1. God’s Design For Life (1)

📖 Bible Discovery

💡 Focus Passage

🌱 Main Teachings

1. God created human beings in His image.

   What sets human beings apart from other creatures is God’s act of breathing the breath of life into man’s nostrils. Furthermore, man was created in God’s image, after His own likeness.

   • Humans inherit certain God-like qualities that other creatures do not possess:
     • Dominion over other creatures and the whole earth (Gen 1:26)
       • God commanded humans to go forth and multiply, thereby carrying out the mandate to rule over creation as God’s representative on earth (Gen 1:28).
     • A noble status and right to existence, which other humans must not take away (Gen 9:6)
     • God’s image — righteousness and holiness (Eph 4:24)
2. God calls human beings to serve as His image-bearers.

   Having been crafted with careful intention and purpose, we are called to reflect God’s character in the world and pass down His image in our families.

   • Reflect God’s image to others.
     • Since we have believed in God and have put on Christ through baptism, we have become His children (Jn 1:12; Gal 3:26-27).
     • As God’s children, we ought to emulate our heavenly Father:
       • In holiness (Lev 19:2; 1 Pet 1:15-16)
       • In love (Eph 5:1-2)
       • In mercy (Lk 6:36)
   • Pass down God’s image.
     • Not only should we reflect God’s image, but we should pass it down to the next generation (Gen 5:1, 3).
     • By establishing godly families and teaching our children and the next generation to fear the Lord and keep His commandments, we can continually pass down His image.
       • Example: God’s image was passed down in Adam’s family line. See Further Study (L1) for more details.

👣 Practical Actions

• Reflect God’s holiness.
  • God has set us apart as His own people. Therefore, He calls us to be holy, just as He is (Lev 20:26; Deut 7:6). How can we pursue holiness?
  • Put off the old self (Eph 4:22; Col 3:8-9).
    • Shed our old self, including our lusts and the corruption of our former way of life.
    • Ex: putting away bad habits; turning away from any wickedness or impurity
  • Put on the new self (Eph 4:23-24; Col 3:10, 12-14).
    • Do not simply aim to avoid sin, but pursue a renewed mind.
    • Actively clothe ourselves with characteristics that reflect God’s divine nature (e.g., kindness, humility, gentleness, holiness, etc.).
• Shine as lights in the world (Phil 2:15).
  • God has created us for righteousness and holiness so we can glorify Him (Isa 42:6; 43:7; 1 Thess 4:7).
  • As we reflect God’s holiness, we can shine as lights to other people.
    • When others see our good works, they will glorify God (Mt 5:14-16; 1 Pet 2:12).
• Bring up the next generation in the discipline and instruction of the Lord (Eph 6:4).
  • We can pass down God’s image by raising godly offspring (Mal 2:15).
  • We should emphasize religious education in our own families and local churches (Deut 6:6-7; Ps 78:5-7; Prov 22:6).

💭 Food for Thought

• Identify characteristics of the “old self” that you see reflected in society or in yourself. What does putting on the “new self” mean to you?
• Jesus said we are the light of the world (Mt 5:14). In what ways can we shine for Christ in our daily lives (workplace, family, community)?

🎯 Challenge Yourself

• Make a short list of thoughts, actions, or areas in your life where you may not be reflecting God’s holiness. Think about how you treat others, your words, the thoughts you dwell on, or habits you’ve developed. For each area, consider:
  • Why might this fall short of God’s standard for holiness?
  • What would it look like to renew this part of your life to God’s image?
  • What step(s) can you take this week to change and make improvements?