So I (or rather my mind) was on the topic of being made in the image of Christ. What does that even mean? Being made in His image? Well I've come to the conclusion that I'm not the grade A scholar that can answer this question by using philosophical reasoning that causes you more confusion than the question alone caused and then leaves you to feel like you have the correct answer. Nope not me. Instead, my answer to this question is simple. When God looked down at man He simply smiled and called them His own. Think about it.
When Nicodemus came to Jesus and asked Him in John 3 the way to heaven, the response puzzled the grade A scholar. His entire life he believed that doing good works, and studying the scriptures was the price one had to pay to reach heaven's gates. Imagine being a surgeon and right before a surgery you ask the professor who wrote your books in med school what you really need to perform your first surgery. To your surprise he says "Ok, you know how to talk like a surgeon but that book isn't going to save this person's life." Then he hands you a glass of water and an oxygen mask, two basic necessities "This is all you need."
How confused Nicodemus was. He had the med school books, and thought he knew what it took to be a doctor of religion. But something inside him said that that wasn't enough. The answer was simple.
"You must be born again." Jesus told him. Never even hearing of this before I can imagine Nicodemus laughing then trying to joke with Jesus when he replies,
"How can anyone be born who has already been born and grown up? You can't re-enter your mother's womb and be born again..."
When God created the world the finishing touch were man and woman. He created them in 'His image'. I believe that that simply means we have features like God. When a couple have a baby, that child grows up to posses similarities of his parents such as physical features, laughs, smiles, personality traits, and emotional characteristics. The same with goes with God and those who call Him Father. Unless you are adopted into his family and are willing to surrender everything you are to Him, you wont be like Him though. It's a scary thought, and it weirds a lot of people out.
Let's be honest though... There are two options when it comes to life. You can grow up in and of the world or in and of God. With everything there are pros and cons.
Growing up in the WORLD:
pros
- You can do whatever you want
- You get to create yourself
- There are no restrictions other than avoiding what kills you
- You're not accountable to anyone but yourself
- It's not possible to hurt someone else, because everyone decides there own emotional response.
- It's easy
cons
- Love is really hard to explain let alone find
- Emotionally you have no connections or ties because emotions are just things made up by the brain to help balance the hormones in your body.
- Hope is just a word people use to describe anticipation or lack thereof
- When you die it's over
- Reasons for living are few and far between other than self. In the end, your alone anyways might as well party up like it.
Growing up in GOD
pros
- Love not only has a definition it has many definitions. One of which is an emotional response triggered by a feeling that causes you to realize what it is. (most people call it a conscious)
- You're never alone. There's always someone there guiding you to safety giving you hope.
- There's a reason to live, and after that even more reasons
- You have a connection that draws you closer to people.
- Your earthly life is not the end its just the first step into becoming more beautiful
cons
- Living with God is a choice that some people don't make, therefor not everyone will be in heaven
- You can't just be a good person, it's not enough
- Responsibility takes effect
Now that we have the pros and cons really take a look at them. What most people who don't believe in God would do is say that the world sounds so much better. Why? Because it doesn't involve work. You're not responsible for anything... who you become, what you do, how much your life is worth. Nothing. There's no point to life in the end so you might as well do what other people do to enjoy it. But what if the cons listed under 'Growing up in God' weren't really cons? Would it change your mind?
The first bullet point under that section states that not everyone will make that choice and that not everyone goes to heaven. This seems like a negative thing because we all know someone we never want to say goodbye to. When the end of the world comes and the gates to heaven close, no one is going to be taking attendance to see who didn't make it, because, that's not the point. The point of heaven/God's will all along was for His creation to know and live in love. Not only that, but He didn't want robots walking around because they were programed to love Him. He wanted genuine love. He knew it would require a sacrifice. People think it's selfish that some would go to Hell to prove that the others that got into heaven knew what was right. But that's not looking at it the right way. One of the most quoted scripture verses is John 3:16 and I went through verse 18.
16-18"This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn't go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person's failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him.
(The Message)
So that ANYONE could have a whole and lasting life. It's doesn't say just some. It's a choice though that everyone individually is given. The price is just accepting that what's been done is true. Once you believe in God's example of unselfish love through Christ, that's it, and everything you've ever done wrong is forgiven. You learn to reach out to ANYONE so that they might live in that same freedom. The freedom from hopelessness, not knowing what love is, and all of the cons that 'Growing up in the WORLD' binds you to.
The second con says that doing good works isn't enough. I kind of already covered this. You have to accept that what you're doing is for the right reasons before its actually doing something good. When you believe in God doing good things becomes easier. You have a reason to and the urge is stronger than ever. Why? Because the world bind to self-righteous living no longer has a hold on you.
The last con covers and says a lot in itself. Responsibility takes effect. When you believe in God and everything about Him you realize you're accountable to Him. Everything your conscience pushes you to do and not do keeps you in check. There's a reason to live and with that reason comes the responsibility of fulfilling your destiny as a person/human being here on earth. You see worth in your life and it's suddenly more worth than you could ever imagine. You desire that everyone you know finds that same worth and value you've found. The definition of that worth is the knowledge that the one who designed you and created you desired that you know love. That desire lead Him to send His son, which was God in man's flesh, a form of God that man could touch and feel, proof of His existence to earth where it was mocked and abused. Instead of calling His son back to heaven He asked Him to stay knowing He'd be murdered. His reasoning behind this transaction? So that man would see perfection paying the price for neglect. Sin is ultimately neglecting the fact that God's love is real. It's better than self.
Cons are all taken care of. There are no more excuses. Being born again simply means wanting to be made in His image. His image is that of sacrifice. Sacrifice brings about the meaning of love. Love is God. Being born again is knowing Love. When your first born it's hard, you start out taking little steps, walking in faith as you do when you're a child. You trust your Father to take care of you and help you grow to be the best you can be. Does the world offer any of that?
If you don't sacrifice the self that you've become through the world, you won't have any of the characteristics of your Father, and that means you weren't born again. If that's the case, God wont know you or be able to call you his own. Other believers should be able to see the family resemblance and if you're walking in the light that God has provided you'll see it too. If you don't see anything... you still have a choice to make.
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