For the Church

What Does It Mean to Be Iconic?

By jwilson1 / Aug 28

What do you want your life to represent? This is an important question to ask on multiple levels. We all want to leave a legacy—to contribute something meaningful and enduring with our lives—and this existential desire prompts us toward clarity about what we hope that legacy will become. A more basic level of this question has to do with the way we want others to think about us.

It seems like everyone today is talking about “identity” and discovering Who am I? Discovering your identity helps you know what you want your life to represent. It gives you direction for decision-making and helps you find a like-minded community of people who share your values and purpose. But most of these conversations about identity overlook the foundation of who we are: our humanity. How in the world can we answer Who am I? if we never answer What am I? Understanding our identity as human beings is foundational for understanding our identity as individuals. That’s why I’ve written this book: I want to help you discover what it means that you are created in the image of God so you can live an iconic life that represents him faithfully in your world.

It’s easy to curate your social media profile to make yourself look however you want, even if it’s not an honest representation of who you really are. A selfie here, a collaboration there, and carefully selecting your likes can portray you to be whomever you want to be. You get to craft your own image. But that only changes people’s perception of you, not your actual identity. This is why so many of your peers look like they’re living their best lives even though they’re struggling with insecurity or loneliness or fear. They are so focused on how they appear that they don’t really know who they are.

The Bible tells us that God created people in his image. The Greek word that’s used for image in the New Testament is the word eikon, which is where we get the English word icon. People are living “icons” of God in this world. That leads us to a helpful and understandable way to think about what it means to be created in the image of God: We are iconic of God. We are living icons, pointing to the greater reality of who God is and what he’s like. This book will lead you through Scripture to explore and apply what that means for you and me.

In short, the question this book seeks to address is this: What does it mean to live as icons of Christ in this world?

What Is the Image of God Anyway?
The Bible teaches that God created people “in the image of God.” Genesis 1:26–27 says, “Then God said, ‘Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness.’ . . . So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”

One of the most foundational ways we bear God’s image is through the attributes we share with him. We are like God in many ways. God is the Creator, and so we create. God exists in eternal community within himself, and we crave community with one another. Chapter 8 will explore the “communicable attributes” in further detail. They are traits that every person shares, to some degree, with God: love, knowledge, wisdom, goodness, etc. In this way, we bear God’s image within our humanity, even though many take these traits for granted as evolutionary survival skills. In this regard, bearing God’s image means that every person is actually like God because he created us with some of his own attributes embedded into our human nature. This God-given dignity has led some to believe people are divine themselves, with no need for God at all. As ironic as that is, even this false view of humanity displays that the innate glory and honor God has given to his image-bearers is obvious to all, even those who may deny his existence. In this sense, we don’t simply bear God’s image—we are his image in this world.¹ This is an irremovable characteristic of what it means to be human.

The book of Genesis was originally written in Hebrew. Two Hebrew words in Genesis 1:26–27 point to two sides of the same truth about how and why God created humanity: tzelem, meaning “image” and demuth, meaning “likeness.” A tzelem was a physical representation that a king would set up to remind people about his power and authority (see Daniel 3:1). Being made in God’s image and likeness means men and women were created as God’s representatives to uniquely carry out his ongoing work in creation. Our very existence is a living reminder of God’s reign and glory and provision.

Every person bears the image of God. The “image of God” is both what we are and what we do. It’s embedded within what it means to be a human being. God created us to be and to bear his image in a way that lifts others’ eyes to behold his character and goodness in us. Sin has affected our ability to do this, but it hasn’t removed the God-given dignity he wove into our humanity. The worst sinner remains God’s tzelem in this world, in the sense that what they are is a living reminder of his divine nature and goodness in this world. Everyone bears God’s image, but sin has corrupted the way we bear it, so we seek our own glory and build our own kingdoms. Through the gospel, God’s image-bearers are forgiven of their sin and conformed into the image of God through faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Christians bear God’s glory according to God’s good design in order that all creation would see our good works and give glory to our Father in heaven (Matthew 5:16).

