In the last two weeks, we have seen that your identity is not what you have but where you originated from. Man is created in God’s image. You have an origin, not in the natural but in the Spiritual. You are a Spiritual being that lives in a natural body. Scripture defines us as Body, Soul, and Spirit – 1 Thess 5:23.
God is Spirit – John 4:24. You are created in His image!
The natural world is where we live in our natural ability. The spiritual world influences everything we see in the natural world. The visible world becomes an expression of the spiritual world. Good is an expression of God, while evil is the expression of the enemy. The spiritual world is invisible but becomes visible in the natural world.
Jesus is the express image of God – Heb 1:2-3, Col 1:15, John 14:9. Jesus is also the express character of God. When you saw Jesus in action, you understood the nature of God. The way the world sees God or understands God’s character is what they know and see from us. We are called to express God’s character, as well.
By this shall all men know that you are my disciples if you have love one for another – John 13:35. What are some of the ways that Jesus expressed the Father?
Grace and Truth.
Jesus came in the flesh, and he was full of grace and truth – John 1:14,17. God is a God of grace and truth. Throughout his ministry, we see how Jesus showed grace to people and spoke the truth to them. The woman that was caught in adultery is one example. He does not condemn her, that is grace, but also tells her to go and sin no more, that is truth. When we work with people different from us in opinion or religious persuasion, do they find grace and truth?
Righteousness.
God is all righteous. Righteousness means to be free from sin, morally right, or justifiable. Another way is to be in right standing with God. Jesus showed us what it looks like to be righteous. We are commanded to seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness first of all – Matt 6:33.
Holy.
God is holy. The original term for holiness meant to be set apart for a specific purpose. God is holy in the fact that He is sinless. In Christ Jesus, God has declared us holy again because our sins are all paid for by His blood. We are set apart to be conformed to the image of Christ – Rom 8:29.
1 Pet 1:15-16 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.
Forgiving.
God forgave us of all our trespasses. He has reconciled himself unto us by not imputing our trespasses against us – 2 Cor 5:17-20. God expects us to do the same. In Matt 6, Jesus teaches the disciples to pray in this way: “Forgive us as we forgive those that trespass against us.” Let me rephrase that for you: ” God, will you forgive me to the extent that I am willing to forgive others.” Forgiving is the one way we confirm the New Covenant because their sins were covered but not forgiven in the Old Covenant. Jesus’ blood is the only blood that can forgive and wash away sins – Col 1:14.
Love.
God is love – 1 John 4:7-8. Love is not a feeling; love is a sacrifice. Love requires a surrender. God surrendered His Son because he loved the world – John 3:16. Love is to forgive when they don’t deserve it. Love is to serve when they need it. Love covers a multitude of sins. Love is not selfish. Love is not rude or is not provoked. Love does not rejoice in iniquity but rejoices in the truth. Love bears all things, hope all things and love will never fail – 1 Cor 13:4-7.
I mentioned five things that characterize God. If we are in His image, these should be our character as well. We have been born again, and we no longer have to struggle with a sinful nature. We have a choice. We can partake of the nature of Christ!
2Pet. 1:4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
When people meet you, what do they see and hear coming from you? When they meet you, do they have an encounter with the character of God? That is who you are, an image bearer and a representative of the Kingdom of Heaven.
