GOOD AND TRUE AND PURE

Time with Jesus - Friday, 17 February 2012

Hi all,

Directly above my computer and slightly to the right I have two special pictures. One is a photograph of Phyllida taken sitting on the rock where she made her decision to follow Jesus Christ back in 1951. I keep telling friends that I have a “pin up” of my favourite woman in my study. The other is a photograph taken on Christmas Day in 1921. It has a strong resemblance to Phyllida. It should have. It’s a picture of her mother.

When we look at photographs, they give us a moment “frozen” in time. That’s how it was on that date. Perhaps it’s the best illustration we have of timelessness. These images do not change. In 50 years we can look at them and they will be the same. In the interim, we have changed; changed significantly. Perhaps we look at a photograph taken 50 years ago. Then as we look at someone else – perhaps a grandchild – we say something like, “he is the spitting image of his father at that age”. We mean that they look alike. It may well be the case. But there is an error in our statement. We regard an image as a “look-alike”. But God is spirit and has no “appearance”. So we are like Him and also unlike Him!

John’s Gospel records the following: ⁸ Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied." ⁹ Jesus replied, "Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and yet you still don't know who I am? Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father! So why are you asking Me to show Him to you? John 14:8-9 NLT

This could not have been a physical likeness. It must have been something else. Probably Jesus was “like” the Father because of the things He said and did. It was His character. Now we cannot “see” character. But we can see behaviour; and behaviour is a function of character. So Jesus’ words to Philip were not about physical appearance, but the way Jesus was; the way He behaved. Jesus was the “image” of His Father. He only did what He saw His Father do!

Now this makes sense to me. According to Jesus’ description, being like His Father is to display His character. It follows that when God created man in His “image”, He referred to character rather than appearance. Furthermore, Paul gives us a description of the character displayed by someone who is “filled with the Spirit”. These are the fruit of the Spirit. (See Paul’s letter to the Galatians) ²² But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Gal 5:22-23 NLT

Essentially I’m suggesting that to be made in the image of God means to have a lifestyle in which the fruit of the Spirit is constantly and consistently on display. This is walking in the Spirit in a way we have only observed in Jesus Christ.

Today’s meditation follows this line of reasoning and concludes with observing the fruit of the Holy Spirit in the life of Adam, Eve and their subsequent offspring. I suppose it can be said that when I behave like God, I’m in His image. And when I’m in His image I behave like Him! Have a look at the meditation and decide whether this “novel” theory of mine describes the way in which a man or woman can be in His image in the 21^st Century.

Blessings

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

Good and True and Pure

What was it God intended when He first created man? I do not understand it. I’m not sure others can, Give an explanation of what was in His mind. He made him male and female. That’s how he was designed. The fullness of the meaning is way above my head. I’ll guess I’ll have to stick with what Almighty God has said. He made us in His image. I cannot comprehend, What people should decipher! And what did He intend? I always think of photographs when looking at this word. But saying that we look like Him is utterly absurd. We know that God is Spirit. He has no formal shape. His need for shoes and clothing or anything to drape, Upon His sort of “body” is only in man’s thought. Because the Lord Almighty has no needs of any sort. So how can we be “like” Him? What does His “image” mean? To say He “looks” like anything is actually obscene. If we concoct a “look alike” of something in our head, Would be to make an idol we would worship in His stead! So it is not a picture. Of this we can be sure. It has to be perfection that will evermore endure. To satisfy these limits, God’s image cannot be, Anything we look upon, or think about, or see. Which means it must be abstract; a quality like love. Not some sort of valentine, but something high above, The road on which we travel, or we could understand; A quality of living that’s lofty, high and grand. It must include such qualities as love and joy and peace. Goodness, patience, faithfulness. These qualities release, Into His world His gentleness; where kindness is our goal; And where all of God’s creatures can practice self-control. We know about these qualities. God wanted us to be, Filled with Holy Spirit and live eternally, Within a strange environment which we have never seen. Surely that’s God’s image and what His Words could mean? It sounds to me like heaven, where perfect people dwell; Where everything that’s wicked has been consigned to Hell! Perhaps this was His meaning? This much we know for sure. The Lord made His creation to be good and true and pure. Jim Strickland – Written 17th February 2012