Text: Genesis 1:26–28 (NLT)
26 Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.”
27 So God created human beings in his own image.
In the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.
28 Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.”
Gen.1:26-28 (NKJV)
26 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 [a]all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that [b]moves on the earth.”
Big Idea:
Genesis 1 reveals that humanity’s first calling is not a task but an identity: to bear God’s image.
Genesis 1:26–27 “Let Us make mankind in Our image, according to Our likeness…”
The phrase image of God (tselem Elohim) speaks of representation, not divinity.
Humans are not God, but we are created to reflect God.
The phrase “image of God” (tselem Elohim) speaks of representation, not divinity.
Humans do not share God’s essence or become divine; rather, we are created to reflect and represent God’s character, authority, and purposes within creation.
Being made in God’s image means:
- Our true value comes from our identity given by God, not from our performance, status, or success.
- We are created to reflect God’s character.
The way we choose what is right, create, think, and relate to others is meant to show the world what God is like. - Our value is given, not achieved.
Our work becomes an expression of identity, not an attempt to prove it.
Our value does not come from what we achieve; it is rooted in the identity God has given us.
Sin distorts the image, but it does not erase it (Genesis 9:6)
The world defines your worth by performance and achievement, but your true worth is defined by your identity.
This is God’s design for how life works: who we are determines how we live.
- The world defines life from the outside in, but God designs life from the inside out—who we are shapes how we live.
- The world builds life on performance, but God builds life on identity—who we are determines how we live.
Our actions flow from our identity, not the other way around.
- We are not first called to work, but to reflect — to let God shape who we are on the inside before we get busy on the outside.
- We are not first called to rule, but to resemble — to become more like God in how we love, choose, and respond before we lead or influence others.
- We are not first called to produce, but to represent — to show who God is through how we live, speak, and treat people, not just through what we achieve.
Bearing the image of God is humanity’s first and greatest calling—before fruitfulness or dominion, we are called to reflect God Himself.
What happens in daily life when we stop living from the identity God has given us?
We begin to measure our worth by busyness and results, feel constant pressure to prove ourselves, grow anxious and tired, and slowly lose joy and direction—because life starts being built on what we do instead of who God says we are.
When identity is ignored, we stay busy but feel bored, successful but empty, productive but unfulfilled.
What happens in everyday life when we receive our identity from God first?
We stop chasing approval, work from a place of security, rediscover joy in what we do, and experience a life that gives energy instead of draining it—because our calling flows from who God says we are, not from what we try to prove.
We do not bear God’s image so that we may be sent.
We are sent because we already bear God’s image.
Application
- Let go of the need to prove your worth through success or comparison—your value is already written into you by the hand of God.
- When your identity rests in God, your work becomes worship, your service becomes joy, and striving gives way to peace.
- Look at every person as sacred ground, for each life you meet carries the imprint of the God who created them.
We reflect God through our character—who we are becoming and what others see in us—and through our actions, in what we choose to do.
What Does It Mean That We Are Created in the Image of God?
To be created in the image of God means we are made to reflect God’s character, live in relationship with Him, and represent Him faithfully in the world.
1. It Means We Reflect God (Identity)
We are not divine, but we are created to reflect who God is.
Our dignity, worth, and value come from God Himself, not from what we do or achieve. Every human life matters because it bears God’s image (Genesis 1:26–27; 9:6).
2. It Means We Are Created for Relationship (Capacity)
God made humans with the ability to know Him, communicate with Him, and walk with Him.
We are relational beings—capable of love, moral choice, worship, and communion with God. This relationship was part of humanity’s original design, not a later religious idea.
We were created not just to work for God, but to live with God.
3. It Means We Represent God in the World (Purpose)
In the Bible, an “image” represents authority. God created humanity to be His visible representatives—to reflect His character, values, and care within creation (Genesis 1:28).
This means:
- Stewardship, not exploitation
- Service, not domination
- Character before achievement
4. It Means Life Is Designed to Flow from Identity (Design)
God designed life to work from the inside out:
- Being before doing
- Identity before activity
- Relationship before responsibility
Who we are determines how we live.
When we live aligned with this design, life flourishes. When we ignore it, life becomes strained and disordered.
What Does It Mean That We Are Created in the Image of God?
1. What It Means for Our IDENTITY — Who We Are
Being created in the image of God means our identity is given, not achieved.
Before we do anything, God declares who we are.
- We have inherent dignity and worth
- Our value does not come from performance, success, or recognition
- We matter because we reflect God, not because we are useful
This means:
We do not work to earn identity; we live and work from identity.
Our worth is stable, secure, and God-given—long before achievement enters the picture.
2. What It Means for Our PURPOSE — Why We Exist
We are created in God’s image on purpose and for a purpose.
Image-bearing is not accidental—it is humanity’s first calling.
Our purpose is:
- To reflect God’s character
- To represent God’s authority
- To bring God’s goodness into the world
Before dominion, productivity, or fruitfulness, there is image-bearing.
Our first calling is not what we do, but who we reflect.
3. What It Reveals About GOD’S DESIGN — How Life Works
God designed life to work from the inside out.
In God’s design:
- Being comes before doing
- Identity shapes activity
- Alignment matters more than speed or success
This is why Scripture consistently shows:
- Identity before assignment
- Relationship before responsibility
- Alignment before elevation
God’s design for how life works is this: who we are determines how we live.
When we live out of alignment with this design, life may keep moving—but it slowly loses joy, clarity, and direction.
4. What It Means for HOW WE LIVE — Everyday Life
Because we bear God’s image, our lives are meant to reflect God in ordinary ways.
We live as image-bearers when:
- Our character reflects God’s love, holiness, and truth
- Our relationships show dignity, honor, and compassion
- Our work becomes stewardship, not self-validation
- Our authority and influence are exercised under God, not apart from Him
This means:
We are not first called to work, but to reflect.
Not first called to rule, but to resemble.
Not first called to produce, but to represent.
- Identity — I am valuable because I bear God’s image
- Purpose — I exist to reflect and represent God
- Design — Life works best when lived from identity
- Living — My actions express who I already am in God
Being created in the image of God tells us who we are, why we exist, how life works, and how we are meant to live—reflecting God in every part of everyday life.
What Capacities Did God Give Us by Creating Us in His Image?
Being created in God’s image means God endowed humans with capacities that make relationship and responsibility possible.
These include:
a. Relational capacity
We are created to know God, relate to others, and live in community (Genesis 2:18).
We are not instinct-driven only, but person-oriented.
b. Moral and spiritual awareness
We have conscience, moral responsibility, and the ability to respond to God’s will (Romans 2:14–15).
c. Rational and reflective capacity
We can think, reason, plan, imagine, and reflect—enabling us to steward creation wisely (Genesis 1:28).
d. Communicative capacity
God speaks, and humans can hear, understand, and respond.
Language is not just functional—it is relational (Genesis 2:16–17).
These capacities exist not for self-glory, but so that humans can:
live before God (coram Deo) and act on God’s behalf in the world.
What Is God’s Purpose and Design in Making Us in His Image?
God’s purpose in creating humanity in His image is relational and missional, not merely functional.
a. Relationship — Communion with God
God created image-bearers so He could be known, enjoyed, and walked with (Genesis 3:8).
Relationship with God is not a later religious idea—it is humanity’s original design.
We were created not just to work for God, but to live with God.
b. Representation — Reflecting God to the World
In the ancient world, an “image” represented a king’s authority in distant territories.
Similarly, humans are God’s visible representatives, reflecting His character, values, and rule in creation.
This is why:
- Character matters more than productivity
- Stewardship matters more than domination
- Alignment matters more than achievement
c. Design — Life Works from Identity
God designed life to flow from identity to action:
- Being before doing
- Relationship before responsibility
- Alignment before elevation
God’s design for how life works is this: who we are determines how we live.
Summary:
- What makes us different?
We alone are created to reflect God personally and relationally. - What capacity are we given?
The ability to know God, respond to Him, relate to others, and steward creation responsibly. - What is God’s purpose and design?
That we live in communion with Him and represent Him faithfully in the world.
To be created in the image of God means we were made to know God, reflect God, and live out God’s purposes in the world.
budi hidajat 