Created in the Character Image of God

When God created man, He said, let us make man in our image according to our likeness. What did He mean to make man in the image of God? How does man bear the image of God? In our youth instruction theme this year, the theme is Making God Real. The November topic was, Does God Exist? Where is God? In December, it was Who and What is God? In January, it was Who is Jesus Christ? And now the February topic is, What is God's Purpose? Yes. Why does creation? Why do we exist? What's God's purpose? What's He got in mind?

Today, we want to marvel at God's awesome purpose. It fits into that statement, Let us make man in our image according to our likeness. Let's understand more deeply and appreciate more deeply why God made man in His own image. What He meant by that.

What does it mean anyway? Let's think about that. Let's go back to Genesis 1 and read it in verses 26 and 27. Now, earlier in this chapter, God created plants and animals, each to reproduce after its kind. And then He created human life, something different than anything else that He had made. Genesis 1, verse 26, God said, Let us make man in our image according to our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air. Already, God had made the birds of the air, the fish of the sea, cattle, and all the land animals. But now He was going to be making something quite different, different than any of the other creation that He had just made. He was going to make a creature after His own image and likeness. And so, verse 27, He did. This was on the sixth day of the creation week. Verse 27, God created man in His own image. In the image of God, He created Him. Male and female, He created them. Now, other scriptures show that mankind, then, not just Adam and Eve, bear the image of God, but other humans also bear the image of God. That, in fact, all humans, male and female, bear God's image. Now, of course, the father of Adam was actually God. Adam and Eve. They didn't have a human father, but God made them so He would be their father. All other human beings outside of Jesus Christ, and God was His father when Jesus the Word was made flesh, but all other humans have a human father. But we all bear the image of God, all humans. Many verses point that out. One verse, in fact, in the book of Acts, says that we all are the offspring of God. So it doesn't matter what race, what nation, male or female, we all bear the image of God. Well, let's ponder, though, a little bit further. Do humans bear the exact image of God? The Bible reveals that we do, that God has a face, God has eyes, God has a mouth, God has hands and arms and feet. So, yes, God looks like man because man was made created in the image of God to look like God, made in the image of God. Now, we could take this just one step further. Not only does man then bear the outward appearance of God, the image of God, but there's a giant chasm of difference between animals and humans. Humans are able to do things that no animal is capable of doing. Humans can, like in the way that God is able to do in a far greater way, humans can think.

Humans can reason. Humans can imagine. They can ponder. Mankind has incredible powers of imagination, abstract thinking, language, ability, things that animals do not have.

So, man was made with limited mental capacities and powers that also are in the likeness of God, things that God is able to do, of course, in a far greater way than humans are able.

So, man truly was created then in the likeness, in the image and likeness of God. But man does not inherently have the nature and the character image of God. In fact, humans and Adam and Eve were created without any of God's character image. They didn't have the mind and the nature and the character of God. Then all humans born of Adam and Eve do not have the character image of God. And we're going to see this afternoon that that is, in fact, the biggest thing God had in mind in Genesis 1, verse 26, where He said, let us make man in our image after our likeness. He wants man to be after his character image and ultimately to have immortal life in his family. That is God's very purpose in creating mankind. God's purpose is that man would come to have, have created in him the character image of God, the character likeness of God. So, God's purpose goes far beyond the creation of mere mortal, perishable humans made in his image. I mean, what good does that do to have humans, mortal beings, made in the image of God, who have no future, no potential for something greater? What is God's purpose? It is something far greater. It is to have a family. It's a spiritual family of sons and daughters. But for that to happen, the character image of God has to be created in us. The rest of Genesis 1, verse 26, then does not occur at the time that we humans are born, bearing the likeness and the image of God. No, that's something we want to understand and think about today. But it is God's purpose to create man, not just as physical models, but as spiritual entities, just like himself.

There are many verses that bear out that God's purpose is sonship. Again, this is something we want to make sure we explain to our children this month, coming up in February. God's purpose is a family, and our children need to understand that very much. Their destiny is to be a part of the family of God. Let's look at Romans chapter 8. It makes it very clear what man's destiny is, what man's purpose is, is sonship in the family of God, sonship as a son of God, a child of God.

Romans chapter 8 and verse 14, as many as are led by the Spirit of God, shows that there is something that has to happen after our human birth, namely that we must come to be led by the Spirit of God. And as many as are led by the Spirit of God, what are they? These are the sons of God. They become a part of the family of God. Did you know that all of those here who have repented, who have been baptized, and who have received the Holy Spirit of God, and who are led by the Spirit of God, they already are the sons of God?

