All tagged image
As a long time Christian, I have heard many sermons and lessons based on others seeing Christ in us. Each of these encouraged us to live more faithfully so that people who were around us would see Jesus in our behavior, and the things we did. One day it dawned on me that in order for that to happen, we needed to see Him in ourselves. Do we look in the mirror and see the transformation that our faith is having?
This morning I read Oswald Chambers' devotional message titled "Transformed by Insight". He wrote of our becoming a reflection of the Lord when we have been in His presence. This is a discussion that thrills me, and reminds me of not only the outward reflection, but the feeling within.
Who are we as men, and when we look at ourselves as God’s creation what do we see? Moreover, what does God see when He looks upon us? Do we see ourselves as being the joining of two independent and separate creatures, one that is physical and earthly, and another that is spiritual and heavenly, or do we see ourselves as one being, that is both of these manifestations simultaneously? Does God see us as spiritual beings trapped in a fallen earthly body, or a joint creation of both body and spirit that are one, inseparable, and in need of a single redemption and forgiveness that includes both?
When we walk through life do we carry with us the fragrance of Jesus; the scent of Heaven, and the very odor of God? Do people not only see Christ in us, but are the blind able to smell His aroma as we approach? We talk about being transformed into the image of Jesus, but there is more to this than the way we look… we are to become like Him in every way… right down to the smell of his cloak, and the sound of His approaching footsteps. Is this what we are becoming each day?
We say that our lives are dedicated to God, and that we follow Jesus Christ, but what do others see when they look at us, and witness what we are doing in our lives? Are we the reflection of the world around us, or of Jesus Christ, and God Himself?
We live in a country, and a world, that is divided against itself; not by God, or by Jesus Christ, but by man. Somehow we have become convinced that we are meant to separate ourselves into camps, so we do this by race, color, culture, religion, short, tall, large, small, and in too many other ways to list. There never seems to be an end to it, and the final result is always the same… the more we divide ourselves, the greater we find it has become an impediment to the commandment that we love one another as ourselves. We forget that Jesus is all in all, and that He joins us together.
Do you believe that there is any way in which you could possibly be like God? If I told you that it was more than just possible, but God’s will, and plan, for mankind from the moment of creation would you argue that we are just human beings, and would never be capable of such a thing? Then Let me ask you another question... what about Jesus, and do you believe He was, and is, like you?