The Image of God
Text: Genesis 1:26-2:3
Core Idea: God created us in His image and likeness so that we would reflect His glory to the world. Then as we fix our eyes on Jesus, the only true image of God, let’s make every effort to shine His light before others so that they may see our good deeds and glorify our Father in heaven.
INTRODUCTION
Well, we are currently going through the Book of Genesis – looking at how all things started. And last week, we saw that in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth not only to display His glory and power but also to bless us so that we may be a greater blessing to others. Now, as we get ready for today’s text, I want to share something that Pastor Kent Hughes said as a way to introduce the subject of this message – this is what he said, “Though you could travel a hundred times the speed of light, past countless yellow-orange stars, to the edge of the galaxy and swoop down to the fiery glow located a few hundred light-years below the plane of the Milky Way, though you could slow to examine the host of hot young stars luminous among the gas and dust, though you could observe, the protostars poised to burst forth from their dusty cocoons, though you could witness a star’s birth, in all your stellar journeys you would never see anything equal to the birth and wonder of a human being – for a tiny baby girl or boy is the apex of God’s creation. But the greatest wonder of all is that the child is created in the image of God, the Imago Dei. The child once was not; now, as a created soul, he or she is eternal. He or she will exist forever. When the stars of the universe fade away, that soul shall still live.” I still vividly remember the moment when Eli and Julian were born. When I heard their first cry, my heart was filled with joy, relief, and wonder as tears uncontrollably streamed down my face. They hadn’t really done anything to earn my love – and yet, they had won my heart completely. When I held these little human beings in my arms for the very first time, I knew right away that I would love them wholeheartedly and unconditionally. But what ultimately made them special wasn’t the fact that they were my sons – no, what gave them dignity and worth, what made them unique from all other creatures of this universe was that they were created in the image of God. And that’s what all of us are as well – every single one of us without exception is utterly extraordinary, absolutely glorious, and incomparably valuable simply because we have been created in the very image of God. Now, if that’s true, what does it mean that we’re image-bearers of God? Well, that’s what I want us to think through today. So, with that in mind, please turn your Bibles to Genesis 1:26-2:3 – and let me read this for us.
26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in Our image, in Our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” 27 So God created mankind in His own image, in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them. 28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” 29 Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. 30 And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground – everything that has the breath of life in it – I give every green plant for food.” And it was so. 31 God saw all that He had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning – the sixth day. 2:1 Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. 2 By the seventh day God had finished the work He had been doing; so on the seventh day He rested from all His work. 3 Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it He rested from all the work of creating that He had done.
Amen. This is the Word of God for you today.
Let me share three things from this text:
· THE MEANING
· THE RESPONSIBILITIES
· THE IMPLICATIONS
1) THE MEANING
What does it mean to be created in the image of God? Now, before we actually answer this question, there’s one important thing that I need to point out – and it’s that we are created beings. This seems like an obvious truth – but troubles come when we forget this simple truth. Yes, it’s true that we are not like plants, birds, fish, and animals. But, friends, we must never forget that we’re still creatures – we’re not the Creator. We do not have the power to create everything out of nothing. We do not have the strength to sustain the universe. We do not have the wisdom to orchestrate all things with perfection. No, we’re limited in every way – finite in resources. We’re bound by time and space. And we’re completely dependent on the provision that God gives – which means that all that we are and all that we have belong to God. He is the Lord of our lives – the King who sits on the throne of our hearts. Then let me ask you, “Do you remind yourself of this truth every single day?” Psalm 103:14 says, “He knows how we are formed, He remembers that we are dust.” In other words, God knows that dust is our base composition. Do you? The moment we forget this truth, we will try to take control over our lives even though it’ll always leave us frustrated. The moment we forget this truth, we will think we know what’s best for ourselves even though we’ll never be able to achieve what we set out to do. The moment we forget this truth, we will casually and repeatedly trample on others to make our ambitions a reality. The moment we forget this truth, we will act as if we’re the king of our lives – not realizing that it’ll always lead us to the path of confusion, sorrow, and disappointments. Brothers and sisters, yes, it’s true that all of us without exception are created in the image of God – but that doesn’t make us God. We’re still creatures that have been made by God. Then let’s learn to recognize our limits. Our goal as Christians shouldn’t be to become independent from God – no, we must always aim to become more and more dependent on God every single day. Now, if you ask me, “How do I know that I’m growing in my dependence on God?” I would answer it like this – look at your prayer life. Are you more desperate and intentional to pray or is your prayer life being crowded out by the busyness of life? Your prayer life will reveal in which way you’re growing – independence or dependence.
