In His Image: Lesson 5
In His Image: Lesson 5
Lesson 5 explores two fundamental attributes of God that we are called to reflect: His absolute truthfulness and His perfect wisdom. We discover that lying comes naturally to fallen humanity—even Adam's first words after the fall contained untruth—but God is incapable of deception. As Romans 1:25 reminds us, sin is fundamentally a rejection of truth itself, a denial of reality as God defines it. The study challenges us to examine whether we're living 'our truth' or God's truth, pointing out that only God's truth builds community while our personal truths inevitably create isolation. We're encouraged to become like Federal Reserve investigators who spot counterfeit bills—not by studying fakes, but by intimately knowing the genuine article. The more we immerse ourselves in Scripture, the better we can discern truth from lies. The teaching then shifts to wisdom, contrasting worldly wisdom that self-promotes and seeks the highest place with godly wisdom that elevates others and seeks the lowest place. James 1:5 offers us the incredible promise that wisdom is ours for the asking, but we must understand we're asking for discernment and understanding, not just information about what decision to make. Through confession, repentance, and transformed minds, we become women who bear God's image as truth-tellers and wisdom-seekers in a world desperately hungry for both.
Key Points:
- Lying comes naturally to humans from early childhood, while truthfulness must be cultivated and reflects God's character
- God is truth itself—what He defines as true is eternally and unchangingly true
- Sin is fundamentally the rejection of truth and a denial of reality
- The Christian worldview answers life's fundamental questions: where we came from, why we exist, what is wrong, and what fixes it
- Christians must know God's Word deeply to discern truth from falsehood, like fraud investigators studying genuine currency
- God's will includes knowing truth, walking in truth, speaking truth in love, being sanctified in truth, rejoicing in truth, rightly handling truth, and obeying truth
- Worldly wisdom self-promotes and seeks earthly possessions, while godly wisdom elevates others and trusts in heavenly treasures
- Wisdom comes from asking God, but we often confuse asking for wisdom with asking for information
- The Word of God is the primary means through which God grants wisdom and discernment
- Repentance is the most basic act of wisdom
- Sanctification transforms us from one degree of glory to another as we reflect God's image
Scripture Reference:
- Romans 1:25 (sin as rejection of truth)
- John 8:32 (knowing the truth)
- 3 John 1:4 (walking in truth)
- Ephesians 4:15 (speaking truth in love)
- John 17:17 (sanctified in truth)
- 1 Corinthians 13:6 (rejoicing in truth)
- 2 Timothy 2:15 (rightly handling truth)
- 1 Peter 1:22 (obeying truth)
- 1 Corinthians 1:25 (God's foolishness wiser than human wisdom)
- James 1:5 (asking God for wisdom)
- John 20:29 (blessed are those who believe without seeing)
- Romans 12:2 (transformation by renewal of mind)
- Hebrews 4:12 (Word of God as living and active)
- 1 Corinthians 1:30-31 (Christ as wisdom from God)
- 2 Corinthians 3:18 (transformed into God's image)
Stories:
- Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden—their first recorded words after the fall contained untruth, demonstrating how quickly sin corrupted truthfulness
- The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago statistic—over 61 million dollars in fake currency circulates in the United States; fraud investigators must study genuine currency to spot fakes, illustrating how Christians must know God's Word to discern false teaching from truth
- The contrast between worldly wisdom and godly wisdom presented through seven specific comparisons (self-promotion vs. elevating others, seeking highest place vs. lowest place, avoiding Scripture vs. submitting to it, trusting earthly possessions vs. heavenly treasures, trials crushing vs. maturing, seeing is believing vs. faith without sight)
Discussion Questions:
How does the early emergence of lying in children reveal something fundamental about human nature after the fall, and what does this teach us about our need for God's truth?
In what ways do we, like Adam and Eve, reject truth when we sin, and how can we become more aware of the lies we believe about ourselves and God?
What does it mean that God is the 'benchmark for truth' and 'definer of reality,' and how should this shape the way we approach cultural conversations about personal truth?
How can Christians better equip themselves to discern false teaching from true teaching, and what role does regular Bible study play in developing this discernment?
Reflecting on John 8:32 and the other verses about truth, which aspect of God's will regarding truth do you find most challenging to live out in your daily life?
What is the difference between asking God for wisdom versus asking God for information, and how can we train ourselves to seek understanding rather than just answers?
How does the contrast between worldly wisdom and godly wisdom challenge the way our culture defines success, happiness, and fulfillment?
Why is repentance described as 'the most basic act of wisdom,' and how does turning from sin actually train us to grow in discernment?
In what practical ways can confession of sin demonstrate that we value truthfulness, and what does reluctance to confess reveal about our hearts?
How does the goal of sanctification—becoming better people rather than just making better choices—change the way we approach spiritual growth and transformation?