Christ Culture: Restoring God’s Image – Made in His Image
CHRIST CULTURE: RESTORING GOD’S IMAGE
MADE IN HIS IMAGE
Gen.1:26-28
Gen 1:26 Then God said, “Let Us (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) make man in Our image, according to Our likeness [not physical, but a spiritual personality and moral likeness]; and let them have complete authority over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the cattle, and over the entire earth, and over everything that creeps and crawls on the earth.” [Psa 104:30; Heb 1:2; Heb 11:3]
Gen 1:27 So God created man in His own image, in the image and likeness of God He created him; male and female He created them. [Col 3:9-10; Jas 3:8-9]
Gen 1:28 And God blessed them [granting them certain authority] and said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth, and subjugate it [putting it under your power]; and rule over (dominate) the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and every living thing that moves upon the earth.”
If I begin with what happened to me, I may spend my life allowing pain to define me.
- CREATED — GOD IS THE SOURCE OF HUMAN IDENTITY
Genesis 1:27 says:
“So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”
Three times in one verse Scripture emphasizes:
Created- Bara means to create by divine initiative. Because God created us, He is both our source and the rightful authority for understanding who we are and what we were created to become.
MY CREATOR DEFINES ME!
If God created me, then culture does not have ultimate authority to define me.
IDENTITY PRECEDES PERFORMANCE.
Identity is receiving from God the defining truth about who we are
Identity begins with God’s declaration. Before humanity could perform, produce, prove, or accomplish anything, God looked at what He had made and called it tov me’od—exceedingly good. Our original identity was received from the Creator before it was ever evaluated by culture.
- WHAT DOES “IMAGE” MEAN?
Genesis says:
“Let Us make mankind in Our image…”
The Hebrew word is:
TSELEM
It refers to an image, representation, or something that represents another.
AN IMAGE BEARER IS A CREATED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE CREATOR.
God places humanity in creation to represent His purposes.
That means our lives are supposed to point beyond ourselves.
An image does not exist merely to call attention to itself. An image points to the one it represents.
So if I bear God’s image, eventually I have to ask:
What is my life showing people about the God I represent?
- WHAT DOES “LIKENESS” MEAN?
Genesis continues: “…according to Our likeness.” The Hebrew word is:
DEMUTH- likeness, resemblance, similarity, correspondence.
Rather, humanity uniquely reflects something of God through our:
moral awareness, relational capacity, creativity, reason, responsibility, communication,
stewardship, love, justice, mercy, truth, wisdom, and ability to exercise meaningful agency.
- THREE WORDS THAT HELP US UNDERSTAND THE IMAGE
I want you to remember three words.
REFLECT.
RELATE.
REPRESENT.
- WHAT DOES GOD GIVE IMAGE BEARERS IN GENESIS 1?
- IDENTITY
Genesis 1:26:
“Let Us make mankind in Our image…”
Identity means I learn who I am from the One who created me and had the first word over me.
Before God tells humanity what to do, God establishes who humanity is.
Identity comes first.
Because if my identity is rooted only in circumstances, circumstances can destroy me.
But if my identity is rooted in my Creator, circumstances can wound me without possessing the authority to define me.
- ACCESSIBILITY
Genesis 1:28 says:
“God blessed them and said to them…”
This becomes one of the great themes of Scripture.
God speaks to Adam.
God speaks to Noah.
God speaks to Abraham.
God speaks to Moses.
God speaks through the prophets.
Hebrews says God ultimately speaks to us through His Son.
Hebrews 1:1–2 says that in former times God spoke to the fathers through the prophets, but “in these last days has spoken to us in His Son.”
Heb 7:25 Therefore He is able also to save forever (completely, perfectly, for eternity) those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to intercede and intervene on their behalf [with God].
So when life becomes confusing, the image bearer does not have to rely solely upon internal instinct or cultural noise.
- PROXIMITY
Blessed them- barak
meaning to bless, confer favor, bestow benefit, or endow with the conditions for flourishing.
Eden- delight, pleasure, abundance, But Eden was the environment of God’s presence—a place where humanity enjoyed proximity, accessibility, communion, and delight with God.
HUMANITY WAS DESIGNED TO LIVE IN RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD.
Psalm 16 says:
“In Your presence is fullness of joy.”
Jesus later says: “Abide in Me.” – JN.15
Jhn 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the [only] Way [to God] and the [real] Truth and the [real] Life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.
- CAPACITY
Genesis 1:28 says:
“Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth…”
Capacity is the God-given ability, potential, and enablement to fulfill the purposes and responsibilities God assigns to His image-bearers.
God never gave humanity responsibility without first giving humanity capacity.
God gave humanity an assignment that assumed God-given ability to carry it out.
Eph.2:10. “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared for us beforehand, so that we would walk in them.”
God made us.
God forms us.
God prepares purpose.
God equips us to walk in it.
- RESPONSIBILITY
.
Genesis 1:28:
“Be fruitful…”
Responsibility.
“Multiply…”
Responsibility.
“Fill the earth…”
Responsibility.
“Subdue…”
Responsibility.
“Rule…”
Responsibility.
Image-bearing is not merely privilege. It is assignment
- AUTHORITY
Genesis 1:26:
“…let them rule…”
Genesis 1:28:
“…subdue it; and rule…”
God delegates authority to humanity. But it is always delegated authority.
Right to rule- you can command that which aligns with God’s will
Authority is the God-given permission and responsibility to exercise dominion by governing, ordering, protecting, developing, and stewarding what God has entrusted to us.
Luk 9:1 Now Jesus called together the twelve [disciples] and gave them [the right to exercise] power and authority over all the demons and to heal diseases.
Romans 12:21 says:
“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”