REFLECTING THE IMAGE OF CHRIST

Today is a great day to start paying more attention to what you eat. Because it can change you from your head to your feet. This principle should also be applied to what we allow our eyes to feed on, and our ears to hear.

Let us learn to reflect upon our present blessings of which every man has a few, and not on our past misfortunes, of which all men have many.

Among the more important things to consider in life is the power that comes in "beholding." We become changed into the likeness of the things we "behold." "Beholding" good things is very positive, and causes us to become like the positive thing(s) we are beholding; "beholding" bad and evil things, we become like those bad things. I am not sure most of us realize to what degree we are influenced, either for good or for bad, by the things we "behold"!

"If we gaze even a moment upon the sun in its meridian glory, when we turn away our eyes, the image of the sun will appear in everything upon which we look. Thus it is when we behold Jesus; everything we look upon reflects His image, the Sun of Righteousness. We cannot see anything else, or talk of anything else. His image is imprinted upon the eye of the soul and affects every portion of our daily life, softening and subduing our whole nature. By beholding, we are conformed to the divine similitude, even the likeness of Christ." By Testimonies to Ministers, 387-389.

The Apostle Paul said in 2 Corinthians 3.18, "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord."

It is impossible for any of us by our own power, or our own efforts to work this change in ourselves. It is the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, which Jesus said He would send into the world, that changes our character the image of Christ; and when this is accomplished, we reflect, as in a mirror, the glory of the Lord. That is, the character of the one who thus beholds Christ is so like His, that one looking at him sees Christ's own character shining out as from a mirror. Imperceptibly to ourselves, we are changed day by day from our ways and will into the ways and will of Christ, into the loveliness of His character. Thus we grow up into Christ, and unconsciously reflect His image.

It is time for us as professed Christians to unfocus our eyes and ears on the things of this world. Because, if we are going to make it to Heaven, we must be willing to fulfill the Great Commission found in Matthew 28:19-20, and stop concerning ourselves with the evils of the lowlands of earth.

As the eyes are being trained to see only the commonplace things of this earth, the mind will dwell upon the evil things the eyes behold. This will eventually cause the religious experience to become shallow and unsatisfying. Sad to say, what follows is light and valueless words from the mouth, and even cursing. 

Speaking on the measure of a man's worth, In the book Heavenly Places page 237, these words are penned, “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? Micah 6:8.

What a man is has greater influence than what he says. The quiet, consistent, godly life is a living epistle, known and read of all men. Holiness is not shaped from without or put on; it radiates from within. If goodness, purity, meekness, lowliness, and integrity dwell in the heart, they will shine forth in the character; and such a character is full of power. Not the instrument, but the great Worker in whose hand the instrument is used, receives the glory. The heart filled with the Saviour’ s love, daily receives grace to impart. The life reveals the redeeming power of the truth.

The witness borne concerning Jesus was, “Never man spake like this man” (John 7:46). The reason that Christ spoke as no other man spoke was that He lived as no other man lived. If He had not lived as He did, He could not have spoken as He did. His words bore with them convincing power, because they came from a heart pure and holy, burdened with love and sympathy, beneficence and truth....

While the shepherds were watching their flocks on the hills of Bethlehem, angels from heaven visited them. So today, while the humble worker for God is following his employment, angels stand by his side, listening to his words, noting the manner in which he does his work.... If he trusts constantly in God, these angel watchers will not allow his work to deteriorate. They will not permit it to be warped into lines that will imperil the cause of God. The Lord is looking upon the work that comes from the hands of His people. He will judge every piece of work, to see of what sort it is.

Pure and undefiled religion speaks for itself. It transforms the characters of all who receive it, improving their usefulness and beautifying all with which it is brought in contact... A man's worth is not measured by the position of responsibility that he occupies but by the Christlike spirit that he reveals. When the Saviour abides in the heart, the work bears the impression of the divine touch. Self does not appear. Christ is revealed as the One altogether lovely.”

The big question today is, how can such a person reflect the image of Christ? How can they send forth the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness into all the dark places of the earth? As you go through your day today, remember, to be a Christian is to be Christlike. May you have a HAPPY DAY! Blessings, Blessings, Blessings

By GARDEN MINISTRY - Chaplain Kevin J.T Santucci

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