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 21st Century.
Blessings
Jim & Phyllida Strickland
Good and True and Pure
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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
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