The Image of a Christian


Genesis 1:26-27 New King James Version (NKJV)
26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over [a]all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
From the beginning of time, we had the image of God until man lost it when he fell in the garden of Eden. This was redeemed by Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in the following verses.

Colossians 1:15 New King James Version (NKJV)
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.

Hebrews 1:3 New King James Version (NKJV)
3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had [a]by Himself [b]purged [c]our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

So we can all agree that Jesus Christ is God who came in form of man (human flesh) depicting God’s image to the world. Additionally, God is Spirit and His image is in Spirit form. and those who know and worship Him must do so in the spirit and truth.

John 4:24 New King James Version (NKJV)
24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

So how do we portray the image of God in our lives and to the world?

First of all, God is Light and we should always have light (righteousness, holiness, Godliness) in us as our Father is the True Light of the World.

1 John 1:5 New King James Version (NKJV)
Fellowship with Him and One Another
5 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.

Secondly, the image of God is Love and this is mandatory for every Christian to have Love.

1 John 4:14-16 New King James Version (NKJV)
14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.

Thirdly, the image of God is righteousness. Living a pure and undefiled life in Jesus Christ as a believer is reflecting the image of God.

1 John 2:29 New King James Version (NKJV)
29 If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him.

Fourth, the image of a Christian should be in relation to obedience to God and His Word. Obedience to God indicates that we are of God and have His image.

1 John 5:1-3 New King James Version (NKJV)
Obedience by Faith
5 Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome

Fifth, the image of God in a Christian is pure and does not sin. Christians who refrain from evil and shun sin depict the image of God.

1 John 3:9 New King James Version (NKJV)
9 Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God..

Lastly, the true image of God in a Christian is having the fullness of Christ in him/her and having the knowledge of the Son of God in them and doing the purpose He intended for us.

Ephesians 4:10-13 New King James Version (NKJV)
10 He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)
11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the [a]edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;
Believers of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, I pose a question to you as we wrap up this sermon,
Which Image Do You Have?
Be Blessed.

This sermon was brought to you by Brother George Wanjau. A devoted teacher of the Word of God and a member of Teaching Transformation Ministry.

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