Plan for: Thanksgiving | Advent | Christmas
Plan for: Thanksgiving | Advent | Christmas
Explore the concept of being children of God, made in His image with free will, and the importance of making choices that reflect His love and righteousness.
Good morning, family of God! As we gather this morning, let's turn our hearts and minds to a passage from John's Gospel, chapter 1, verses 12-13: "Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God." We're here today to dig deep into the treasures of this Scripture, exploring how it speaks of God's image, our free will, the responsibility we have for our choices, and the surrender to the Spirit's leading.
When we consider the concept of being made in God's image, we must first understand that this is not a physical likeness. God is spirit, and so the image we bear is not one of physical attributes but of spiritual and moral ones. We are created with the capacity for love, for justice, for mercy, for creativity, for wisdom - all attributes of God Himself. This is a profound truth that sets us apart from all other creatures. We are not just biological beings, but spiritual ones, reflecting the very nature of our Creator.
Linked with our free will: God, in His infinite wisdom and love, chose not to create us as mere puppets, but as beings with the ability to make choices. This is a powerful gift, but also a great responsibility. Every day, we face a myriad of decisions, from the mundane to the significant. Each choice we make can either align us more closely with God's image or lead us further away from it.
Allows for genuine love and relationship: God did not want robotic obedience from us; He desired a relationship built on love and choice. Just as we have the freedom to love God, we also have the freedom to reject Him. This is a sobering reality, but it underscores the depth of God's love for us. He values our freedom so much that He is willing to risk our rejection.
Opens the door to sin and evil: When we choose to act in ways that are contrary to God's nature - when we choose selfishness over love, injustice over justice, cruelty over mercy - we mar the divine image within us. We distort the reflection of God that we were created to be.
God's image remains in us: It may be marred by our poor choices, but it is never completely erased. This is the hope of the Gospel - that no matter how far we stray, God's image in us can be restored through the redemptive work of Jesus Christ.
Understanding the interplay between God's image and our free: It reminds us of our inherent worth as bearers of God's image and of our responsibility to make choices that reflect His nature. It challenges us to continually examine our decisions and actions, asking whether they align with God's image or distort it.
Our decisions are not made in a vacuum: Each choice we make has a ripple effect, impacting not only our lives but also the lives of those around us ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO
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