God Wants Children Who Look Like Him!

I just received an email from a friend with a picture of his newborn grandson, the most beautiful thing ever born, according to him. I have a feeling that is how God thinks of his newborns too! And because God is perfect, He wants His ‘sons’ (generically speaking) to bear His image! (Gen 1:26). Adam was made to look like God in personality, intellect, emotions, and will. And thereafter, to reproduce this divine image in his progeny. Unfortunately after Adam sinned, he lost God’s likeness, and reproduced a broken image.

But God’s plan was not to be thwarted—through His only begotten Son Jesus, God carried out His plan of having ‘sons’ made after His image. “For whom God foreknew, He predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brothers” (Ro. 8:29).

Perhaps you think it is impossible that you, with all you flaws, can be changed into His likeness. Have hope. A new identity is your birthright (John 1:12; 2 Cor. 5:17), setting in motion a process whereby you increasingly assume the image of Jesus as you exchange your old self-image for the new self (Eph. 4:23-24). But God’s image does not begin by DOing but by SEEing.

Ray Stedman explains: We think that we have to change the way we act in order to be different; God says ‘no,’ I have made you different, and when you believe it [see it] you will automatically change the way you act. It is a new self-image that delivers us.

God thinks you are beautiful. He has put His own nature inside you so that you will bear His image. Why not begin today to SEE yourself as God does. What do you have to lose? (just your old self-image.)