Not fully, not fully developed yet, but considered as the sons of God. That's what it says right here in verse 14. As many, as many humans or converted Christians as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God. For you did not receive the Spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption.

A better translation, there would be sonship. We're not adopted. I want to say more about that. We're not adopted children. Did you know that? Not at all. We're literal children of God. And we need to understand that it's not an adoption. We're not adopted into the family of God, but we are actually born directly into the family. Verse 16 goes on to say, the Spirit itself bears witness with our Spirit that we are the children of God. We're in the family of Almighty God.

So God is creating a family. What a priceless opportunity we have to be a part of it. That's why we were born. That's why we are here. And that gives meaning and purpose to our life. Nothing else can give purpose and meaning because that's the only purpose there is to be a part of the family of God. In 2 Corinthians 6 we also read the same thing that we become a part of the family of God.

Yes, Spirit-led Christians, those who have repented and been baptized and received the Spirit of God, they become the very sons and daughters of Almighty God here and now, but they're not fully developed yet. They're not fully a part of it yet, but they're on their way. Second Corinthians chapter 6 in verse 17, therefore come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord, do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you.

So we do have to come out of this evil world. Naturally, we cannot be a part of an evil world like we see all around us. We have to instead choose the holy and the righteous laws and commandments and the way of life of Almighty God and not touch what is unclean. And then God says, I will receive you. Receive us where? Into his family.

Verse 18, I will be a father to you. I receive you into my family, and I'll be a father to you, and you shall be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty. Further, we're talking about something here that the Protestant world has no idea about. They don't understand that we are to be the sons of God, a part of the family of God. The Protestant world believes in general that we're going to be somewhere up there with the angels, but we will be below the level of God.

They don't understand what we're talking about. That family means that we are dwelling at the same level, the God-plain level, as God himself, sons of God. We need to understand, make sure we understand that ourselves. So once a person is truly converted, he becomes the son or daughter of Almighty God. Conversion, then, repentance, baptism, receiving God's Spirit. Conversion is the beginning of the path to sonship in God's family. It's the beginning. Those who then have repented and received God's Spirit, you're on that path now toward the family of God.

But are we God's own literal children? Is God actually engendering in the same sense that human parents engender a child? New human parents, we know how this happens, that leads to human birth. So human parents engender a child. It's their child. It's not an adopted child when it comes from the ovum and the sperm from the mother and the father. That's not an adopted child. An adopted child is one that doesn't have that blood connection, is not engendered that way, is brought in from without, engendered by somebody else.

So are we going to be God's literal children? We need to make sure we understand this. Or are we going to be adopted children? Some of the translators you see have even translated this as adoption. But no, the scriptures reveal that the Spirit is directly from God. God the Father is the one that engenders us spiritually. Well, that's a direct line, isn't it? Bringing us into the family of God. And that means then that, yes, God's literal children, not adopted children. Now, adopted children come into a family. They begin to have all the benefits of the family. And when it's legal, they are legally the children of the adopting family.

They have the full rights then, as normally granted to them by the adopting family, many times the same rights as children, maybe not always. But we come into the family of God, not as adopted children. We come in as literal children, having received the Holy Spirit from God our Father. He receives us into His family. He is the one then that engenders us and begins this process of spiritual reproduction. So mankind may become God's literal children through this spiritual regeneration. The scriptures refer to it as like a, the word in the Greek is ganau.

It's like a second birth. It's a birth from above. It's a spiritual birth that comes from God our Father. Now, we know that Jesus Christ, I don't think anybody would say Jesus Christ was the adopted Son of God. I've never heard that even in the world. We know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He was the one then that the Father not fathered Jesus Christ even when Mary conceived. It was God the Father who then participated there to make that possible so that Jesus was born as a human being. So God the Father was the Father of Jesus when He became flesh, when the Word was made flesh. But guess what? God the Father and Jesus had God's Spirit from the Father and then Jesus was born after His resurrection. He was then born into the family of God. Anybody ever think that Jesus was an adopted Son?

I don't think even, again, the world thinks that. But guess what? In the same way, we humans have the opportunity to be brought into the family of God in the same way that Jesus was. Jesus had God's Spirit. We have the opportunity to have God's Spirit and be engendered by that Spirit spiritually and be brought right into the family of God as sons of God, not a spirit-born sons of God, not adopted sons of God. Let's go to Romans chapter 8 and verse 29. It just kind of helps to point that out. Romans chapter 8 and verse 29.

