Minister Meshack Mulenda
In Genesis 1:26, God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness,” setting us apart. We bear the image and likeness of God so we can be distinguished from every other creature. This means we have been created to reflect His nature and to function as He does. God set it this way so that we could represent Him and, further, be ambassadors of heaven here on earth (see 2 Corinthians 5).
To bear someone’s image means to possess their character and true nature. If God is Spirit, then that means His Spirit is what He put in man; the Spirit is the Holy Spirit. When God spoke about our “death” after Adam and Eve sinned in Genesis, He was referring to the departure of His Spirit from man. Therefore, the Holy Spirit is who brings about the image of God in us. We will know that we are carriers of the Holy Spirit by the way we live (see Matthew 7:15–18); our actions should evidently reflect God. Galatians 5:22–23 speaks of the fruit of the Spirit, which is the evidence that clearly reflects God’s image. When we yield to the Holy Spirit, He produces in us love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These are called the ‘fruit’ of the Spirit because they work hand in hand, and if the Holy Spirit dwells in us, they ought to manifest!
Not only do we bear the image of God through the evidence of the fruit of the Spirit, we have also been created to function in God’s power. This is what it means to be in the likeness of God; it is the ability to function as He does. Jesus Christ demonstrated the fullness of God’s power by functioning in the gifts of the Spirit (see Corinthians 12:7-11 and Acts 10:38). These gifts of the Spirit are directly linked to the likeness of God. It is only the Holy Spirit who distributes all these gifts and only He decides what gift each person should have (see 1 Corinthians 12:11). However, let us be reminded that though we can have the gifts of the Spirit, if we do not have love (the image of God), we are nothing. Love, which is at the core of God’s image, empowers us to use the gifts of the Spirit. In other words, the image of God makes it legal for us to use His likeness; therefore, it should always precede the likeness of God.
The image of God is important for all believers to reflect, especially because we live as God’s ambassadors, representing His kingdom on earth. Others should be able to see what it looks like to be from the kingdom. However, not everyone will believe in God by simply reflecting His image. In fact, many will need to see miracles and so this is where the gift of the Spirit comes in. The image of God needs to be so strong in us so that the gift will properly manifest and operate through us. So while we wait for Christ’s return, we also have work to do! We are called to reflect God’s image and to actively demonstrate His power in the world.
In summary, God’s image is illustrated through the fruit of the Spirit. We can carry the image of God by yielding to the Holy Spirit, who will produce the fruit in us, shaping us to reflect God’s character. On the other hand, God’s likeness is demonstrated through the gifts of the Spirit. These are freely given to us by the Holy Spirit for the building up of the church and for the expansion of God’s kingdom here on earth. What makes the gift of the Spirit safe is the fruit of the Spirit, ensuring they are used in love and ultimately for God’s glory. Therefore, let us be faithful image bearers so that we may walk in God’s likeness, faithfully carrying out His Will on earth.
