them.
And God blessed them, and God said to them, be fruitful, and multiply, and
replenish the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea,
and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moves upon the
earth. And God said, behold, I have given you, every herb bearing seed, which
is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree in the which is the fruit of a tree
yielding seed, to you it shall be for meat. And in every beast of the earth, and to
every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creeps upon the earth, wherein there
is life. I have given every green herb for meat; and it was so. And God saw
every thing that He had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening
and the morning were the sixth day”.
The characteristics of human kind with which God endowed them at creation. To
be created in the image of God means that we humans have the ability and the
privilege of knowing, serving, and loving God, and that we are most fully human
when fulfilling our spiritual potential. Every human life is precious to God, and
this is exactly how we should treat others. Ephesians 4:32 says “and be you kind
one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another even as God for Christ’s
sake has forgiven you”.
James warns us about how we bless God with our tongue, and curse man (James
3:8-12) “but the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly
poison. Therewith bless we God, even the Father, and therewith curse we men,
which are made after the likeness of God. Out of the same mouth proceeds
blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. Does a
fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? Can the fig tree,
my brethren, bear olive berries? Either a vine, figs? So can no fountain both
yield salt water and fresh”.
One understanding of the image of God is that it refers to qualities or attributes
present in person. The image is present like a reflection in a mirror. This is why
James expresses to us that we must understand of image, by what we see in the
Bible (James 1:22-25) “but be you doers of the word, and not hearers only,
deceiving your own selves. For is any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer,
he is like to a man beholding his natural face in a mirror. For he beholds himself,
and goes his way, and immediately forgets what manner of man he was. But
whoso looks into the perfect law of liberty, and continues therein, he being not a
forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed”.
The word of God shows us who we are (I Corinthians 1:30) “But of Him are you in
Christ Jesus, who of God is made to us wisdom, and righteousness, and
sanctification, and redemption”. God have made us complete in Christ
(Colossians 2:9-10) “for in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. And
you are complete in Him, which is the head of all principality and power”.
Study through the letters and see as the apostle Paul reveals to us who we are in
Christ, in Him, in whom. Each time you see in Christ, in Him, and in whom, this
indicates who you are in Christ, and in II Corinthians 5:17,21; it says “therefore if
any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away, behold,
all things are become new. For He (God) made Him (Jesus) to be sin for us, who
knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him”.
Ephesians 5:1-8 shows us how to achieve our image of God, it says “be you
therefore followers (imitators) of God, as dear children. And walk in love, as
Christ also has loved us, and has given Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice
to God for a sweet smelling savor. But fornication, and all uncleanness, or
covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becomes saints. Neither
filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient; but rather
giving of thanks. For this, you know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person,
nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of
Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words; for because of these
things comes the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not you
therefore partakers with them. For you were sometimes darkness, but now are
you light in the Lord, walk as children of light”.
We are told “that you put off concerning the former conversation the old man,
which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts. And be renewed in the spirit of
your mind. And that you put on the new man, which after God is created in
righteousness and true holiness”. As we renew our mind to the word of God, we
begin to look more and more like our heavenly Father.
After all we are predestinated to be conformed to the image of His Son (Romans
8:29-30) “for whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to
the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Moreover whom He did predestinate, them He also called, and whom He called
them He also justified, and whom He justified, them He also glorified”.
The death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ have completed for us our
renewed image. Everything that Christ did, he did for us, as a free gift.
Sermon by: Harriet Bond
Date: July 29, 2011
To understand our image, we must first recognize that we are made in the image
of God (Genesis 1:26-31) “and God said, let Us make man in Our image, after
Our likeness, and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the
fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every
creeping thing that creeps upon the earth. So God created man in His own
image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them.
And God blessed them, and God said to them, be fruitful, and multiply, and
replenish the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea,
and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moves upon the
earth. And God said, behold, I have given you, every herb bearing seed, which
is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree in the which is the fruit of a tree
yielding seed, to you it shall be for meat. And in every beast of the earth, and to
every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creeps upon the earth, wherein there
is life. I have given every green herb for meat; and it was so. And God saw
every thing that He had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening
and the morning were the sixth day”.
The characteristics of human kind with which God endowed them at creation. To
be created in the image of God means that we humans have the ability and the
privilege of knowing, serving, and loving God, and that we are most fully human
when fulfilling our spiritual potential. Every human life is precious to God, and
this is exactly how we should treat others. Ephesians 4:32 says “and be you kind
one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another even as God for Christ’s
sake has forgiven you”.
James warns us about how we bless God with our tongue, and curse man (James
3:8-12) “but the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly
poison. Therewith bless we God, even the Father, and therewith curse we men,
which are made after the likeness of God. Out of the same mouth proceeds
blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. Does a
fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? Can the fig tree,
my brethren, bear olive berries? Either a vine, figs? So can no fountain both
yield salt water and fresh”.
One understanding of the image of God is that it refers to qualities or attributes
present in person. The image is present like a reflection in a mirror. This is why
James expresses to us that we must understand of image, by what we see in the
Bible (James 1:22-25) “but be you doers of the word, and not hearers only,
deceiving your own selves. For is any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer,
he is like to a man beholding his natural face in a mirror. For he beholds himself,
and goes his way, and immediately forgets what manner of man he was. But
whoso looks into the perfect law of liberty, and continues therein, he being not a
forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed”.
The word of God shows us who we are (I Corinthians 1:30) “But of Him are you in
Christ Jesus, who of God is made to us wisdom, and righteousness, and
sanctification, and redemption”. God have made us complete in Christ
(Colossians 2:9-10) “for in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. And
you are complete in Him, which is the head of all principality and power”.
Study through the letters and see as the apostle Paul reveals to us who we are in
Christ, in Him, in whom. Each time you see in Christ, in Him, and in whom, this
indicates who you are in Christ, and in II Corinthians 5:17,21; it says “therefore if
any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away, behold,
all things are become new. For He (God) made Him (Jesus) to be sin for us, who
knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him”.
Ephesians 5:1-8 shows us how to achieve our image of God, it says “be you
therefore followers (imitators) of God, as dear children. And walk in love, as
Christ also has loved us, and has given Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice
to God for a sweet smelling savor. But fornication, and all uncleanness, or
covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becomes saints. Neither
filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient; but rather
giving of thanks. For this, you know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person,
nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of
Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words; for because of these
things comes the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not you
therefore partakers with them. For you were sometimes darkness, but now are
you light in the Lord, walk as children of light”.
We are told “that you put off concerning the former conversation the old man,
which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts. And be renewed in the spirit of
your mind. And that you put on the new man, which after God is created in
righteousness and true holiness”. As we renew our mind to the word of God, we
begin to look more and more like our heavenly Father.
After all we are predestinated to be conformed to the image of His Son (Romans
8:29-30) “for whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to
the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Moreover whom He did predestinate, them He also called, and whom He called
them He also justified, and whom He justified, them He also glorified”.
The death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ have completed for us our
renewed image. Everything that Christ did, he did for us, as a free gift.
Sermon by: Harriet Bond
Date: July 29, 2011
