---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Our task as image-bearing, God-loving…"
description: "\"“Our task as image-bearing, God-loving, Christ-shaped, Spirit-filled Christians, following Christ and shaping our world, is to announce redemption to a..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17f/n-t-wright-1173_christianity_our-task-as-image-bearing-god-loving-chr_2482352.jpg"
---

#  Our task as image-bearing, God-loving, Christ-shaped…

![“Our task as image-bearing, God-loving, Christ-shaped, Spirit-filled Christians, following Christ and shaping our world, is to announce redemption to a world that has discovered its fallenness, to announce healing to a world that has discovered its brokenness, to proclaim love and trust to a world…” quote by N.T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17f/n-t-wright-1173_christianity_our-task-as-image-bearing-god-loving-chr_2482352.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17f/n-t-wright-1173_christianity_our-task-as-image-bearing-god-loving-chr_2482352.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17f/n-t-wright-1173_christianity_our-task-as-image-bearing-god-loving-chr_2482352.jpg)

> ““Our task as image-bearing, God-loving, Christ-shaped, Spirit-filled Christians, following Christ and shaping our world, is to announce redemption to a world that has discovered its fallenness, to announce healing to a world that has discovered its brokenness, to proclaim love and trust to a world that knows only exploitation, fear and suspicion...The gospel of Jesus points us and indeed urges us to be at the leading edge of the whole culture, articulating in story and music and art and philosophy and education and poetry and politics and theology and even--heaven help us--Biblical studies, a worldview that will mount the historically-rooted Christian challenge to both modernity and postmodernity, leading the way...with joy and humor and gentleness and good judgment and true wisdom. I believe if we face the question, "if not now, then when?" if we are grasped by this vision we may also hear the question, "if not us, then who?" And if the gospel of Jesus is not the key to this task, then what is?””

[N.T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Christians are called to actively embody redemption, healing, and love across culture, using all arts and disciplines to counteract brokenness.

**In simple terms:** Christians should lead cultural renewal with love and wisdom.

Key Takeaway

Engage creatively in societal transformation.

Themes

faith culture redemption art justice

Mood

inspirational challenging hopeful

Type

theological activist

When to use this quote

- church leadership
- artistic projects
- education reform
- political activism

Key Concepts

theology public theology missiology

Questions to Reflect On

- What cultural arenas can you influence positively?
- How to balance truth with humility?

A Different Perspective

Risk of imposing a single worldview on diverse cultures.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Christ Shaping](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christ-shaping-877020/) [Christianity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christianity/) [Christians](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christians/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Following christ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/following-christ/) [Gospel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gospel/) [Jesus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jesus/) [Jesus Points](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jesus-points-877019/) [Love and trust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-and-trust/) [Rooted Christian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rooted-christian-877021/) [Studies Worldview](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/studies-worldview-877022/) [True wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/true-wisdom/)

## Related quotes

> [“The gospel of Jesus points us and indeed urges us to be at the leading edge of the whole culture, articulating in story and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright/the-gospel-of-jesus-points-us-and-indeed-urges-us-to-be-at-the/)

[N.T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/)

> [“Our task, as image-bearing, God-loving, Christ-shaped, Spirit-filled Christians, following Christ and shaping our world, is to announce redemption to the world that has discovered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright/our-task-as-image-bearing-god-loving-christ-shaped-spirit-filled/)

[N.T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/)

> [Our task as image-bearing, God-loving, Christ-shaped, Spirit-filled Christians, following Christ and shaping our world, is to announce redemption to a world that has discovered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright-2/our-task-as-image-bearing-god-loving-christ-shaped-spirit-filled-2/)

[N. T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright-2/)

> [I am a Christian. So, I have a deep faith. So I draw from the Christian faith...So, I'm rooted in the Christian tradition. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-am-a-christian-so-i-have-a-deep-faith-so-i-draw-from-the-christian/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [One of the most important lessons the Lord has taught me is that you are not your gift. That is, you are not defined…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-card/one-of-the-most-important-lessons-the-lord-has-taught-me-is-that-you/)

[Michael Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-card/)

> [“the heaven to which Jesus points is the spaciousness within ourselves—one that makes room for those who threaten us, for those who are different,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mirabai-starr/the-heaven-to-which-jesus-points-is-the-spaciousness-within-ourselves/)

[Mirabai Starr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mirabai-starr/)

> [“Jesus points to this when he says, “Be ye whole, even as your Father in Heaven is whole.”1 The New Testament’s “Be ye perfect”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/jesus-points-to-this-when-he-says-be-ye-whole-even-as-your-father-in/)

[Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/)

> [“If you are to shape your world in following Christ, you are called, prayerfully, to discern where in your discipline the human project is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright/if-you-are-to-shape-your-world-in-following-christ-you-are-called/)

[N.T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/)

> [“The Christian vocation is to be in prayer, in the Spirit, at the place where the world is in pain, and as we embrace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright/the-christian-vocation-is-to-be-in-prayer-in-the-spirit-at-the-place/)

[N.T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/)