For whom He foreknew, and this is getting into the concept of firstfruits or Pentecost, whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. This shows that our destiny then, or our path, our path into the family is the same as Jesus. Jesus was the firstborn, and there are many brethren that will come in after Him. But they're all fully sons of God. They're not adopted. They're literal children of God, not adopted children of God.

If the ones go through that process that is described here, notice the process is defined that we have to go through conformed to the image of His Son. Yes, let us make man in our image. Let us make man in our character image. And that involves being conformed. That means a process of transformation has to take place. We have to be conformed. Conformed means that there's a, it's like a mold. You know, something is molded into a certain shape and form. Our character has to be shaped and formed and molded through a process of conversion if we are to be in the family of God. So, but if we are conformed to the image of His Son, the character image of Christ, then we will be right there with Him. He was just the firstborn. We'll join with Him.

So that's, that is exciting to think about. Another scripture says that God has in mind the bringing of many sons to glory. Again, not adopted sons, but literal sons of God.

So what do we have up to this point? Man was born, burying the likeness of God in shape and form and appearance. God, we look like God. God looks like us. We even have some of the mental capacities that God has, very limited, but a certain amount. But not, we are not born with any of the character image of God. We don't have any of the love of God, any of the joy and other wonderful qualities, the righteousness and the holiness of God. All of that has to be created in us after we are born.

In fact, after we have grown to maturity and are able to repent, to be baptized and receive the Holy Spirit of God. So we don't have any of that character image. And that's the second half of the equation where God said, let us make man in our image, in our character image, after our character likeness. That should become our goal in this life once we understand it, to take on the character image and nature of God. Let's notice that is the purpose in 2 Peter 1 and verse 4. 2 Peter 1 and verse 4. This should become our goal in this life. This is what we should be thinking about more than we do. This is what we ought to be working on. And 2 Peter 1 and verse 4, we read, by which we or have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises. We're talking about the purpose of God and how He's accomplishing that purpose. It is great. It is precious that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature. Oh, and that means that spiritual creation that is going that is going on in our lives, producing the character image of God in our lives. That's what this lifetime is all about. Why does God give us time after repentance and after baptism and receiving the Holy Spirit? Why not just go right into the kingdom? That'd be just like a baby being conceived in the womb and being born the next second. The baby has to go through nine months in the womb. A lot of development goes on during that time. And the same way for us, a lot of growth and development has to take place for us. A lot of creating us in the character image of God. That's what this human lifetime is all about. Coming to have the mind of Christ, the mind of God. So we see that it is a process. That's how we can attain the spiritual image or likeness of God. It is a process. We must take that process one step at a time. It begins with understanding the gospel. It begins with repenting and acting on the gospel. And it involves then accepting Jesus Christ in His sacrifice and being baptized and having our sins forgiven. And it involves receiving God's Holy Spirit and being led by God's Holy Spirit over a lifetime.

The Holy Spirit is that agent that God grants to us that makes it all possible and empowers us to be able to have the character image of God created in us. So after spiritual conception, after baptism and receiving the Holy Spirit, then comes a lifetime of growing in righteousness and overcoming our human nature and the world in Satan. And if we complete this process of transformation, if we take on then the full character image of God, let us make man after our character likeness and image. If we take on then the full nature and character of God, He will change us to be His immortal sons in His family. But we must come to bear the image of God.

That's what is going to make it possible for us to be in the family of God. Well, let's go back to 1 Corinthians chapter 15. We must come then to bear the character image of the heavenly. We were born with the character image of the earthly, it brings out here. 1 Corinthians chapter 15 and verse 45. So it is written, the first man Adam became a living being. The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. The last Adam would be Jesus Christ. However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural and afterward the spiritual. That's true for us, isn't it? We are created in the image of God. We have shape and His form, His appearance. We have some of His mental qualities. That's first. Then we go on to develop the spiritual character image of God.

So that which is spiritual is afterward. Verse 47, the first man was of the earth made of dust, the second man is the Lord from heaven. As the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust. And as is the heavenly man, so also are those who are heavenly. And notice verse 49 now, as we have born the image of the man of dust, well, we have the shape and form and all and the physical image then of God, but we don't have the character of God. No, we're not born with that. We shall, if we go through this process, also bear the image, the character image of the heavenly. And that's what God really had in mind in Genesis chapter 1. It wasn't just creating some physical beings that bear his image. It was creating ones bearing his image. It would then go on to develop also and take on his character image and be conformed, as we read, to the image of Christ.

