The Image Restorer
Posted by Karah
PAUSE
Before you dig into God’s Word today, listen to Jesus Culture’s song “Here is My Heart” (Your Love Never Fails, 2008).
Read Genesis 1:27-28 and Psalm 8:3-5 in your Bible.
• Rewrite Genesis 1:27 in your own words. What does this tell you about God’s plan for people? His love for us?
• Focus on Psalm 8:5. What do you think it means that God crowned us with glory and honor? Explain.
The world we live in seems to say that souls vary in importance. God’s Word disagrees—all of humanity was created in His image. Every life has value and worth because it bears the image of God, the glory of God. However, sin marred that image and only Jesus’ death could restore it.
“We all, with unveiled faces, are looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord and are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory; this is from the Lord who is the Spirit.” —2 Corinthians 3:18
Read 2 Corinthians 3:18 and Colossians 3:9-10 in your Bible and answer the following.
• In 2 Corinthians 3:18, did Paul describe this change as immediate or gradual? Explain.
• Reread the previous question. In your Bible, underline any key words that helped you determine your answer.
• Summarize Colossians 3:9-10 in your journal. Underneath, list some differences between the old and new self by making a column titled Old and one titled New. (See Eph. 4:22-24 for guidance.)
• According to Colossians 3:10, explain how we are renewed.
RESPOND
Glorifying God isn’t just about what you do, but who you are as His image bearer. The more time you spend with God, the more you will reflect Him in the way you live.
• In your journal, jot down some specific ways you notice God’s transformation in your own life.
• For further study on how God transforms lives, read Psalm 139:23-24 and Romans 12:1-2.
BEHIND THE STORY
God’s Word doesn’t specifically mention what imago Dei, or the image of God, refers to in relation to specific characteristics of people such as spirit, soul, and body. Therefore, Bible scholars suggest that the concept of the image of God must be considered as a whole. In other words, “The entire man, as a human being, images God.”(1)
THE POINT
Christ’s death on the cross restores our image and likeness of Him.
(1)Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2003), 806-807.
Posted in Boys, Devotions | Tagged Camp Ridgecrest Alumni and Friends, Camp Ridgecrest for Boys, Devotions, Reprinted from EC magazine. @ 2016 LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention