Women's Night of Worship - Image Bearers

Short Recap of Kia and Candice

We have been talking about our identity in Christ and we have learned:

We are children of God (Kia)

Death cannot hold us because of the power of the cross

So now what? Now that we know we are children of God and death cannot hold us because of the power of the cross, what are we to do?

Image Bearers

Genesis 1:26–27 ESV

26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over 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.

God suddenly stops the unfolding creation account, invites us in, and tells us what he’s about to do: create mankind. Not only that, he tells us why.

We are Created with a purpose

to be image bearers

Everyone is an image bearer

Believers and non-believers, we all bear the image of something

Our purpose as children of God, as women, is to bear his image

Images are reflections, and that’s what we were crafted to be—reflections of God here on earth.

We were created to be signposts pointing others to him, mirrors displaying his character to the world.

When people see us, they SHOULD see aspects of God.

What does it mean to be an image bearer of Christ?

Image Bearers of Christ

Galatians 2:20 ESV

20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

It means:

giving up our selfish wants, desires, and ambitions to obey God’s design and plan

allowing Christ to live through us, through our thoughts, speech, actions, decision-making, interactions with others, time, money, etc

Faith and works

James 2:14–19 ESV

14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. 18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!

to be image bearers, our works must reflect our faith

true faith results in works that reflects what Jesus commands

Love God with all of our heart, with all of our soul, and with all of our mind and love our neighbor as ourself

Application and Prayer

Cathy Riddle: Be Jesus to somebody

Let’s go, be image bearers, reflecting Christ in our faith by our works

Pray for a change in heart that we will start to:

be image bearers

reflect Christ

have our works reflect our faith in Christ