Molded, molded, shaped and formed and molded into the very image of Christ. And we read that Jesus Christ is the image of the invisible God. And guess what? If we're going to be conformed to the image of Christ, we will be conformed to the image of the invisible God. We'll take on his character and his nature and we'll become a brand new person, something that never existed before. You know, when a person repents and is baptized and receives God's Spirit, there is something new that never existed before. A new spiritual creation has begun just as much as when an ovum and a sperm unite in the womb of a mother, that something new never existed before. The sperm may have existed for a short time and the ovum may have existed for a short time. But when they unite in the womb of the mother, something new begins. That's how you and I came to be.

And if it carries on out this process, a human being will be born about nine months or so later. Well, guess what? When God's Spirit meets up with our mind, our spirit, at the time of repentance and baptism, when God's Spirit joins with our human spirit, something new begins that never existed before and makes it possible then to go on to have this development to take place in our lives where we take on the character image of God. Let's read a little bit about that in Colossians chapter 3 and verse 10. It's an amazing thing. This is all a part of God's purpose. And I hope that we can, the membership of the church can be thinking about this, but also the parents as well in helping their children to understand God's purpose and how He plans to accomplish it.

In, well, in Colossians 1.15, we should read that first of all, talking about Jesus Christ. He is the image of the invisible God, and He is the firstborn over all creation. So that's Jesus Christ. We've already commented about the meaning of that. Let's go to Colossians chapter 3 now in verse 10.

After talking about putting off the old man in verses 8 and 9, anger, wrath, malice, filthy language, all of those things, do not lie, verse 9, since you put off the old man with his deeds, we're striving not to live that way. And verse 10, have put on the new man that is renewed in knowledge according to the image of him, the character image, the perfect holy and righteous character image of him who created him. So that is what must take place then, so that we can come to bear the spiritual character image of God. A little bit more about it in Ephesians chapter 4, verse 22. Ephesians chapter 4 and verse 22, that you put off concerning your former conduct. There's a big change that takes place in our way of life when we repent. It's a totally different way of life. It's been described as going one way and suddenly we find out that's wrong and we turn around and start going the opposite direction. That's what it involves, the opposite direction, and coming out and being separate from this world.

That you put off concerning the former conduct the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts and be renewed in the spirit of your mind by receiving the Holy Spirit from Almighty God. And verse 24, that you put on the new man which was created according to God in righteousness and true holiness. We begin to see then what the character image of God is. It's holiness and righteousness. It's the opposite of these physical carnal traits or things that we see that result and that we see all around us in the world. The new creation then is made in the character image of God. It's the love of God, something we've never had before. Joy of God, the peace of God, patience, goodness, kindness, all those things in the Bible that describe God. That's God's character image and we have to grow and grow and grow and take on more and more of that character image. Every day is a new opportunity to take on more of the character image of God. Let us make man in our character image. We can participate in that every day until such time as we are perfected. It's just like a baby in the womb. That baby begins and develops all along the way.

Then there comes a time the baby comes to the fullness of development and is ready to be brought out to be born. We call it for the birth of this baby. And the time will come that we too may be born fully into the family of God. In verse 13 of this chapter, Ephesians 4 verse 13, we read about that. Till, and that's a process, isn't it? That takes time, this process of taking on the character image of Almighty God. Till we all come to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God. And what do we come to? To a perfect man. The word means mature, ready to be brought into the family of God. And what is the standard? To the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.

Until we reach that level of character development. So, the character image that Christ has is to be in us. It is this inner transformation that will lead us ultimately to be able to be brought into God's family. We must reach the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.

But we have to start somewhere, don't we? We don't have any of that, but at the time of repentance and really yielding ourselves to God, crying out to God, and repenting of our sins, asking forgiveness, and wanting to live by God's laws, and do God's will, and what is pleasing to Him. And then we want to be baptized, and to receive His Spirit. And then we want to grow, and we want to grow, and to develop every day of our lives. And this eventually leads us to that measure.

It's like little children, in a way, when after they're born, they grow up to adulthood. Or you could go back to the womb if you wanted to, until a baby is able to be mature enough to be on his own, and has to grow up to that stature before he can be brought into the family.

We must come up to that certain measurement ourselves, the fullness of Christ.

And then we will be brought into the family of God.

In 2 Corinthians chapter 3 are some very good verses to help us understand. Then it talks about this, which we're talking about, helps us to understand more deeply about having, coming to have the character image of Almighty God perfected in us.

