Read: Genesis 1:26–27; 5:3 (NIV84)
1:26Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” 27So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
5:3When Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son in his own likeness, in his own image; and he named him Seth.
Colossians 1:15; 3:5–10 (NIV84)
1:15He [Jesus] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
3:5Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. 7You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.
There is a third metaphor for the image of God, one that unites the previous two and fuses them with a familial intimacy. Genesis tells us that Adam, in turn, “begat a son in his own likeness, in his own image.” The very language used for our creation is now used to describe a child’s resemblance to his father. This reveals a staggering truth: we were made not just for a general relationship with God, but for an intimate family relationship. We are not merely stewards of His world, but are intended to be His heirs. The image of God means “sonship.”
This concept carries two profound implications. As sons and daughters, we are to resemble our Father in His character—in holiness, righteousness, creativity, and love. But we are also to act as His ‘servants’ in the most noble sense—doing His work and representing His interests in the world. It is a dual calling of sonship and servanthood, of being and doing.
Of course, we know with a sorrowful certainty that this image in us has been distorted. Like a statue defaced or a mirror distorted, we reflect God’s image imperfectly. The family resemblance has been marred by rebellion. Therefore, we must look to the one who is the perfect and untarnished “image of the invisible God,” Jesus Christ. He alone has a perfect relationship with the Father. He alone perfectly represents the Father in flawless servanthood. He is the true Son. The glorious news of the Gospel is not that we must try harder to repair the broken image, but that through Christ, it can be renewed. As we grow in Him, the Holy Spirit gradually chisels away the grime of sin, restoring the original likeness and making us into the sons and servants we were always meant to be.
Reflect, Share & Prayer: How does thinking of yourself as a “child of God” change the way you view your mistakes and your potential? Give thanks to God that your identity is being renewed in the image of Christ.
Kathy:
Being a child of God gives me security—even when I sin or make mistakes—because my hope and joy rest in the truth that my identity is continually being renewed in Christ. Just as I would never disown my own children when they fail, but instead forgive, correct, and guide them toward better choices, so does my Heavenly Father with me. With the Holy Spirit living within us, renewal is ongoing as we seek Him.
Father God, thank You for Your Son, Jesus Christ. Thank You for saving me, for calling me Your own, and for adopting me into Your family. Give me courage to imitate You so that my children may see Your character reflected in my life and be drawn to walk in the likeness of Christ. Strengthen us & Your Church to “resemble You in holiness, righteousness, creativity, and love—faithfully doing Your work and representing Your heart in this world.” in Jesus‘s name amen.
(from Vic)
Reflect, Share & Prayer: How does thinking of yourself as a “child of God” change the way you view your mistakes and your potential? Give thanks to God that your identity is being renewed in the image of Christ.
Good morning Brothers, as a child of God, my image of my self is changing, the program which is God given has helped me change, now through the word I understand even more that God made me in his image, there has been a big change in me, my thoughts and values are changing, and I still have a long way to go, I’m thankful that the Holy Spirit is guiding me through this changing of my heart and spirit,
Father God in Heaven holy be your name, thank you for your friendship and redemption paln for my life, thank you for your Son Jesus Who bore the sin of us all, and through him we have been redeemed, let me reflect your grace and mercy, forever and ever, in Christ Jesus name Amen
Knowing that I am a child of God shapes my identity and defines who I am. There are still moments when I beat myself up after making a mistake. But by recognizing that I have a loving Father who will never abandon me for who I am or for my actions helps me avoid the negative thoughts in my head. Instead, I view my mistakes as opportunities for growth, learning, and deepening my relationship with my heavenly Father.
Thank you, God, for adopting me into sonship through Jesus Christ. Thank you for renewing my identity in the image of my Creator and Savior. I pray that the Holy Spirit will continue to sanctify me, enabling me to be a true reflection of the Holy and Loving Father
I think similar to Downey if I am a child of God it makes me realize I will make child like mistakes over and over again. Reminding myself to not be so hard on myself. I tend to find myself being the harsh critic towards me. It makes me realize that I would not talk to a kid that way so why would I talk to myself that way if I am as well a child of God.
The glorious news of the Gospel is not that we must try harder to repair the broken image, but that through Christ, it can be renewed.
It is a dual calling of sonship and servanthood, of being and doing.
I am therefore I do. I am a daughter of God and in that role I am to resemble him . As a servant I must do his work and represent his interests.
Dear God,
Through Jesus I can become more holy and loving. Through Jesus I can go forth and work as if working for you. I do so imperfectly but I’m not doing it alone. Jesus please renew my mind and actions to be more like you. Amen. Louise
In my mistakes and rebellion, I don’t resemble my Father but I know that He is using even my brokenness to shape me more and more into the image of His son (Romans 8:28).
As a child of God, I know that despite my failings, He will always love me and discipline me as a child ..He will never disown me, as I would never disown my 4 children. It’s not just a metaphor,‘we really are God’s children by adoption, just as Niko is as much my child as Clara, Noelle and Caleb are. What an unfathomable truth, behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we would be called children of God!
From Thao
Seeing myself as a child of God changes how I see both my mistakes and my potential. I’m not bound by fear of losing my place with Him, because my identity isn’t based on meeting a standard—it’s secured in His love. Even when I fail again and again, my standing as His child never changes. God accepts me in my imperfections, and continually extends His grace. This gives me confidence to grow and hope for the future, knowing He is shaping me into Christ’s image. Thank You, Jesus, for dying in my place so that I can become a child of God!
It’s sad that I’ve committed so much sin and idolatry against God who begat me in His image and likeness. God intended for me to develop His characters and inherit His creation of earth, but my sins broke that image and shattered the potential. A great wave of sorrow started pounding my heart after I realize how embarrassing it is to hurt God. God, like my biological father, must feel very disappointed. I feel disapoointed at myself too. My mistakes are far more devastating than I thought before. Thanks to Jesus, who was, is, and will be the perfect image as child of God, that is hope I can hold on to. I thank Jesus for fixing and rebuilding my image. And Jesus is the only one that knows how to fix my image. God, thank you for giving me Jesus to renew my identity.