God created us in His image and likeness but due to our sin, we are so deeply layered over and covered with the darkness of sin, that it became impossible for man to recognise that original image and likeness. In such a state God sent His Son to reveal Himself to us and then blessed us with the indwelling Holy Spirit to teach and remind us of the Words of the Lord. We are thus helped to understand and keep getting transformed into that same image and likeness from within.
Different people but one image – The creation of man is from two entirely different parts – First, ‘God formed from the dust of the ground, by using the created particles of the earth, the same earth from which all plants, animals and birds were also created (Genesis 2:7). Second, God ‘breathed into his nostrils the breath of life’, which was the heavenly part for it emanated from God. Thus, man is shaped differently as individuals that do not look like each other but inside each one the heavenly part or the core element remains the same. The link in these two elements is the soul of an individual which is affected by the way of life of each individual and his connection with the earthly and the heavenly realm.
The thoughts and desires of each person are also accordingly governed. Satan is the perceived ‘god of this age’, who controls the minds, hearts and souls of people (2 Corinthians 4:4). He creates a blindness of the spiritual eyes of people so that they are unable to see the heavenly light and continue to walk in his darkness of evil. Such people are then unable to see the ‘light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God’. Neither can they see nor will that light shine on them, since they are covered by the veil of evil.
Apostle John had been close to Lord Jesus for more than three years and was filled to the full with His light. He could reveal the truth of the Lord to all, ‘That (Lord Jesus) was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world’ (John 1:9-10). The ‘Breath of God’ is the light which was visible in the Lord, for He is the Light. But ‘He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him’. Apostle John could then further say from his own experience, ‘No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father (after His resurrection and ascension into heaven), He has declared Him (God the Father) (John 1:18).
The only fully recorded prayer of Lord Jesus to God, the Father, is considered so holy by most people that they do not even read this with their shoes on, out of respect. In this Lord Jesus showed His work on the earth, ‘I have manifested Your (the Father’s) name to the men You have given Me out of the world’ (John 17:6 & 22). And then He declared the great blessing for mankind, ‘the glory which You gave Me I have given them’. The ‘breath of life’ is again breathed into the world by the Lord and we receive that by faith, to be filled with that spiritual light that was given to Adam at the time of creation.
The light that shines in each individual is the same for the source of that light is God Himself but the physical appearance of everyone is different. Apostle Paul clarifies this further, For we as many members in one body….. are one body in Christ, individually members of one another’ (Romans 12:4-5). Our outward appearance is different but inside everyone is filled with the same light from above. However, our conduct in life depends on the one who rules us, the kingdom of darkness and evil of the devil or the kingdom of righteousness of our LORD God. That reveals our true appearance on the earth.
Our role in our transformation – God revealed the glory of His Creator Son as ‘Light’ and ‘saw the light that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness’ (Genesis 1:3-4). When man was created, both these elements of light and darkness also were in him as ‘free will’ to do good or to do evil; to obey God and walk in His ways or turn away from Him and follow the ways of darkness and evil that lead one away from God. As Redeemer of mankind, Lord Jesus took away the sins of all humanity but the choice remains with us to ‘believe and receive Him’ and receive salvation through Him or not. Even after we surrender to His ways, the sinful nature still remains in us. In a state of weakness, a believer does sin but turns to the Lord in repentance, seeking His help in walking in His ways. Since a believer was under the rule of evil and the demonic forces, the moment we turn to the Lord, these same forces stand in opposition to us. We are tempted in various ways to go astray and to return to their control.
Lord Jesus, while teaching about salvation, taught about the unclean spirit that was moved out of a believer (Matthew 12:43-50). Since it finds no rest anywhere else it decides to come back. When it finds the inside ‘empty, swept, and put in order’ he goes and ‘takes with him seven more spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there’. This state of the individual, then, becomes worse than the earlier one. A believer must fill himself with the light of the Word of God and with that the fullness of the Holy Spirit. With this power of the Word and the Holy Spirit working in him, he also receives the weapons of God to resist the forces of the devil, to keep them away.
Further to this, Lord Jesus has taught about getting into a close relationship with Him. The mother of our Lord came to meet Him, with her other sons, to see to His well-being. Our Lord then revealed His real identity as the Saviour, that is beyond His biological relationships. He said, ‘whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother’. A believer becomes a part of His family through faith but that faith must also be put to action. Apostle James, the head of the Church in Jerusalem, and the brother of Lord Jesus has taught the link between faith and good works. He has said, ‘you believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe – and tremble’ (James 2:19-20). Our faith in God must lead us to act differently than others, for ‘faith without works is dead’. Every other religion is about doing good to please God and receive salvation or ‘moksh’, but we receive this through faith in the finished work of Lord Jesus on the cross. Our good deeds for others confirm our salvation.
A believer is supposed to abide in Him (The True Vine) and the fruit that we produce, is, in the form of our good works for others benefit. A believer, ‘who says he abides in Him (Lord Jesus) ought himself also to walk just as He walked’ (1 John 2:6). A believer is grafted into Lord Jesus, and a branch must bear the fruit in relation to the Vine and not different. We are commanded to, ‘be imitators of God as dear children’ for we are to live and draw our character traits from our family; the family of God in heaven (Ephesians 5:1). God loves each of His children and we cannot say that we will live in the ways of the world and let God turn us into His ways as He chooses. It takes deliberate effort; first, to learn the ways of God through study and meditation of God’s Word. Second, seek the help of God to walk in His ways. And third, diligently, with great effort, follow all that we are commanded to do. Finally, get up and move forward after a fall. It is not easy but takes continuous deliberate effort to do. But we have consolation that when the desire to follow Him comes, God is working in us, ‘both to will and to do for His good pleasure’ (Philippians 2:13). The very fact that He did all that through His son to reveal Himself to us, He desires also for us to be His representatives and live like His Son.
