Image of God Recreated
The sermon emphasizes the importance of fellowship with God, growth in knowledge and love, and obedience to God's will in order to glorify Him.
Dwight Pentecost emphasizes that God created humanity in His image with the capacity to know, love, and obey Him. However, due to Adam's disobedience, humanity fell into darkness, losing fellowship with God. Through Christ, believers are made new creations, receiving renewed minds, hearts, and wills to restore that fellowship. Pentecost stresses the importance of growing in knowledge, love, and obedience to truly glorify God and fulfill the purpose for which we were created. The essence of this growth is to align our entire being with God, ensuring we enjoy the fellowship intended for us.
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God gave him a mind that he might know God, and a heart that he might love God, and a will that he might obey God. Adam disobeyed, and Adam's race was cursed and cut off from fellowship with God. Adam's sons still possessed personality, but the intellect was darkened, their emotions degraded, and their will deadened. As a result, there was no fellowship between the sinner and God. But God has made believers in Christ members of a new creation. He has given us a new mind, that we might know Him, and a new heart that we might love Him, and a new will that we might obey Him. When you, child of God, exercise your mind Godward to know Him, and you exercise your heart Godward to love Him, and you exercise your will Godward to obey Him, then you are in fellowship with God.
But if any area of your personality is not in harmony with the Person of God, then you are not enjoying the fellowship which is the purpose for which you were created and for which you were re-created in His image. You cannot glorify God apart form that fellowship.
In this fellowship with God there must be growth. Believers must grow in the area of knowledge. That is why Peter said in 2 Peter 3:18, "Grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. . . . " They must grow, or increase, in love. That is why Paul's prayer for the believers at Philippi included this request: "that your love may abound yet more and more." Believers must choose the way of complete obedience to God's will.
In John 14:21, 23, the Lord emphasized the necessity of obedience when He said, "He that has my commandments, and keeps them, he is it that loves me. . . If a man love me he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him." Believers glorify God by their growth and fruitfulness as they abide in Christ, as their mind and the heart and the will of the Redeemer. This is God's purpose in creation and in your recreation in Christ (Designed to Be Like Him, p. 32).
Sermon Outline
- I. Image of God Recreated
- A. God's original intention
- B. The effects of Adam's disobedience
- C. The new creation in Christ
- II. Fellowship with God
- A. The importance of a Godward mind
- B. The necessity of a Godward heart
- C. The requirement of a Godward will
- III. Growth in Fellowship
- A. Growing in knowledge
- B. Increasing in love
- C. Choosing obedience
Key Quotes
“You cannot glorify God apart from that fellowship.” — Dwight Pentecost
“He that has my commandments, and keeps them, he is it that loves me.” — Dwight Pentecost
“Grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.” — Dwight Pentecost
Application Points
- Exercise your mind, heart, and will to know, love, and obey God in order to be in fellowship with Him.
- Grow in knowledge and love by seeking to understand and apply God's Word.
- Choose obedience to God's will in order to demonstrate your love for Him.