In 2 Corinthians 3, in verse 3, you are manifestly an epistle of Christ, ministered by us.

Well, Paul is right into the Corinthian church, and those were ones that he served. You're like an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink, but by the Spirit of the living God. God's Spirit is that agent of conversion, that age, the agent of regeneration, of spiritual generation, of having the spiritual character image of God developed in us by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone, but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart. And so we know the laws of God in the Old Testament were written upon tablets of stone. The laws of God in the New Covenant are written upon the fleshly tables of the heart. And that's what God is busy doing.

Goes on through this chapter. Let's read the last three verses, verse 16. When one turns to the Lord, that's what happens when one repents and wants to be baptized and accept the sacrifice of Christ. When one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. The veil is the stony heart. It's the heart that God doesn't want to change or repent. The veil is taken away, and God instead gives a heart of flesh. In verse 17, now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. And that is verse 18, a very important verse that helps us fit right into this sermon. But we all, with unveiled face, unveiled means we don't have the heart of stone. We have the heart of flesh. When the veil is there, the stony heart, it doesn't understand. It's not willing to change. It's not willing to let God's Spirit work. But we, with unveiled face, a heart of flesh, beholding in, as in a mirror, the glory of the Lord. We see God's purpose. We see what God has in mind, what's happening in our lives then with this willingness that we have. We are being transformed into the same image, the same character image, from glory to glory. It's something that goes on every day, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. So this verse shows that process of transformation that goes on in developing the character image of God in us.

Brother, no one can accomplish this on their own. That's very important for us to realize, and I want to point that out very clearly at this point. Jesus said that without Him, we could do nothing. John 15 and verse 5. It requires a living Savior helping us through the power of the Holy Spirit and even living in us through the power of the Spirit. Let's go to Galatians chapter 2 and verse 20. And we need more of Christ in us. I think each and every one of us would do well to realize that. We need more of Christ in us, as Paul writes about here, so we can go on to acquire God's character image and the fullness of Christ in us.

Galatians 2 and verse 20. I have been crucified with Christ. Have we been?

Have we considered ourselves crucified with Christ? We put to death the old man, the old desires. It is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me.

And the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God. So we, then, must have Jesus Christ in us. We all need to realize that more deeply and to ask for more of God's Spirit. But in the end, if we go on to complete the process of transformation and come to have what God really has in mind, let us make man in our character image and after our character likeness, if we go ahead to have the fullness of Christ and go on from that glory to glory in this transformation, then God will change us to spirit beings. We will then, at that point, have our lowly bodies change to spirit. Let's go to Philippians 3.21. This is the final description here of the final part of this process of that God has in mind His purpose, bringing us into His family. This is when we become fully a Son of God. When does one become fully, you know, human? Well, I think it would be, and it certainly is in the womb, we know that, but as far as being able to be on one's own, when He is born into the world and takes His first breath of life, you know, this person is fully a part of the human family. And if taken care of and grows up, He will then go on and be a part of the human society around Him.

Well, Philippians 3 in verse 21, who will transform, as Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body according to the working by which He is able to subdue all things to Himself. So our lowly human physical body, here we bear the image of God, same shape and form and appearance. We have some of the mental qualities of God, but then once we have also the character image and likeness of God, the process, and we have it fully developed in us, then God will transform our lowly body, and we will become glorified spirit beings at that point.

So what a glorious purpose God has in mind! It is to have a family.

I tell you, mankind's destiny then, God's purpose with man, is far above what most people realize.

Man is to be far above the angels, sons of God, at the God-playing level. When the church began to understand this, and I think it was around the early 1950s that we began to realize this, then Mr. Armstrong wondered, is this really the way it is? Is this really true that we're going that the man's destiny is to dwell at the level God dwells? And it's just like human babies that are born into the human family, they're dwelling at the same level as, you know, the adults, the grown-ups. And when we are born into God's family as his children, we will be at the same level God is, far above the angels. Again, most of the Protestant world believes that we're going to be something like the angels, maybe, but below the level of God.

They don't understand that we are to be literal sons of God, and that God is going to share with his sons the universe. All things will be placed under man. We read in Hebrews chapter 2. And notice in Revelation 21 that in verse 7, what God is going to do at that point when his plan is complete. Well, beginning in verse 5, Revelation 21 and verse 5, "'Behold, I make all things new.' He said, right, these things are true and faithful.

And he said, it's done. That's when God's plan with his family is complete.

