Gen. 1:26-28 - tells us that, in the beginning, God created man in His own image, to have fellowship with Him through all eternity. But God's image was destroyed by sin and we were cut off from fellowship with God.

II Cor. 5:17-20 - tells us that in Christ we are a new creation reconciled to God through the blood of Jesus Christ and given the ministry of reconciliation to bring others back to God.

II Cor. 3:18 - tells us that after we are born again, the Holy Spirit is at work in our lives to transform us back into God's image.

Rom. 12:1-2 - tells us that because of God's mercy in restoring us to fellowship with Him, we have a responsibility to present ourselves as living sacrifices, no longer conforming to this world but transformed by the renewing of our minds so that we will know the perfect will of God.

Rom. 8:29 - tells us that the perfect will of God is that we might be conformed to the likeness of His Son.

Eph. 4:24 - tells us to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

 

Therefore, because of what Jesus Christ did on the cross to reconcile us to God and to one another, we covenant with God and with one another that we will, by the grace of God, seek in all things to reflect the image of Christ.

  1. We will love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength.
  2. As Jesus was obedient to the Father in all things, we will seek to be obedient to the leading of the Holy Spirit.
  3. We will seek to walk in love and compassion for God is love.
  4. We will seek to walk in truth for Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
  5. We will seek to walk in holiness for God is holy. This must be an inner holiness of the heart, not just the outward holiness of rules and regulations like the Pharisees of Jesus' day.
  6. We will seek to walk in humility, in honor preferring one another regardless of race, nationality, or economic status for Jesus humbled Himself even to death on a cross, a form of execution reserved for criminals and slaves.
  7. We will seek to walk in generosity, giving of our resources to help the poor, the widow, and the orphan for God so loved the world that He gave heaven's greatest treasure.
  8. We will seek to recognize that we are one Body in Christ. We will share together our joys and difficulties. We will encourage one another, pray for one another, help one another, protect one another, and forgive one another.
  9. We recognize that it is only by God's grace and the power of the Holy Spirit living in us that we will ever be able to accomplish these goals. If we fail, we will repent and ask forgiveness from God and from those we have hurt. Then we will continue to be like Jesus.
  10. Always we will seek to maintain our personal relationship with Jesus Christ, allowing the Holy Spirit to bring forth His fruit in our lives.

 

Heb. 13:20-21 - Our goal and purpose in life is this, that Jesus Christ be glorified in and through us. To this end, we Pray, "May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord, Jesus Christ, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip us with everything good for doing His will, and may He work in us What is pleasing to Him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen."