The Image of God #1: OVERVIEW

GENESIS 1:26-28

Genesis Sermon Series #1: OVERVIEW

I. Introduction: Who are you?

a. “We never achieve a clear knowledge of ourselves unless we have first looked upon God’s face.” (John Calvin)

II. The image of God—Created

a. What does it mean to be created in God’s image?

  i. Represent God under God’s rule

  ii. Reflect God’s character

  iii. Replicate God’s people

III. The image of God—Distorted

IV. The image of God—Restored

a. Restoration comes about through the coming of Jesus, the Second Adam.

i. John 1:14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

ii. Col 1:15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.

b. Restoration comes about through coming to Jesus, the Second Adam.

i. Col 3:10 “Put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.”

ii. Eph 4:24 “Put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.”

iii. Eph 5:1-2 “Be imitators of God, as beloved children.

c. Restoration isn’t a process. Those of us in Christ are genuinely new and yet we are not completely new. We are incompletely new and heading towards perfection.

V. The image of God—Perfected

a. Promise in Romans 8:29 will be fulfilled: “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son.”

b. “It is a serious thing to remember that the dullest and the most uninteresting person you talk to — may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship…” (C.S. Lewis)

VI. Conclusion: Who are you?