Why the Image of God Matters for You
Nearly every controversial issue in our culture today finds its resolution in the image of God. If the Bible’s message is true and God created humans in his image, then it radically transforms the way Christians approach issues like racism, gender and sexuality, abortion, mental health, injustice, disability, and euthanasia, among others. This biblical foundation shifts the conversation away from a matter of opinion and toward what human flourishing (for individuals and cultures to be healthy and full of joy) looks like according to our Creator’s good design. For example, racism is sinful and wrong because of the way it fundamentally undermines what it means to be a human being, not merely because of the harm it causes to individuals. The same principle applies to gender identity and abortion and a host of other issues. This isn’t an attempt to provide a simplistic answer to complicated issues. But without understanding the biblical message about men and women as image-bearers, we’re left without a firm foundation for these important issues.

Understanding the image of God is the missing link in the many conversations about identity. It’s like we’re trying to figure out our individual stories without realizing that we’re characters in a bigger story that’s being told. God’s story for humanity begins in creation, has important chapters throughout that helps us understand what’s gone wrong, and it gives us hope to endure because the story ends in glory. God created people to enjoy perfect intimacy with him and with one another as his image-bearers in this world.

Sin has twisted us so we’re divided—against God and one another—and tempts us to take the glory of God’s image and claim it as our own, trying to exert our power to establish our own kingdoms. But instead of giving up on us or abandoning us, God promised a Savior who came to restore the intimacy between God and people so that we would bear God’s image well and be restored into relationship with each other too. One day, sin and the corruption it has introduced into the world will be wiped away, and we will live for all eternity in God’s presence with perfect intimacy as his image-bearers. This is the bigger story that your identity fits into. Without it, you’re left on your own to define your own reality and to choose your own adventure. Although this might sound like freedom, this mindset confines you to a life that’s limited by your own wisdom, whereas embracing your God-given calling leads you into a life that is filled with God’s steadfast love.

It’s common to hear people talk about how iconic superstars like LeBron James or Taylor Swift represent the best in their respective fields. We, as God’s image-bearers, are living icons of God in this world. People are God’s living tzelem in his kingdom. We are living displays of God’s glory and reign in his creation. This is why God commanded Israel, “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them” (Exodus 20:4–5).² Israel didn’t need to create an image for God to remind them of his glory and presence because God had already placed his image among them!

It’s so common to talk about identity in terms of Who am I?, but I want to encourage you to consider the question of identity through the question What am I? Until we ask that question, we’ll continue to struggle to understand our identity. So many of the challenges we face today, as individuals and as a broader culture, flow from the reality that we’ve forgotten what it means to be a human being. The image of God doesn’t merely inform how we are to act and treat others; it’s an aspect of what we are as humans. As men and women who were created in God’s image, you and I have God-given dignity and value that has nothing to do with what we do. Our dignity and value isn’t determined by our GPA or resume; it’s built into us as icons of the living God who is King over creation. The way God created us as his image-bearers has a direct impact on our relationships.

Questions for Reflection

Have you ever thought about what it means for humans to be created in God’s image? What does that phrase mean to you?
What do we lose when we forget that we are created in God’s image? Why is this biblical message so important?
What does the author mean by “living an iconic life”? How does this flow from being created in God’s image?

Footnotes

¹For more on this emphasis, see Carmen Joy Imes, Being God’s Image: Why Creation Still Matters (InterVarsity, 2023).

²A different Hebrew word is used in this passage for image because it’s a specific word for an idol (an image that you worship).

The Quiet Work of God

By Michaela Classen / Aug 27

The Hidden Movement Beneath Stillness

There was a season when my spiritual life felt suspended between routine and emptiness. I read my Bible faithfully, yet the words felt flat; I prayed, but my voice seemed swallowed by silence. The rhythms of grace remained, yet the fire of transformation felt distant.

Nothing was broken, and yet it seemed as if nothing was growing.

But in time, I began to see the stillness not as absence but as preparation. Beneath the quiet surface, a hidden work was unfolding. It is the work that only God perceives, the silent shaping of the soul.

This is how God often moves: slowly, patiently, invisibly, crafting growth while our eyes are elsewhere. Until, one day, we realize we have grown.