I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts." And then verse 7, "'He who overcomes,' there's that process we must go through, but he that overcomes and has Christ fully formed in him, takes on the full likeness, character image of God. He who overcomes shall inherit all things. And I will be his God, and he shall be my son." So it is after we take on the character image of God. This is an important statement here. It's after we take on the character image of God that we will be able to exercise dominion and help to manage the vastness of God's creation. God will not entrust it to us until we have taken on the character image of God. The love of God, the joy of God, the patience, the kindness, the holiness, the righteousness. We can't be a son of God any other way, anyway, can we, unless we become like God in the way we think in our character and our nature. Truly a divine nature. Let's read just a couple of verses then in conclusion. First of all, in 1 John chapter 3, brethren, this is a wonderful thing, isn't it? It fits right into the topic for the youth instruction in February. What is God's purpose? God's purpose is to create us in his character likeness so we can then come right on into his eternal family. In 1 John chapter 3 and verse 1, behold, what manner of love, John is just exalting in God's plan, God's purpose, what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us that we should be called children of God, literal children of God, not adopted, not at some lower level like angels or something, no, as literal children of God. Therefore, the world does not know us because it did not know him. Beloved, now we are the children of God. Just think about that. Even now, those who are converted Christians are considered as children of God. It's kind of like parents to be. When a mother begins to get big, you know, dad to be may tap her on the tummy and say, that's my boy, that's my girl, even though the birth has not taken place yet. And God does us that way. Our birth, our full birth into his family has not happened yet. This thing of born again in the world, the world gets that all mixed up. But literally being fully born into God's kingdom is a process that begins at the time of repentance and receiving God baptism and receiving God's Spirit. It's a process of transformation. And the conclusion is when we are fully brought into God's family, our vile physical bodies change to be like the glorious body of Christ. That's when it is complete. This world doesn't understand that at all. But even now, we are the children of God in the developmental stage, the all important developmental stage of taking on the character image of God. So verse two again, now we are the children of God. We're part of God's family even now. And it is not, but it's not yet been revealed what we shall be. We don't see the fullness of it yet. But we know that when he is revealed, when Christ returns, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. So we will one day see the fullness of Jesus Christ and the family of God. So what does it mean created in the image of God? It means we are made in his shape and form and appearance and have some of the mental qualities and capacities of God.

But even more, it means that we take on the character image of God and ultimately also his composition, which is spirit. We have a couple of booklets I can recommend before I read the final scripture, and that is, who is God? I don't know if, you know, it talks about who is God the Father, who is Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit is not a separate personality or separate personage and a trinity. Guess what the last two chapters are about appropriately? Who is God? One day it will be you and me in the family of God. Understanding the image of God is next to the last chapter in our booklet, Who is God? And then the final chapter is partaking of the divine nature. This is what we've talked about today. It's how we can become members of the family of God, existing with Almighty God at the God plane level. Who is God? One day we're going to be a part of that family. It's very important to understand that. And then the last chapter of, or next to the last chapter of this booklet, What is Your Destiny? is are we going to be literal children of Almighty God? Yes, we are. It discusses adoption or sonship. It's sonship. And then the last chapter is life in the family of God. So the last two chapters in this booklet discuss what we have been talking about today as well. Who is God and what is your destiny? Let's read the final scripture then now in Romans chapter 8. Romans chapter 8 and verses 17 and 18.

This is exciting, isn't it? It is exciting to think about children of God and the very character, image, and nature of Almighty God developed and formed in us through this process of transformation. Romans chapter 8 and verse 17. If children, of course verse 16 we read that we are children of God. If children of God then heirs, heirs of God. And heirs is one that's going to inherit something. It's going to inherit being a part of that God family. And join heirs with Christ. If indeed we suffer with Him that we may also be glorified together. You know there's going to be some suffering certainly in this age. But I consider the suffering of this present time not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us. It is a glory that we can't begin to imagine. This has to be then our all-consuming goal. What we think about, think about maybe a lot more than we do. Verse 19, the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly awaits for the revealing of the sons of God. Because it's not revealed to very many today.

For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope. And that hope is actually what we're talking about. God's purpose, sonship in God's family. In verse 21, because the creation itself will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. Brethren, that is just awesome, isn't it? So the sermon title today, I'll give it to you now, is created in the character image of God. I hope we will include these things in our thoughts and in our discussion of the youth instruction for the month of February, and that we'll be sure to make progress daily in our own lives in being conformed to the character image of God.