Then with this humble view of ourselves, let’s dive in and think through this idea of being made in the image of God. When we read through Genesis 1, we’ll notice right away that something different is about to take place in verse 26 because the pattern of creation changes here. Up until now, this has been the pattern – God said, “Let there be (blank),” and it was so. But before He creates mankind, we’re suddenly given access to the heavenly throne room along with the angelic host who is no doubt looking on in amazement – and we hear God saying, “Let us make mankind in Our image, in Our likeness.” What’s an image? The word “image” in Hebrew refers to something that has been carved – like statues or monuments. This could be a foreign idea to many of us who understand images to be pixels and pictures that flood our screens, but this would’ve made perfect sense to the original readers because, in the ancient world, people often carved out these wooden statues as physical and visual images or representations of their gods. Now, if you make a sculpture of someone, you do it to communicate something about that person. You don’t make the statue and hide it in the corner of your house – no, you put it where everyone can see so that it’ll cause the people to think about that person and honor that person. Then, in the same way, God created us in His own image so that those who speak to us and interact with us would see His glory, power, and love and draw themselves near to Him. In other words, all of us are living, breathing, speaking, singing, and moving images that are meant to represent the invisible God in this world. John Piper explains it this way, “I was created like a mirror. A mirror that was supposed to be 45 degrees with the clear reflective side pointing upward so that as God shone on it at the 45-degree angle, it would bounce off, and it would make a 90-degree turn and be reflected out into the world. But at the fall, Satan persuaded me that my image was more beautiful than God’s image, and so I flipped the mirror over. Now, the black backside was toward God, and I no longer reflected anything. Instead, the mirror cast a shadow in the shape of itself on the ground, and I fell in love with the shadow. But in salvation, two things happened. The mirror was turned around, and I saw the glory of God. The defilement that had gone over the face of it was wiped off, and I began to reflect God again.” This is really helpful because we know that mirrors cannot produce their own light – mirrors can only reflect the light that has been shone toward them. If we use this logic, we are made to reflect God – we’re meant to display the glory of God to this world. Then let me ask you, “Are you a good representation of the One who created you? If someone were to observe your life today, how would God be portrayed through you? Would your speech, actions, attitudes, and ambitions clearly display God’s holiness, love, mercy, grace, patience, gentleness, and generosity to this broken world? Or would your life simply be a distorted reflection of who God is?”
Now, some of you might be thinking, “But I thought sin had already distorted the image of God in me.” If you thought this, you’re absolutely right. Even though sin didn’t destroy that image, it did disfigure that image in us – which means that we won’t be able to represent God well. Then is there any way we can recover that image in us so that our lives would accurately display the glory of God? Yes, we can do this by looking to Christ. Colossians 1:15 says, “The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.” And 2 Corinthians 4:4 says, “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” Did you notice the difference in the way Jesus is described from us? We have been created in the image of God (v. 27), but Jesus is the image of God. We’re just a reflection, but Jesus is the full, complete, and perfect embodiment of God Himself. This is so important for us to remember because it means that if you and I want to recover the image of God in us, we must look to Christ and imitate Him – in fact, that’s exactly what the Spirit is already doing in us. Romans 8:29 says, “For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son.” In other words, being a Christian means that every day, we’re being conformed to the image of Christ – we’re being recreated to be more like Him so that we can more joyfully and rightly display God’s glory through our lives. But that’s not all. As the Spirit shapes us, we now receive a new mission – as image-bearers of God, we must now make every effort to point people to the One we’re imaging after. Jesus said in Matthew 5:16, “Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Brothers and sisters, let’s not take these words lightly. As we receive the light of Christ, let’s reflect that light to the world so that the people around us won’t be content just to see us, the image of God, but that they would desire God Himself – the Creator and the Sustainer of the universe.
2) THE RESPONSIBILITIES
Verse 26, “Let us make mankind in Our image, in Our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock.” Verse 28, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature.” When God created us, He created us for a purpose. What is that purpose? We see three things in this passage – we’re called to rule over the creatures, fill the earth by being fruitful and increasing in number, and subdue the earth. Now, there’s a lot that we could talk about here – so much so that this could be a sermon on its own, in that, I could take this time to talk about the fact that we can’t take the doctrine of creation seriously and have a passive or uncaring attitude toward the physical well-being of this amazing world that God made and entrusted to our care – that environmental concerns should be on the forefront of our minds as Christians. Or I could clarify that the command to “be fruitful and multiply” isn’t just talking about the physical component of having children (though that’s definitely part of it) – but that it also includes the spiritual component of going and making disciples of all nations for that is Jesus’ command to His church to be fruitful and multiply. But if we do that, we’ll be in this book for a long time – maybe too long. So, I’ll just focus on one thing – the word “subdue” which, in Hebrew, literally means “to exert and toil with strength and power.” All that to say, I want to focus this time on the importance of work.