Scriptural Patterns of Patient Formation

The Bible is filled with stories of faithful waiting and unseen growth.

Moses shepherded sheep in Midian for decades before leading God’s people. David tended flocks in obscurity long before the throne. Ruth gleaned quietly in foreign fields before redemption found her. And Jesus Himself lived thirty years in hidden obedience before stepping into public ministry.

These are not mere backstories. They are the very foundation of God’s redemptive pattern—a divine preference for depth over speed.

Charles Spurgeon captured this well when he wrote, “By perseverance the snail reached the ark.” The pace may be slow, but the promise remains sure.

Jesus said the Kingdom of God is like a seed growing silently (Mark 4:26–29), sprouting even when no one watches, blooming in God’s perfect timing. There is grace in this quiet process—growth we cannot force but only trust.

Fruitfulness Beyond Visibility

Perhaps you find yourself in such a season now. Where the disciplines of faith feel heavy. Where you show up to prayer and Scripture, wondering if your efforts mean anything.

Know this: You are not behind. You are not forgotten. You are being formed in ways that matter most.

God calls us to faithfulness, not flashiness. Paul speaks of transformation “from one degree of glory to another” (2 Corinthians 3:18)—a steady, sacred progression.

Robert Murray M’Cheyne reminds us, “It is not great talents God blesses so much as great likeness to Jesus.” Often, this likeness is sewn in the quiet moments unseen by others.

Growth in Christ is rarely glamorous, but it is always good.

The Long View of Grace

The patient work of God in the hidden places points to a greater purpose: His glory and our good. Every quiet season, every moment of waiting, contributes to a story far larger than immediate circumstances.

As Philippians 1:6 assures, “He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion.” The unseen shaping of character and faith is a testament to God’s steadfast love and power.

This truth invites us to trust not in fleeting feelings or rapid results, but in the eternal promises of the One who holds time and growth in His hands. The slow, steady work of grace is God’s faithful artistry, creating beauty for His glory and our deepest flourishing.

Episode 330: Raising Girls

By ddickerson / Aug 27

From two guys who grew up with only brothers comes a podcast on being daddies to only girls. On this episode of the FTC Podcast, Jared Wilson and Ross Ferguson discuss the different seasons, challenges, and blessings of raising daughters.

How do you build consensus on a church team with disagreements? – Clint Pressley

By emangalagiu / Aug 26

Ftc.co asks Clint Pressley ‘How do you build consensus on a church team with disagreements?’.

Banished from Paradise

By jwilson1 / Aug 25

If Genesis 1 begins with a triumphant trumpet blast, then Genesis 3 begins with a more ominous overture. “Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, ‘Did God actually say, “You shall not eat of any tree in the garden”’?”
(Genesis 3:1).

Hang on, who is this fast-talking, lie-spitting snake?! Aren’t Adam and Eve supposed to have dominion of the beasts of the field? Aren’t they supposed to “work and keep” this garden by protecting it from harmful enemies like this?

We trust God’s wisdom in revealing precisely what he reveals and withholding precisely what he withholds. There’s so much we don’t know about the “how” and the “why” of Genesis 3. But there’s absolutely zero ambiguity about the “what.” The seed of doubt that the serpent plants in Eve’s mind blooms into a blasphemous weed that chokes out the bliss of human experience. In short, Adam and Eve sinned.

Sin. That’s one of those words that different people use in wildly different ways. When Person A talks about “sin,” they’re talking about a bug in the system, a snag in the fabric, something regrettable and unavoidable in an otherwise worthy whole. When Person B talks about sin, they’re talking about a terminal diagnosis, a bone-deep rebellion, a carried-on constitution that forever pits humanity against themselves and their Creator. Sin isn’t merely a defect that makes us imperfect; it’s a rebellion that dooms us—that breaks the fabric of who we are.

When the serpent urges Eve (and Adam) to sin, he’s not merely urging them to break their divinely mandated diet. He’s urging them to turn on their Lord, to try to take authority into their own hands and be gods. He’s urging them to upend God’s design for creation. Instead of having dominion over the animals, instead of working and keep the garden, Adam and Eve buy into the lie that they know better than God and that God doesn’t have their best interests at heart. This is cosmic rebellion.