The struggle started within man with the prohibition of the fruit of the Tree of knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:17). Apostle John warned of this only, ‘all that is in the world – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life – is not of the Father but is of the world’ (1 John 2:16). Eve saw the fruit and it looked pleasant to the eyes, it was desirable to eat and the temptation of the devil worked, ‘you will be like God’ (Genesis 3:5). Probably Eve in her desire to help Adam be a faithful servant of the LORD God ate of the fruit and gave to him also to be better equipped to serve God. Any sinful act committed even with the desire to do something good can never be justified before God. Our effort to be like the Saviour Lord must be in line with His prayer in the Gethsemane Park, ‘not My will, but Yours, be done’ (Luke 22:42). The Holy Spirit does strengthen us from within to learn and understand His ways but the action to step forward on the path is ours. We cannot be idle and then hope that God will do it all to transform us.
New birth and our walk of faith and transformation – Christmas has been reduced to lights, giving gifts and attending various celebrations about the coming of the Son of God and we hear about His birth in the manger. But why did God have to resort to this extreme measure of sending His own Son on the earth, suffer to be at the mercy of His creation by being part of them, be crucified and then be resurrected to glory? Mankind could never have overcome the vile tricks of the devil and his forces of evil in their own efforts. God had to send Moses to lead His people out of slavery of Egypt (Exodus 3:10). Everywhere the message to man is to do good but our good deeds can never compensate for the evil we have done. If someone has a doubt, let him calculate the work of his average day.
To help mankind, baptism is the means to come out of the grip of evil into the safety of the Lord. The Scripture teaches us, ‘we were buried with Him through baptism unto death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we should walk in newness of life’ (Romans 6:4). Nicodemus, the Jewish leader and a Pharisee, had the same question, ‘How can these things be?’ (John 3:9). It is always the work of God in an individual to lead him to the Lord, for on our own we cannot. But thereafter, we have to continue our walk in faith. The criminal on the cross was not baptised but granted heaven the same day, for in extreme conditions God’s love prevails over His justice. Many of the sick persons receive the message of salvation from someone and surrender their life. In such cases again, new birth is through submission and faith. Baptism is a symbol of our submission to God’s way and the new birth the result of that.
The message of Christmas is to know the Saviour and live like Him. Apostle James has shown to us the way of the Lord, ‘if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins’ (James 5:19-20). This is in line with the message of our Good Shepherd, who leaves the ninety-nine sheep that stayed with Him to look for the one that goes astray. The joy of finding the lost sheep is shown, ‘when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing’ (Luke 14:5). We must be willing to reach out to someone who has left off for any reason and encourage him to return and then show him love and compassion.
Apostle Paul suffered greatly for the work of the Lord, yet he could say, ‘be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you’ (Ephesians 4:32). To be imitator of Lord Jesus and live like Him starts from the cross. The criminal, who sought the Lord, rebuked the other who blasphemed Him, saying, ‘do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong’ (Luke 23:40-41). Be prepared to stand up for what is right without anger or resentment but in a compassionate manner.
The two high points of Lord Jesus’ life on earth are; to reveal God the Father in Himself and second, His redeeming sacrifice, burial and ascension. Both of these point towards His sacrificial life of love. He Himself has taught this love to be the core of one’s life as His follower. Love of God and His creation is the main point of faith and one must act and live sacrificially to be a true disciple (Mark 12:30-31). Apostle John experienced the Saviour’s love and he referred to himself in the Gospel account as ‘the disciple whom Jesus loved’. He could declare, ‘he who does not love, does not know God, for God is love’ (1 John 4:8).
Our transformation into a new being starts when we submit to the Saviour Lord. This is the new birth and the Holy Spirit in us is the Spirit of love, helping us to love others and grow in faith. Nicodemus came to meet the Lord at night for he was afraid of losing his position as a leader of the Jews (John 3:2). He received all the answers to his questions and later deliberated on that knowledge in light of the Word of God. His progression after his new birth resulted in his questioning the Jewish leaders, the Sanhedrin, ‘does our law judge a man before it hears him and knows what he is doing’ (John 7:51). His growth as a follower was fully revealed when he and Joseph of Arimathea sought Pilate’s permission, received the body of the crucified Lord, anointed with spices and arranged a proper burial for Him in Joseph’s personal family tomb (John 19:38-40).
We submit to the Lord under the urging of the Holy Spirit but our transformation into His likeness depends on our own efforts, though we do receive help from above. We are told the difference between a child in faith, who is stuck in the elementary words only, and an adult. We must grow to be like ‘those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil’ (Hebrews 5:13-14). A true disciple must be like his Master to increase ‘in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and men’ and this takes continuous commitment (Luke 2:52).
The Great Commission is to take the message of the Gospel and salvation to all ‘the ends of the earth’, to all peoples on the earth and not just a few, of a special status. Like our Saviour Lord, if we do not meet others in love and compassion, our whole testimony as a believer is completely lost. Then, no one will hear, try to understand our message of salvationor join us as a follower of Lord Jesus. We are given this life by God to reach out to help the needy, in whichever way we can or where ever we can. That is the way to be a successful minister of the Lord!
