Doing Justice and Loving Mercy: Compassion Ministries, Mentor's Guide, MG16

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D O I N G J U S T I C E A N D L O V I N G M E R C Y : C O M P A S S I O N M I N I S T R I E S

• The fact that humankind was made in the imago Dei suggests that all human beings share this image; all human beings, regardless of their individual or communal state, are therefore unique, precious, and priceless in and of themselves . • The biblical implications of the imago Dei in humankind transforms our understanding of human persons. They are created in God’s own image, crowned with glory and honor, are fearfully and wonderfully made, and are providentially nourished by God. As such, human beings have been made the objects of God’s unmerited, unconditional favor and grace, and he identifies with the struggles, needs, and burdens of even the most vulnerable human beings on earth. • Human beings, regardless of their background, can be so transformed and renewed as to become partakers of the divine nature through faith in Jesus Christ. While those who reject Christ do not share in this renewal of the image of God, they still share God’s likeness as human beings . • The ground for doing justice and loving mercy among the poor in the city is the affirmation of the imago Dei in every boy, girl, woman, and man. Every person is worthy of care because they share in God’s unmatched, unique, and irreplaceable imago Dei .

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I. The Imago Dei : Humankind Shares in the Likeness of God.

Video Segment 2 Outline

A. Definition of the imago Dei

1. “The unique condition of all human beings that they are made like God and therefore are worthy of our respect, protection, and care”

2. Genesis 1.26-28 as the seminal text dealing with humankind sharing God’s image and likeness Gen. 1.26-28 - Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and