> [“The biggest threat to the church today is fans who call themselves Christians but aren’t actually interested in following Christ.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-idleman/the-biggest-threat-to-the-church-today-is-fans-who-call-themselves-2/)

[Kyle Idleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle-idleman/)

> [“The biggest threat to the church today is fans who call themselves Christians but aren’t actually interested in following Christ. They want to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-idleman/the-biggest-threat-to-the-church-today-is-fans-who-call-themselves/)

[Kyle Idleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle-idleman/)

> [“Your calling is to be faithful to God where you are, and in doing this all work is sacred, spiritual, and worthy of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-thorn/your-calling-is-to-be-faithful-to-god-where-you-are-and-in-doing-this/)

[Joe Thorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-thorn/)

> [“As Christian workers have understood that the gospel can be translated into various cultural forms and that all of the “Pillars of Islam” (except…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-h-greenlee/as-christian-workers-have-understood-that-the-gospel-can-be/)

[David H. Greenlee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-h-greenlee/)

> [“Discipleship means adherence to Christ, and, because Christ is the object of that adherence, it must take the form of discipleship. An abstract Christology,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/discipleship-means-adherence-to-christ-and-because-christ-is-the/)

[Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/)

> [“We do not merely add Jesus Christ to our lives and continue in the same direction. Following Christ means we stop, turn around, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-j-lawson-2/we-do-not-merely-add-jesus-christ-to-our-lives-and-continue-in-the/)

[Steven J. Lawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-j-lawson-2/)

## More by N.T. Wright

> [“This means that the church, the followers of Jesus Christ, live in the bright interval between Easter and the final great consummation. Let's make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright/this-means-that-the-church-the-followers-of-jesus-christ-live-in-the/)

[N.T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/)

> [“The very mention of crucifixion was taboo in polite Roman circles, since it was the lowest form of capital punishment, reserved for slaves and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright/the-very-mention-of-crucifixion-was-taboo-in-polite-roman-circles/)

[N.T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/)

> [“Sunday, kept as a commemoration of Easter ever since that event itself (a quite remarkable phenomenon when you come to think about it), is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright/sunday-kept-as-a-commemoration-of-easter-ever-since-that-event-itself/)

[N.T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/)

> [“The point of trying to understand the cross better is not so that we can congratulate ourselves for having solved an intellectual crossword puzzle,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright/the-point-of-trying-to-understand-the-cross-better-is-not-so-that-we/)

[N.T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/)

> [“there is no such thing as a god’s-eye view (by which would be meant a Deist god’s-eye view) available to human beings, a point…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright/there-is-no-such-thing-as-a-god-s-eye-view-by-which-would-be-meant-a/)

[N.T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/)

> [“The “goal” is not “heaven,” but a renewed human vocation within God’s renewed creation. This is what every biblical book from Genesis on is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright/the-goal-is-not-heaven-but-a-renewed-human-vocation-within-god-s/)

[N.T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/)

> [“having a hard enough time explaining to his disciples that he had to die; they never really grasped that at all, and they certainly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright/having-a-hard-enough-time-explaining-to-his-disciples-that-he-had-to/)

[N.T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/)

> [“If we are talking about the victory over evil and the launch of new creation, it won’t make much sense unless we are working…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright/if-we-are-talking-about-the-victory-over-evil-and-the-launch-of-new/)

[N.T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/)

> [“The personal message of Good Friday, expressed in so many hymns and prayers which draw on the tradition of the Suffering Servant (Isaiah 53)…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright/the-personal-message-of-good-friday-expressed-in-so-many-hymns-and/)

[N.T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/)

> [“To recognize that the Psalms call us to pray and sing at the intersections of the times--of our time and God's time, of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright/to-recognize-that-the-psalms-call-us-to-pray-and-sing-at-the/)

[N.T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/)

> [“Successful resistance to temptation may result in an increase of moral muscle, but that is because one is going to need it. A temptation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright/successful-resistance-to-temptation-may-result-in-an-increase-of/)

[N.T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/)

> [“Blessings on the poor in spirit! The kingdom of heaven is yours” (Matt. 5:3) doesn’t mean, “You will go to heaven when you die.”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright/blessings-on-the-poor-in-spirit-the-kingdom-of-heaven-is-yours-matt-5/)

[N.T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/)

> [“As C. S. Lewis regularly remarked, the chronological snobbery of the modern age (i.e. the assumption that anything that comes after around 1750 is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright/as-c-s-lewis-regularly-remarked-the-chronological-snobbery-of-the/)

[N.T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/)

> [“The kingdom of God is, at its heart, about God’s sovereignty sweeping the world with love and power, so that human beings, each made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright/the-kingdom-of-god-is-at-its-heart-about-god-s-sovereignty-sweeping/)

[N.T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/)

> [“pre-Christian Judaism, including the disciples during Jesus’s lifetime, never envisaged the death of the Messiah. That is why they never thought of his resurrection,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright/pre-christian-judaism-including-the-disciples-during-jesus-s-lifetime/)

[N.T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/)

[Explore all 278 N.T. Wright quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/)

## More Christianity quotes

> [Christianity was never meant to be defined by its disciplines, but by its passions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-johnson/christianity-was-never-meant-to-be-defined-by-its-disciplines-but-by/)

[Bill Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-johnson/)

> [I think, here's what I've realized from interviewing people, and I've been very open about my Catholicism and my love of Christ and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-mohr/i-think-here-s-what-i-ve-realized-from-interviewing-people-and-i-ve/)

[Jay Mohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-mohr/)

> [“God hates Hell. He hates the idea of people going there. He hates it so much that He was willing to take on human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-minton/god-hates-hell-he-hates-the-idea-of-people-going-there-he-hates-it-so/)

[Evan Minton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-minton/)

> [“some of my good Baptist brethren in Georgia had done a little preaching from the pulpit against the KKK, I would have a little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-moss/some-of-my-good-baptist-brethren-in-georgia-had-done-a-little/)

[Norman Moss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-moss/)

> [I pray that wherever we are and whatever duties we have in the priesthood of God, we will be united in the cause to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/i-pray-that-wherever-we-are-and-whatever-duties-we-have-in-the/)

[Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/)

> [Why do Christians sing when they are together? The reason is, quite simply, because in singing together it is possible for them to speak…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/why-do-christians-sing-when-they-are-together-the-reason-is-quite/)

[Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/)

> [“every church can treat each discipleship class and each worship service as an opportunity for continual rehearsal of what the words, stories, symbols, rituals,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-arthur/every-church-can-treat-each-discipleship-class-and-each-worship/)

[Sarah Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-arthur/)

> [The ability of the gospel to unite us on common strengths and common truths is one of the great miracles . . . of the gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/the-ability-of-the-gospel-to-unite-us-on-common-strengths-and-common/)

[Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/)

> [“A question for Christians who accept evolution: When did we gain a "soul"? Did Homo habilis have a soul? Homo ergaster? Did God only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-g-mcafee/a-question-for-christians-who-accept-evolution-when-did-we-gain-a/)

[David G. McAfee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-g-mcafee/)

> [The notion of a non-religious Christmas is ridiculous. But so is the insistence on the part of Christians that politicians and retailers carry out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-campos-duffy/the-notion-of-a-non-religious-christmas-is-ridiculous-but-so-is-the/)

[Rachel Campos-Duffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-campos-duffy/)

> [A real Christian in an odd number anyway. He feels supreme love for One whom he has never seen, talks familiarly every day to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-real-christian-in-an-odd-number-anyway-he-feels-supreme-love-for/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Because the truth is that gossip is as good as gospel in this town. You can save face but you won't ever save your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-oberst/because-the-truth-is-that-gossip-is-as-good-as-gospel-in-this-town/)

[Conor Oberst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-oberst/)

> [How else but through a broken heart may Lord Christ enter in?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/how-else-but-through-a-broken-heart-may-lord-christ-enter-in/)

[Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/)

> [Every saved person this side of heaven owes the gospel to every lost person this side of hell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-platt/every-saved-person-this-side-of-heaven-owes-the-gospel-to-every-lost/)

[David Platt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-platt/)

> [I grew up in Synagogue in the boys' choir. We didn't listen to music in the house; only at temple. Then I went to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-patinkin/i-grew-up-in-synagogue-in-the-boys-choir-we-didn-t-listen-to-music-in/)

[Mandy Patinkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-patinkin/)

[Browse all 14,385 Christianity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christianity/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Our task as image-bearing, God-loving, Christ-shaped, Spirit-filled Christians, following Christ and shaping our world, is to announce redemption to a world that has discovered its fallenness, to announce healing to a world that has discovered its brokenness, to proclaim love and trust to a world that knows only exploitation, fear and suspicion...The gospel of Jesus points us and indeed urges us to be at the leading edge of the whole culture, articulating in story and music and art and philosophy and education and poetry and politics and theology and even--heaven help us--Biblical studies, a worldview that will mount the historically-rooted Christian challenge to both modernity and postmodernity, leading the way...with joy and humor and gentleness and good judgment and true wisdom. I believe if we face the question, \"if not now, then when?\" if we are grasped by this vision we may also hear the question, \"if not us, then who?\" And if the gospel of Jesus is not the key to this task, then what is?”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "N.T. Wright"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright/our-task-as-image-bearing-god-loving-christ-shaped-spirit-filled-3/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Christianity"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright/our-task-as-image-bearing-god-loving-christ-shaped-spirit-filled-3/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17f/n-t-wright-1173_christianity_our-task-as-image-bearing-god-loving-chr_2482352.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17f/n-t-wright-1173_christianity_our-task-as-image-bearing-god-loving-chr_2482352.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17f/n-t-wright-1173_christianity_our-task-as-image-bearing-god-loving-chr_2482352.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Our task as image-bearing, God-loving, Christ-shaped, Spirit-filled Christians, following Christ and shaping…” — N.T. Wright",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "N.T. Wright",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Our task as image-bearing, God-loving, Christ-shaped,...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright/our-task-as-image-bearing-god-loving-christ-shaped-spirit-filled-3/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright/our-task-as-image-bearing-god-loving-christ-shaped-spirit-filled-3/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
