April 23, 2004 Friday
Into His Image

"Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us,
that we should be called the sons of God" - 1 John 3:1

One of the greatest obstructions to our Spiritual growth is whom we identify and understand ourselves to be. As a redeemed child of God I must recognize that God does not see me as what I am, but as what I will one day become. This is one of the most intense struggles Christians often have and Paul said that he had to count everything as but loss in his life to be "found in him" (Philippians 3:9), never focusing on who he was in the flesh, but who God was transforming him into through His Spirit. Any other perception of ourselves will immediately draw us away from growing in His grace and must be completely discarded. "To be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace." (Romans 8:6) When I was saved God gave me a new, hidden life, and that is where He wants me to dwell now. When we dwell on the infirmities and failures of our flesh we become depressed and Spiritually dry, but when we dwell on Christ alone we rejoice and live in His peace that surpasses all understanding, that's the meaning of being "spiritually minded". John said, "behold"! Behold the Father and His love that He has bestowed upon us, though totally unmerited! Stop concerning yourself by focusing on your fleshly weaknesses; the greatest way to overcome them is by gazing on Christ alone, the image into which God the Father will transform all of His children, and then you will grow like never before. When we catch just a glimpse of what God wants to do with our lives...when we hear Him calling to us "My little children" (1 John 2:1)...our life will overflow with passion for Him and His will. Salvation means receiving a new identity, a "robe of righteousness" (Isaiah 61:10), and the "power to become the sons of God" (John 1:12), through Jesus Christ alone. If you have received Him, live in Him and look at your life from His perspective, and watch Him transform you into His very image.