Images are powerful. They can inspire us, anger us, move us to action, or drive us to despair. From the moment we are brought into this world, we are created with the capacity to be enamored by images — the beauty of a sunset, the power of the ocean, the cuteness of a newborn taking its first steps. But as this sermon explores, not all images are created equal, and understanding whose image we bear matters more than we might realize.
The Question That Trapped Jesus — and What It Teaches Us
During Jesus’ ministry in Jerusalem, a group of religious leaders — the Pharisees, Sadducees, elders, and Herodians — approached Him with a politically charged question: “Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not?” These groups hated each other, but they were united in their desire to trap Jesus.
Jesus’ response is one of the most famous in Scripture: “Show me the coin used for paying the tax.” When they brought Him a denarius, He asked, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?”
“Caesar’s,” they replied.
“Then give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”
Their silence after this answer revealed something telling: they weren’t really seeking truth. If they had been, they would have asked the obvious follow-up — “Then what is God’s?” To which Jesus would have answered: whose image is on you.
Every human being bears God’s image. And that changes everything.
Created in God’s Image
The Bible opens with this profound truth:
“Then God said, ‘Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.’ So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”
Genesis 1:26-27
We are not accidents of evolution. We are not random chance. Each human being is intentionally designed by God and stamped with His image. This gives us inherent dignity, worth, and purpose — not because of what we do, but because of whose image we bear.
God created us with the capacity to wonder, to create, to inspire, and to appreciate beauty. But there’s more…
Made New in Christ
Being created in God’s image is the starting point, but Scripture tells us we can be restored to that image — and more. The apostle Paul writes:
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”
2 Corinthians 5:17
When we trust in Christ, we don’t just get a fresh start — we get a new identity. The old self, corrupted by sin and deceitful desires, is put off. We are renewed in the spirit of our minds. We put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
“Put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.”
Colossians 3:9-10
The Application: Renew Your Mind
So what does this look like practically? Paul gives us the answer in one of the most memorized passages in Scripture:
“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
Romans 12:1-2
The world bombards us with images every day — images meant to provoke emotional reactions, fuel division, and shape our thinking. But as image-bearers of God, we are called to something different. We are to:
- Present our bodies — not just our minds, but our entire lives — as living sacrifices to God
- Not be conformed to the patterns of this world and its thinking
- Be transformed by the renewal of our minds — a daily, ongoing work of the Holy Spirit
Paul also instructs us in Philippians 4:8:
“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things.”
This is the practical outworking of being made in God’s image and being renewed in Christ. We train our minds. We fix our thoughts on what honors God. We refuse to let the images of the world define us or dictate our emotions and reactions.
Give to God What Is God’s
When Jesus said “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s,” He wasn’t just settling a political question. He was pointing to the ultimate answer: every human being bears God’s image, and therefore every human being belongs to God.
You are not your own. You were bought with a price (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Your life, your talents, your time, your influence — all of it belongs to the God whose image you bear.
So the question isn’t just whether you’ll give God an hour on Sunday. The question is: Will you give God every area of your life — your thoughts, your motives, your relationships, your work, your struggles, your joys?
May we put on the new self — the spiritual image of God — and reflect not our own doing, our own thoughts, or our own feelings, but the image and likeness of our Creator. Not for our glory, but for His alone.
Scripture References
- Genesis 1:26-27 — Mankind created in God’s image
- Matthew 22:15-22 — Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s
- 2 Corinthians 5:17 — In Christ, we are a new creation
- Ephesians 4:22-24 — Put off the old self, put on the new self
- Colossians 3:9-10 — Renewed in the image of the Creator
- Philippians 4:8 — Think on what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable
- Romans 12:1-2 — Present your bodies as living sacrifices; be transformed by the renewal of your mind