No Longer a Sinner - In God's Image

God created us in His image - a triune being (Genesis 1:26-27). He made us into His dwelling place by His Spirit (Ephesians 2:22). He predestined us to conform to the image of His Son (Romans 8:29).

In the first months and years of our sanctification, we struggle with the sin nature. We disobey and fail to win the race. Formerly in the likeness of the first Adam's nature, we fall short of God's glory (Genesis 5:3; Romans 3:23, 6:23).

Yet, as we fall more in love with Jesus than our self or the world, the things of earth grow dim in our heart and the things of God take pre-eminence in our decisions and actions.

The Holy Spirit works in us according to His good pleasure, molding us into Christ-minded individuals who realize that Jesus is our whole life (Philippians 2:13; Colossians 3:4).

As the Spirit transforms us into the likeness of Christ, who is sinless, our desire to sin wanes. The outward, carnal man is sanctified daily into a Saint instead of a sinner.

The character of Christ in now our character. The righteousness of Christ is our nature. The power of Christ in us overcomes any desire to use our body or soul - our mind, will or emotions - for carnal or sinful purposes.

Christ in us gives us His nature that pertains to life and godliness, and He calls us to live in His glory and virtue. We put on the new man and escape from the corruption of sin and the world.

We walk in holiness and purity, conformed to the image of Christ in us. Once we see Christ in us for who He is, we become like Him (1 John 3:2; Colossians 3:4). More and more, we are continually changed into His image (2 Corinthians 3:18).

Prayer:

Father God, help us to realize Your work in our life makes us perfect by Your Spirit just as You are perfect. It is not just in eternity through glorification, but now through sanctification as we cooperate with Your Spirit (Romans 8:30; Hebrews 12:23; Philippians 3:21). Salvation is a three-phased progression and is not something we do.

Just as our salvation in our spirit is by Your Spirit, so is our sanctification in our soul, and eventually You will give us glorification with our immortal body (Galatians 3:1-3; Philippians 2:12-13). Remind us that Christ in us is our hope of realizing Your glory in us now, as Your Spirit replaces our character with His fruit and our nature with the nature of Christ in us (Colossians 1:27; Galatians 4:19).

Thought for the Day:

As we eat Jesus' body and drink His blood, He transforms us into His image for all the world to see; and His glory fills us and shines forth from us by His Spirit. - John 6:54

Deepening Stages of Maturity

Our thoughts affect both our emotions and our physical health. We can make our self depressed and stressed by feeling guilty over the past or worry about the future. We give our self ulcers, headaches and numerous other physical maladies just by thinking negative thoughts. We are not alone in this habit. Many Bible characters entertained negative thoughts that affected their physical and spiritual welfare (Lamentations 3:1-11). Some, like Cain, never recovered.

Other Biblical characters like Solomon give us an example of what happens in a life when we focus on the positive aspects of God’s will for our life (Lamentations 3:21-23). As we remember that God’s mercies are new every morning, we live in hope and shrug off the shroud of despair that the devil often drapes over us when we least expect it. We also focus on God’s wonderful works on our behalf (Psalm 139:14). When we see our circumstances with the eyes of the Spirit, we realize that God is using them to shape us into the image of Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18).

Our knowledge of God is worth more than all the riches in the world (Philippians 3:7-8). God’s Spirit changes us until we reflect the glory of the Lord in deepening stages of maturity (2 Corinthians 3:18). We are dead, and our life is now hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3). As children of God, we place our trust in the faithfulness of our Heavenly Father. We know without a doubt that He intervened in our life more times than we even realize and definitely more often than we can ever remember.

God molds us by the fruit of His Spirit. They are imbedded into our new character. When people see a mature Christian, they see Jesus instead of our old carnal, fleshly character. We follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience and meekness (1 Timothy 6:5-11). We learn to live in contentment with the blessings of God on our life. We do not even have to taste the second death, because our last breath on earth is followed immediately by our next breath in Heaven (Revelation 20:6).

Prayer:

Father God, help us to refrain from daydreaming or thinking of the worse case scenario and believing that we are lost because You abandoned us. That is such a lie from the pit of hell. We are risen with Christ. Remind us to seek the spiritual aspects of life, and to set our affections on heavenly rewards rather than on earthly gains (Colossians 3:1-2). We look forward to living in eternal glory forevermore, and to serving and reigning with You in glory.

Thought for the Day:

When Christ, who is our life, appears, then we too shall appear with him in glory. - Colossians 3:4