Quotes about Image bearers

God's idea of a partnership places enormous responsibility on his image bearers and also means he wants us to participate in what he is doing here on earth and intends for us to do so, not as isolated individuals, but together.

When God created human beings in his 'image' and 'likeness,' he was designating us as his representatives on the earth. Instead of running things directly himself, he chose us as his intermediaries to run things here in this world. As his image bearers, we speak and act on his behalf.

Our identity as God's image bearers casts in cement a fundamental equality, dignity, and purpose among all human beings--truth that if embraced and acted on would make the world a better place. But this is just hors d'oeuvres. For God isn't just giving us existence, exceedingly high rank, and the whole world too, which in itself is a lot to absorb. He is giving us himself!

We are God's eyes and ears, his hands and feet, his voice in this world. He didn't just level the playing field between men and women; he raised the bar sky high for both sexes, for he wants his image bearers to aspire, to push ourselves, and to reach toward the high calling he has entrusted to us.

When God looks at the earth--as though peering in a mirror--he wants to see himself reflected back. And the place he wants to see the clearest reflection is in his image bearers--both as individuals, but more importantly, in our relationships.

In Genesis God is multiplying the mystery of the Trinity in his image bearers by creating another individual who stands on level ground with the man and is completely different from, yet one with him. The oxygen hasn't grown thin after all. God is still vision casting--this time for male/female relationships.

God created his daughters to be image bearers, and that necessarily entails a call to leadership. Failure to see this creates problems that are often overlooked--the predicament and even the peril this creates for so many women, not to mention how this hampers the mission of the church.

God created male and female with an intricate balance of sameness and distinction, an impressive concoction of common part and counterpart. Each image bearers. Each of equal worth. Each necessary for a future. Each necessary for survival.

To feel is to be human. To minimize or deny what we feel is a distortion of what it means to be image bearers of God. To the degree that we are unable to express our emotions, we remain impaired in our ability to love God, others, and ourselves well. Why? Because our feelings are a component of what it means to be made in the image of God. To cut them out of our spirituality is to slice off an essential part of our humanity.

To feel is to be human. To minimize or deny what we feel is a distortion of what it means to be image bearers of God. To the degree that we are unable to express our emotions, we remain impaired in our ability to love God, others, and ourselves well.