Curses for Rebels

Once we understand what sin really is, the way God responds begins to make a bit more sense. He curses all the guilty parties. Let’s look at what he says, first to the serpent:

The Lord God said to the serpent,
“Because you have done this,
cursed are you above all livestock
and above all beasts of the field;
on your belly you shall go,
and dust you shall eat
all the days of your life.
I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and her offspring;
he shall bruise your head,
and you shall bruise his heel.”

(Genesis 3:14–15)

That last verse reverberates throughout the entire Bible. Basically, it says, “One day your head’s gonna get crushed by a son of Eve.” But for now, let’s move on to God’s curses to Adam and Eve:

To the woman he said,
“I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing;
in pain you shall bring forth children.
Your desire shall be contrary to your husband,
but he shall rule over you.”

And to Adam he said,
“Because you have listened to the voice of your wife
and have eaten of the tree
of which I commanded you,
‘You shall not eat of it,’
cursed is the ground because of you;
in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life;
thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you;
and you shall eat the plants of the field.
By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread,
till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken;
for you are dust,
and to dust you shall return.”

(Genesis 3:16–19)

The Crime, the Verdict, and the Sentencing

There’s a lot we could say here, but for now let’s observe three things: first the crime, then verdict, and then the sentencing. The crime is disobeying God’s Word (Genesis 3:17).

The verdict, of course, is guilty.

But what about the sentencing? Hopefully you noticed that God’s curses aren’t random or haphazard. God’s initial blessings now have an element of curse attached to them. Called to be fruitful and multiply, the woman is now sentenced to have her pain multiplied alongside her fruitfulness (3:16). Called to subdue the earth, the man is now sentenced to subdue an earth that fights back with thorns and thistles (3:18).

Is that it? No. Moses keeps going, and ends Genesis 3 with key information. The Lord’s sentencing concludes, “Therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life” (3:23–24).

Once blessed, now banished. That’s the conflict at the center of this book—and it will take the rest of the Bible to fully and finally resolve it. We once dwelled in God’s presence naked and without shame. (Notice that in Genesis 3:21, God covers their shame with clothing. He didn’t have to do that. What mercy. He blesses the blasphemers.) We were safe at home with the Creator of the universe, so long as we continued to trust him and listen to his word.

And then our rebellion wrecked the world. It ruined our relationship with the Lord. It cut us off and he drove us out—rightly so! More than that, he placed a sword-wielding sentinel to guard the entrance to his presence. We cannot get back through our own efforts, and if we try—we’ll die. The wages of sin has always been death.

We were made to live alongside our Creator, to hear his footsteps as he walked beside us in the cool of the day, recognize his voice as he spoke to us. But Adam and Eve’s rebellion has changed everything. Their sin paved the way for our own. No matter how big or small they feel, our sins are the same crime as Adam and Eve’s in the garden. They are rebellion.

As a result, whatever sinlessness Adam and Eve enjoyed has never been ours. They once lived at home with God. Not us. We were born “alienated” from God (Colossians 1:21).

In other words, since Genesis 3, we’re all nomads—uprooted, trying to recapture the sense of home, seeking the fellowship and belonging we lost. Everything has changed.

Questions for Reflection

How do you see your sin in light of God’s holiness?
At what points of your life have you felt most separated from God? How was close fellowship with him restored?

When You Can’t Listen to the Sermon

By Michaela Classen / Aug 20

Attending church on Wednesday evenings is difficult for my family. Not because we don’t want to be there, but because we are busy. Busy with the day, with dance class, with dinner. And so we’ve let Wednesday night Bible study go by the wayside far too many times because of busyness.

Recently, however, we were determined to be there. And it was a blessing—but I found myself not able to listen to some of the lesson (and my wife, Shale, wasn’t really able to listen at all) because of the kids. Now, kids are kids. They were restless. When we weren’t having to quiet them down, Shale was having to take our youngest to the bathroom, or something else.

When that happens, what’s the point of even showing up? What purpose is there in going to church when you aren’t able to listen to the sermon or lesson? Why even bother?