Now, it makes sense that work is one of the responsibilities given to us who bear the image of God because our God is a working God. His work resulted in the creation of the world – and He continues to work after that too. Jesus said in John 5:17, “My Father is always at His work to this very day, and I too am working.” God doesn’t just passively watch us from afar – no, He is close to us, constantly working to orchestrate all things with perfection so that His purpose is fulfilled in our lives and in this world. No wonder we as image-bearers of God are now called to work as well. Sadly, some people today assume that work is the product of the fall – that we’re somehow being forced to work as a form of punishment. But that is not true. Work is not a result of sin – work was always part of God’s design for His world from the very beginning. Genesis 2:15, “The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.” From the moment God created Adam and Eve, He gave them work to do. Now, the work Adam and Eve were meant to do was perfectly joyful and fulfilling. There was no mindless toil, no fierce competition, and no sense of futility. They did everything as an act of worship to the Lord and they experienced great fruitfulness in their work all the time. But everything changed the moment Adam and Eve sinned. When they disobeyed God’s command and rebelled against Him, work was no longer joyful and fulfilling – rather, it became frustrating and painful. Before, the earth had eagerly produced and handed out its fruit for them – but now, the earth has become extremely stingy. They had to struggle and labor hard in order to gain something back. All that to say, work was no longer a joyful privilege but a heavy burden that was necessary for survival. Knowing this is really important for us as Christians because it helps us understand why our work will always, to some degree or another, be marked by frustration. Work has a tendency to wear us out and wear us down. No wonder so many people today dread Mondays and live for Fridays. They don’t care much about their job – they only care about the things their job allows them to do. But this shouldn’t be the case for us as Christians for work is a God-given responsibility that is meant to produce worship to God and blessings for others. Friends, we must remember that work is not just a way to pass the time and make money – no matter what it is that you do, no matter who your boss is, no matter which company you work for, what you do in your job is actually done in service to King Jesus. Paul says in Colossians 3:23-24, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” This is important to remember because knowing who you work for can change how you perceive the value of all that you do. For example, if I’m cooking for myself, it doesn’t have to be perfect – it just needs to be edible. But if I’m cooking for my children, I’m going to put a lot more effort into making it yummy and nutritious so that they can benefit from it. In the same way, what if you started thinking about your work that way? What if you work as if you’re working to serve the Lord, to honor the Lord – not for your own benefit? I have no doubt that our attitude and our work ethic will radically change knowing that we’re working for the King of kings, the Lord of lords.
Now, you might be asking yourself, “How do I reclaim this truth for myself? How can I begin to see my work rightly in light of this truth?” If this is you, let me remind you that this can’t be done just by telling yourself over and over again that you ought to work for the Lord. If you want to truly work as a way to worship and honor God, you must first remember who God is – that is the key to working for the Lord every single day. Brothers and sisters, we must remember that we don’t just serve any god – we worship and work for the Creator God. He didn’t just create all things from nothing, but He also sustains and governs the universe. Everything depends on God, and everything operates within His will. He is the absolute standard of truth, goodness, and beauty. He cannot be improved because He is perfect. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He alone is worthy of all our praises. And if that wasn’t good enough, the Bible tells us that this sovereign and almighty God loves us – He wants to know us and have an intimate relationship with us. So, to do that He sent His most precious Son Jesus Christ to make a way for us when there was no way. Friends, this is our God. And it’s this God that has called you specifically and intentionally to be where you are to glorify Him with everything that you do. Then as we reflect more and more on who He is, how can we still work the same way we used to? All that to say, if you’re having difficulty using your work as a way to worship Him, ask yourself, “How big is my view of God?” If you have a big view of God, worship will burst and erupt out of your lips, hearts, and lives. In contrast, if you have a small view of God, you’ll be tempted to worship the things that you consider big in place of God – and you’ll work for those things whether it’d be comfort, pleasure, or security. Then I pray that you’ll intentionally discipline yourself to dwell in the Word so that you’ll grow to know Him better. Let’s fix our eyes upon Him and make Him the goal, desire, and treasure of our hearts because this will transform the way we approach work. Well, I want to go a lot deeper with this, but I’ll stop here for now because we’ll talk a little more about this in Chapter 2 as well. But let me just leave you with this – Colossians 3:17 says, “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” May this truth be evident in your life this coming week knowing that our work matters.
