THE CHURCH THE IMAGER OF CHRIST

In the first part of our 2-part series “Created in His Image,” we presented Jesus as the perfect image of God. (Christ is the visible image of the invisible God Col 1:15; The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers so they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 2 Corinthians 4:4)

This week we would like to consider what it means when we read in the scriptures, “‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness’… 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? What’s an image bearer and why does it matter?

In this podcast we’re going to answer some questions:

What is an image bearer?

* “We were created to image God – to be Him as if He were here. We are His representatives. It’s a function that we need to fulfill.” Michael Heiser

*  For those God foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers.  And those He predestined He also called, those He called He also justified, those He justified He also glorified…Romans 8:29-30

*  I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb. The city had no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gave it light, and its lamp was the Lamb Rev 21:22-23

What Image are you bearing?

* “Humankind was created ‘to function in the capacity of the image’ of God.” Major Ian Thomas

* We were created to be image bearers of the divine nature and not the image bearers of the sin nature.

* Adam failed–he imaged somebody else. From that point on we imaged death.

* Satan was claiming humanity as his own expression and so we bear the image of sin.

What was God’s greater purpose for sending His Son?

* “We’ve lost sight of what God had in mind in sending His Son into this world, those that He foreknew and predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son.” Major Ian Thomas

What does transformation have to do with image bearing?  

* “The measure to which you and I have obeyed the gospel is the measure in which the Lord Jesus may once more come in us, functionally operative, through his Holy Spirit, teaching our minds, controlling our emotions and directing our will”  Major Ian Thomas

What is Christ inheritance in the Saints?

* There are unseen image bearers: “God alone created humankind to function as his administrators on earth. But he has also created the other elohim of the unseen realm. They are also like him. They carry out his will in that realm, acting as his representatives. They are his heavenly council in the unseen world. We are God’s council and administration in this realm.” – Michael Heiser

* His image bearers are the expression of a reclaimed kingdom manifesting his rule and kingship on earth. Wherever his people are, there his kingdom increases–it becomes his jurisdiction(the territory over which authority is exercised). We are His heavenly territory who are putting into effect and are responsible for administering his Government on earth. We can only accomplish this if we are learning to bear the Image of Christ. with and by His life.

“Now that you have been reconciled to God, Now that you do know that your sins are forgiven, now that you are on the way to heaven, now that you have escaped the puntinitive consequences of your guilt, now that you know that you’re not going to hell, now that you know your identity in Christ, now that you know you’re fully redeemed, now having claimed your inheritance in Christ, my concern for you is that, will you allow the Lord Jesus, your creator, to have His inheritance in you?