Your Presence Is a Blessing | There have been moments when I am sitting in the pew before service begins and notice a family whom I haven’t seen in a while walking through the doors. Their mere presence is a blessing to see, because it shows they prioritize coming to church. The same applies to you. Simply showing up to church or a mid-week Bible study is going to bless others in attendance. They will be encouraged by seeing you show up even amid busyness, exhaustion, and frustration.
Focus on Fellowship | Even if you can’t focus on the sermon because of factors like caring for your kids, you can focus on fellowship before and after. Our children are generally good during Bible study, but every now and then they hinder us from truly getting much from the lesson. Therefore, we make the effort to stay for a little bit after the service to mingle with others (even if it means a later bedtime for everyone involved). We’re not perfect at this, but there’s deep value in simply talking with other Christians after service. Catch up with the person you haven’t spoken with in a while. Check in on the person you’re discipling. Invite someone over for dinner. Share your heart with someone.
Set an Example | If you have kids, they will notice what takes priority in your family’s life. Though you can’t get through the sermon or Bible study without taking care of them, they will see the example you’re setting and follow it in the future. It’s the little things here and there that children will notice and that will make an impact later in their lives.
Obey the Lord | Perhaps this is an obvious one, but it bears mentioning. We should still go to church even if we can’t listen to the sermon, because we must obey the Lord. It can be discouraging to attend service and not be able to listen because of various factors, certainly including your kids. This might cause you to feel like just not going. I’ve been there. But we can’t allow that feeling to become the norm; we can’t let that take hold in our hearts. Even if it’s hard, we must still go.
Bits and Pieces Matter | As distracted as we can be at times during a service, there will always be moments—even small ones—where we hear the preaching of God’s Word or perhaps are blessed by a particular song lyric during worship. God can take the tiniest information and use it to sanctify you. Don’t lose heart.
Encourage Your Pastor(s) | Your pastors will appreciate you showing up. They will be encouraged by your faithfulness to attend service even when you are too distracted with caring for your kids to listen. You’re there, and that means the world to your pastor. We need to remember ways to intentionally encourage our pastors—the ones keeping watch over our souls (Heb. 13:17)—and this is one of them.

If it seems like a waste of time to venture out to church when you are certain that distractions will hinder you from listening, don’t let that stop you. Satan wants nothing more than for you not to attend service. We have to make the point to go to church even when it’s hard, even if it feels like we’re getting nothing out of it. God is working amidst that.

Episode 329: Discipling Emerging Leaders

By ddickerson / Aug 20

Why should more churches take leadership development seriously? Why is raising up leaders “in house” so important? And how would you go about doing it? On this episode of the podcast, Jared Wilson and Ross Ferguson discuss the ins and outs of raising up the next generation of church leaders in your local ministry.

What recommendation do you have for college ministry? – Aaron Lumpkin

By emangalagiu / Aug 19

Ftc.co asks Aaron Lumpkin ‘What recommendation do you have for college ministry?’.

What Does it Mean to be For the Church?

By jwilson1 / Aug 15

Editor’s note: This summer, we’re sharing articles aimed at encouraging pastors, ministry leaders, and church members in living and serving in light of Christ’s coming Kingdom. To hear more on this topic from Jared C. Wilson and other key leaders, register to join us for the 2025 For the Church National Conference, “Kingdom Come: Ministry in Light of Glory.”

*This article was featured in the issue 44 of Midwestern Magazine.

__________
By: Jared C. Wilson

It’s my great privilege to serve as the General Editor of For The Church, which is the result of years of praying, planning, and faithful contributions from some great writers. The opportunity to serve the Church through the gospel-centered resources you find at ftc.co was a huge part of the draw for me to relocate to Kansas City and join the team at Midwestern Seminary. Our hope has always been that what we provide through the site will benefit the institution, sure, but more than that, we honestly and humbly hope to simply nourish those who visit these pages—whether as part of their regular web surfing or through individual clicks on articles that intrigue them via social media—with the incomparable encouragement of the finished work of Christ.