3) THE IMPLICATIONS
So far, we talked about how we’re created in the image of God to reflect His glory through our lives – and that one of the ways to do that is through our work. Then here, I want us to think about other practical implications of this truth for our lives. And to do that, I want us to consider three things. First, our understanding of ourselves. The fact that we’re created in the image of God is to say that we are not just part of the catalog of creatures that God made – no, it means that we’re adorned with dignity and worth. Human value is not something that’s achieved by success or accomplishment. It’s not determined by our intellectual, athletic, or artistic abilities. It’s not attained by our wealth or power. It’s not a matter of how fit and attractive we are. And it’s not established by our race or gender. We are valuable to God and treasured by God just because we have been created in the beautiful image of our God. In fact, this intrinsic worth that God places in us can never be earned or taken away because it has been stamped on us from the moment we were born. Then, friends, do you realize that you carry tremendous dignity and worth simply because you have been made in the image of God? Satan will continue to tell you otherwise – that you lack something, that you’ll never be good enough, that you’re insignificant, that you’re a mistake, and that no one will love you for who you really are. But that’s not what the Bible says – it clearly tells us that we possess value, beauty, and glory because we’re created in His image.
Second, our relationship with others. Pastor Paul Tripp wrote, “The most powerful leader in the world and the lowliest person in the world are both made in God’s image. Men and women, boys and girls equally share His image. The hyper-fit athlete and the frail elderly person are alike in that they are made in God’s image. The lost rebellious teenager, the college overachiever, and the self-conscious middle schooler are all image bearers. Racists and civil rights activists share this same foundational identity. The doctor and the patient, the worker and the boss, the homeless man and the rich man, the pastor and his people, the government official and the ordinary citizen, and the person who lives in Paris and the child born in the Andes all carry God’s image forever stamped on them. Look into the face of any person, anywhere at any time, and remember that the one thing you know for sure is that he or she bears the stamp of God’s image. Everything you think about people and all the ways that you would relate to them should be shaped by God’s declaration, made in My image.” All that to say, when we look into the face of any person, anywhere, at any time, the one thing we know for sure is that he/she is worthy of honor and respect. This truth is not only limited to good people or powerful people – it applies to even criminals and those who this society would deem unimportant. This is so important for us to remember because it means that any act of dishonor against another person is an act of dishonor against God. If we are violent toward someone, if we reject someone, if we use someone for our own selfish benefit, if we look down upon someone for whatever reason, we’re doing it to God. Then, friends, think of all the people in your life – the people you love, the people you work with, the people you do life together with, even the people you don’t really like and those who have hurt you. This week, think of ways to love them, honor them, and bless them – think of ways to show grace toward them. I know this won’t be easy. But with the power that comes from the Lord, I pray that you’ll reach out to them and show them the same kind of love and respect that you have received from the Lord.
Lastly, our relationship with God. There’s a huge difference between the way God interacts with other creatures and us – and we see this in the creation account as well. After creating the fish and the birds, this is what verse 22 says, “God blessed them and said, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number.” But after creating mankind, listen to what verse 28 says, “God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number.” Did you see the difference? God simply declared His blessings for the animals – but God directly spoke His blessings to mankind. What does this mean? It means that God desires a relationship with us. He wants to communicate with us, share His thoughts, and get to know us. Brothers and sisters, we have the ability to commune and do life with God. We can talk to Him through prayer. We can know His will for us through the Word of God. We can sing to Him. We can serve for Him, alongside Him. We can learn from Him. All that to say, we have the ability to do all this and more simply because we’re made in the image of God. We can have an intimate relationship with the Creator of the universe. Then let’s not miss this opportunity to know Him better – let’s passionately pursue after Him today. My prayer for all of you is that you’ll be like King David – in that, one day, you’ll also be described as a man or a woman after God’s own heart. I pray that you’ll experience the joy of knowing Him more and more every single day.
CONCLUSION
Lighthouse family, God created us in His image and likeness so that we would reflect His glory to the world. Then as we fix our eyes on Jesus, the only true image of God, let’s make every effort to shine His light before others so that they may see our good deeds and glorify our Father in heaven.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1) What does it mean to be created in the image of God, and how should this shape our daily lives?
2) The text emphasizes that we are created beings, not creators. Why is it important to remember this distinction, and what are the consequences of forgetting it?
3) How should Christians view work, considering it’s a part of God’s original design and not a result of sin? How can understanding that all work is ultimately done in service to God change our attitude toward our daily tasks, no matter how mundane or difficult?
4) How does the understanding that every human is made in God’s image shape the way we treat others, especially those who are different from us or difficult to love?