Genesis 1:27 ESV
So God created man
in his own image,
in the image of God
he created him;
male and female
he created them.

What does it mean to you
that you have been created
in the image of God?

It is important that we don’t
follow our own ideas
and inventions
but that we take what is plainly
stated in God’s Word
to heart.

As one who was created
in God’s image
we are commanded
to put off our old ways,
our old thinking,
to reflect God and His glory.

When we follow our old ways
of thinking, cling to our desires,
trust in ourselves,
we distort God’s image.

When we worry about
what others think of US…
When we compare
OURSELVES to others…
When we seek attention,
accolades, or
glory for OURSELVES…
We are focusing on OUR
OWN image.

We are to put off the old
put on the new self,
created after the likeness
of God in true righteousness
and holiness.

We must take our eyes off of self,
turn them onto Jesus,
and keep them there
by God’s grace.

Jesus is the exact image of God.
Jesus perfectly reflected
His Father.

Hebrews 1:3-4
He is the radiance of the
glory of God and the exact
imprint of his nature,
and he upholds the universe
by the word of his power.
After making purification for sins,
he sat down at the right hand
of the Majesty on high,
having become as much
superior to angels as the
name he has inherited is
more excellent than theirs.

Ask the Lord to meet
you right where
you are.

Tell Him simply what causes
to take your eyes off of Him?

Fear?
Insecurity?
Selfishness?
Unbelief?

Do you listen to the lies of the
enemy?

Bravely and plainly
tell the Lord
where you see yourself failing
and confess your sins,
your weaknesses,
your shortcomings, your failures.
Put your faith in Him
and not yourself…
trust in His power
trust in His forgiveness,
trust in His love…
and ask Him to cleanse you
from all unrighteousness.

Hebrews 12:1-2
let us also lay aside every weight,
and sin which clings so closely,
and let us run with endurance
the race that is set before us,
looking to Jesus, the founder
and perfecter of our faith,
who for the joy that was set
before him endured the cross,
despising the shame, and is
seated at the right hand
of the throne of God.

What is that sin that clings so
closely that is keeping you
from reflecting the image of God?

Draw near
to Jesus in faith.

Believe that His blood
is enough to
cleanse you from all
unrighteousness.

Pray through the
following hymn asking the
Lord for His help believing that
He will do it.

Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus

O soul, are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness you see?
There’s light for a look at the Savior,
And life more abundant and free!

Refrain:
Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will
grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.

Through death into life everlasting
He passed, and we follow Him there;
O’er us sin no more hath dominion-
For more than conqu’rors we are!

His Word shall not fail you-He promised;
Believe Him, and all will be well:
Then go to a world that is dying,
His perfect salvation to tell!

In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.

Genesis 1:27 ESV
So God created man 
in his own image,
in the image of God 
he created him;
male and female 
he created them.

What does it mean to be created
in the image of God?
This has challenged theologians
for centuries. Many commentators
have much to say regarding 
specific metaphysical 
questions about the nature of the 
soul and the relationship of the 
image of God to 
our personalities, etc. 

However, I don’t believe we need
to sort through all these complexities
to have a biblical understanding
of what it means to be 
created in God’s image. 
“The main things are the plain 
things and the plain things are 
the main things,” as Alistair Begg 
has frequently said.

What is important and 
essential is what is plainly 
stated in God’s Word.

Simply, 
God has created man
to be in relationship with Him,
to resemble and represent Him,
and to rule and reign under His
authority. 

“An example from the Ancient 
Near East which Peter Gentry uses
in his book Kingdom through Covenant 
is a powerful visual of this concept.
A ruler  would place his statue in 
a certain land and that statue would 
indicate that he was the Lord of 
that land. Humanity, as God’s 
image, has a similar function.” 

Man was created to distinctively
glorify and enjoy his Maker. 
It is because we resemble God
that we are able to be in relationship
with Him and represent Him 
in creation and 
rule and reign under Him.

From the Westminister
Shorter Catechism:

Q: What is the chief end of man?

A: Man’s chief end is to glorify God,
and to enjoy him forever. 