At the FTC site, one can find fresh content daily from some very talented writers from all over the world, all aimed at helping pastors and lay leaders press the gospel into every corner of the room, so to speak. While we hope to explore how the good news of Jesus applies to all of life—because it does!—we are more primarily aiming at ministry leaders and influencers, whether you’re a senior pastor or a youth pastor, a Sunday School teacher or a stay-at-home mom. For The Church is for you.

There are lots of Christian websites out there vying for your valuable attention, including a growing number of gospel-centered resource sites (thank God!). You will notice that there is a lot about our site that is similar to others you already enjoy, and we look forward to joining them in your daily work of edification online. But we hope you will also notice a few things that make For The Church unique. We have put a lot of thought into how we might complement what is already valuable in the evangelical blogosphere. And while the following four aims are not exclusive to our site, we nevertheless make these commitments to you. Please know that, for us, being for the Church means being:

For the Truth

We affirm the sufficiency and the authority of the Bible. We certainly do affirm the oft-repeated dictum that “all truth is God’s truth,” but we more strongly affirm Paul’s word that “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16-17). Since you cannot improve upon “complete,” we will stick with the only truth that is power to change and sustain hearts in Christ Jesus—the inerrant, infallible Word of God.

In these days of increasingly murky cultural waters, we know there can be a greater temptation for the Church to argue on the world’s terms, to debate according to the logic of the spirit of the age, and to fall into so-called culture wars and the like. We believe the gospel has implications and applications for every calling and vocation, so of course Christ the King is King over things like politics and culture. But when For The Church speaks into those arenas, it will do so with the unchanging Scriptures. By holding firmly to the biblical truth, we maintain the great strength and advantage of clarity in dark days.

And ultimately, to be for the truth is to be for the glory of Christ, who is the Truth.

For the Sheep

You may notice that we spend quite a bit of time on the devotional side of things. This is an intentional effort on our part to speak as much to the hearts of our readers as to their minds and hands. We are making a significant commitment to exulting in the grace of God in our daily offerings. We believe that by focusing on devotional pieces, we can daily nourish our readers with the truths of God’s Word and help them exult in Christ. But we also want to feature practical articles as well. Even these, however, will not be purely “how to” exercises, but “why to” pieces—meaning, we will do our best to root our exhortations and instructions in the finished work of Christ and the good news of His perfect obedience imputed to us by faith. For this reason, we work to be practical, not pragmatic. To be practical is to help you flesh the faith out. To be pragmatic is to make the faith formulaic. We do not believe the latter serves Christ’s sheep well. We want them to be well-fed with the grace of God.

For the Shepherds

We make no apology about emphasizing resources aimed at those in ministry or aspiring to ministry. You will see that most of the posts appearing here are written with pastors, pastors-in-training, and mature lay leaders in mind. We do this because we believe that whatever a church’s leaders are, the church becomes. So we will help shape churches by shaping their leaders. To be for shepherds is to be for the sheep, actually. And by speaking to pastoral hearts with the gospel and strengthening their minds and hands with helpful content aimed at fulfilling their calling to equip the saints for ministry, we will honor the Good Shepherd by honoring His undershepherds.

For the Gospel

In all that we do, we seek the magnification of Christ in the Church and in the world through the Church. This means we must lash ourselves to the mast of the ship of the gospel. Where it goes, we will go. We will not depart from Christ’s good news, because the Spirit working in and through the gospel is what has made the Church in the first place. To be for the Church means being intently, persistently, stubbornly, and eternally for the gospel, because the Spirit working in and through the gospel is what sustains and sanctifies the Church.

The gospel is the only power stewarded to the Church and it is the only hope for a lost and dying world. So that’s For The Church. We’re unapologetically for the gospel, because we will be celebrating the gospel well into eternity’s endless days, for the expansion of the glory of the Lamb who was slain.

Episode 328: FTC Mailbag

By ddickerson / Aug 13

It’s Ross’ last mailbag feature on the podcast! Tune in as he and Jared tackle listener-submitted questions and topics. On this week’s episode, the guys discuss: whether a call to ministry is permanent, when husbands and wives disagree on a church, men serving in children’s ministry, neglected doctrines, dealing with complaints in the church, and more.