1. Made In the Image of God Learning who we are meant to be

2. In the beginning… 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 all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Genesis 1:26-27

3. ‘Image of God’ Similar… not identical. Cp. Jas. 3:9 In this sense the Hebrew reader would understand Genesis 1:26 as: “Let us make man to be like us and to represent us.” (Bruce Ware)*

4. Wow! God MADE US in HIS IMAGE? The Creator over the entire universe of creations… MADE US… IN… HIS… IMAGE!!! Diverse creative abilities… like Him. Emotions… like Him. Sovereignty… like Him. Moral choices… like Him.

5. THE IMAGE OF GOD: The Fall of man

6. The Problem? Being in the image of God was not enough. Cp. Gen. 3:1ff Satan’s deception? That we would be like God. V. 5 Now, man was in fact like God – “knowing good and evil.” v. 22 Man unlawfully took and gained “knowing good and evil” in exchange for life.

7. We now know evil… and choose it We choose it because…like the temptations associated with the fruit in the garden: Genesis 3:6; 1 John 2:16; Romans 7:24 We desire it… We justify it… In the end, however, it does not reflect the “image of God” but is according to the flesh.

8. THE IMAGE OF GOD: Our Need for Salvation

9. Jesus – The (Perfect) Image of God Hebrews 1:3 – Jesus is the…of God NKJV - “express image of His person,” NASB – “the exact representation of His nature” ESV – “the exact imprint of His nature” NLT – “the very character of God”

10. Jesus knew good and evil: chose good For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Hebrews 4:15

11. Salvation Has Been Brought Down! “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 by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,” Hebrews 1:3

12. Being Image Bearers of God

13. The way we were meant to live Believers are created in Christ Jesus… To be God’s workmanship. Eph. 2:10 Reflect His glory. Matt. 5:16 Living godly lives knowing and choosing good rather than evil… being visible representatives of our invisible God.