We are God’s handiwork,
we are His masterpiece.
We have been created by Him
and for Him.

And not only did He create us
in His image, but He is now
renewing us in His image in Christ.

Colossians 3:9-10
…you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self,
which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.

Ephesians 4:24
…put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness 
and holiness.

So look to your Maker,
fix your eyes upon Him. Ask Him
to meet you right where you are,
to help you see Him, and draw near 
to Him in faith. Read through the 
following psalm asking Him to glorify himself in you.

Psalm 86
1  Incline your ear, 
O Lord, and answer me,
for I am poor and needy.
2  Preserve my life, for I am godly;
save your servant, who trusts in you
-you are my God.
3  Be gracious to me, O Lord,
for to you do I cry all the day.
4  Gladden the soul of your servant,
for to you, O Lord, 
do I lift up my soul.
5  For you, O Lord, are good
and forgiving,
abounding in steadfast love
to all who call upon you.
6  Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer;
listen to my plea for grace.
7  In the day of my trouble 
I call upon you,
for you answer me.
8  There is none like you 
among the gods, O Lord,
nor are there any works like yours.
9  All the nations you have 
made shall come
and worship before you, 
O Lord,
and shall glorify your name.
10  For you are great and 
do wondrous things;
you alone are God.
11  Teach me your way, O Lord,
that I may walk in your truth;
unite my heart to fear your name.
12  I give thanks to you, 
O Lord my God, with my whole heart,
and I will glorify your name forever.
13  For great is your steadfast love
toward me;
you have delivered my soul 
from the depths of Sheol.
14  O God, insolent men 
have risen up against me;
a band of ruthless men seeks my life,
and they do not set you before them.
15  But you, O Lord, 
are a God merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding 
in steadfast love and faithfulness.
16  Turn to me and be gracious to me;
give your strength to your servant,
and save the son of your maidservant.
17  Show me a sign of your favor,
that those who hate me may 
see and be put to shame
because you, Lord, have helped me 
and comforted me.

In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.

 

Genesis 1:27 ESV
So God created man
in his own image,
in the image of God
he created him;
male and female
he created them.

You may be wondering
what is the purpose of
walking so slowly
through these verses.I have discovered that
most of us, including myself,
do not slow down enough
to fully contemplate,
digest, and apply
the truths of the gospel.

Today’s meditation is
a good example.

We are God’s.
We have been created
by Him in His image
for His glory.

How often do we think of
ourselves in this light?

How can we
humbly surrender our heart,
soul, and mind to this truth?

The sooner we embrace
who we are and
what we have been made to do,
the greater our joy,
the greater His pleasure,
the greater His glory!

Ask the Lord to grant you
His grace to earnestly
pray the following prayer
from The Valley of Vision.

“GOD THE ALL”

O God whose will conquers all,
There is no comfort in anything
apart from enjoying thee and
being engaged in thy service;
Thou art All in all, and all
enjoyments are what to me
thou makest them, and no more.

I am well pleased with thy will,
whatever it is, or should be
in all respects, And if thou bidst
me decide for myself in any affair,
I would choose to refer all to thee,
for thou art infinitely wise and
cannot do amiss as I am in
danger of doing.

I rejoice to think that all things are
at thy disposal, and it delights me
to leave them there.

Then prayer turns wholly
into praise, and all I can do
is to adore and bless thee.

What shall I give thee for
all thy benefits?

I am in a strait betwixt two,
knowing not what to do; I long to
make some return, but have
nothing to offer, and can
only rejoice that thou doest all,
that none in heaven or on
earth shares thy honour;
I can of myself do nothing
to glorify thy blessed name,
but I can through grace
cheerfully surrender soul and
body to thee, I know that
thou art the author and finisher
of faith, that the whole work
of redemption is thine alone,
that every good work or thought
found in me is the effect of
thy power and grace, that thy sole
motive in working in me to will
and to do is for thy good pleasure.

O God, it is amazing that men
can talk so much about man’s
creaturely power and goodness,
when, if thou didst not hold us
back every moment, we should
be devils incarnate.

This, by bitter experience,
thou hast taught me
concerning myself.

In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.