Image Bearers for His Glory
God created us in His image, meaning we were created to reflect Him, know Him, enjoy Him, and represent Him. Sin distorts that image, but through Christ we are being renewed into the image of our Creator.
- We Are Created in the Image of God
Genesis 1:26–27 teaches that both male and female are created in God's image. We are God's workmanship and were created to live in dependence.
Being an image bearer means our lives should reflect God in how we relate to Him and how we live toward others. We belong to Him, and He is worthy of our worship.
If I am created to reflect God, what does my life currently reflect?
- Image Bearers Are Motivated by Godly Fear
Noah is described as a man who walked with God, and Hebrews 11:7 says that he was motivated by godly fear. Noah trusted God's Word even though he had not yet seen what God warned him about.
Godly fear is having reverence and awe for who God is, especially His holiness, which moves us toward obedience.
Isaiah gives another picture of this. When Isaiah saw God's holiness, he was overwhelmed by God's holiness, recognized his own sin, and ultimately responded, “Here I am. Send me.”
What captivates our hearts will shape the direction of our lives.
Paul David Tripp…..
- Awe of God → deeper worship, stronger obedience, fewer complaints, greater stability in joy.
- Awe of self → sin multiplies.
The cure for misplaced awe is grace that restores our awe of God.
- Image Bearers Need to Remember Humility
Genesis 11 and the Tower of Babel show what happens when people become focused on making a name for themselves.
Pride asks:
“How can I make myself look great?”
Humility asks:
“How can I surrender myself to God and make His name great?”
The goal isn't to put confidence in ourselves but to surrender ourselves to the One who created us.
Christ is the image of the invisible God, and those who belong to Christ are being renewed according to the image of their Creator. Read Colossians 3:10.
The more we know Christ and grow in relationship with Him, the more we become like Him.
Whose Image Are You Reflecting?
Jesus' teaching in Matthew 22:15–22 gives us a good reminder. The coin belonged to Caesar because it carried Caesar's image. Jesus then said to give God what belongs to God.
We bear God's image—and therefore we belong to Him.
The challenge is to take whatever we have written in the blank:
“_____ is my life.”
and replace it with:
“JESUS IS MY LIFE.”
Three Takeaways
- We are created in the image of God.
- Image bearers are motivated by godly fear.
- Image bearers remember humility.
We are Image Bearers for His Glory!
Follow-Up Questions
- What does it mean that we are created in God's image?
- How should being an image bearer affect the way we treat God and other people?
- If someone watched your life this past week, what would they say you value most?
- What does pride look like in your life?
- What would it look like for you to practice humility this week?
- If you honestly filled in the blank “_____ is my life,” what would you write?
- If we really believe that we are God's image bearers and that we belong to Him, what needs to change about the way we live this week?
