[Biblemat] S) A FAMILY LIKENESS

[J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com]

Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here.  Here is a study from my
files.  Use to the glory of God.

A FAMILY LIKENESS

     I'm sure most have had the experience of peering through
a hospital nursery window to view a new arrival.  During such
occasions I have heard someone nearby (usually my wife or
another woman) remark as to whcih of the parents they be-
lieve the child resembles most.  Things like, "She certainly has her mother's 
eyes!" or "He's definitely got his daddy's chin!"  Now to be honest, I seldom 
am able to see what they
see (I wonder if it's because they have a better "eye" or be-
cause it's the expected response).  But while I have difficulty
spotting the family resemblance in a newborn, the more the
child grows and matures, the more pronounced the family
likeness becomes -- and even someone as clueless as I am
can see it!

     A similar thing is true in the spiritual realm.  When we be-
come a part of God's family, He is not looking to make a few
minor adjustments to what we had been previously.  He is not
content to "remodel" who we are.  Instead, His desire is to
transform us into someone else -- and it is clear whom that
someone else should look like.  Obviously, the more we grow
and mature, the more we should take on that family likeness.
Consider:

     1. Taking On The Image Of Jesus Is Something Clearly
          Desired By Our Heavenly Father: -- While many have
drawn comfort from the encouragement revealed in Rom. 8:
28, I wonder how many are aware of the challenge contained
in the verse that follows?  "For those whom He foreknew, He
also predestined to become conformed to the image of His
Son..."  The word translated "image" speaks of a likeness that is derived 
rather than accidental.  For example, when a
child looks like someone outside the family it's only a coinci-
dence, but when they look like a parent or a sibling, it's both
natural and expected.  As Paul reveals here, God's purpose
for us from the beginning wasn't merely for us to possess a
few similarities to Christ, but rather was for us to be just like
Him.  John adds that the Father's desire in this realm will be
completely fulfilled at the return of His Son (1 Jno. 3:2).  God's plan for 
us in the past, His goal for us in the present,
and His promise for us in the future can be encapsulated into
this single phrase: He desires to make us like Jesus.

     2. Bearing A Family Likeness To Our Elder Brother Is Also
         What The World Expects: -- The evidence of such is re-
flected in one of the most popular reasons for the world's re-
jection of Christianity: the presence of hypocrites among 
God's people.  I understand many use hypocrisy as an excuse for being sour on 
Christianity.  I am full aware that some even go so far as to think the 
inconsistent lifestyles of
some Christians will somehow relieve them of their responsib-
ilities before God.  But isn't it also true that the problem of
Christians who claim one thing and live another is the very
thing that gives such an excuse any traction at all?  Even
worldly people expect to see Jesus in the lives of those who
carry His name!  Like the Gentiles who approached Philip, 
some are still saying, "We wish to see Jesus" (Jno. 12:21).
When people see Christ in us, the benefit is that some will be
drawn to Him (Matt. 5:16); the tragedy when they don't see
Him is that most will be repelled by such insincerity.

     3. And Finally, Bearing A Family Likeness Is Affected By
         Our Focus: -- Heb. 12:2 instructs us to fix "our  eyes
on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith..."  Peter pro-
vides a similar exhortation when he says, "For you have been
called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you,
leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps" (1 Pet.
2:21).  And Paul writes in 2 Cor. 3:18 "But we all, with unveil-
ed face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are
being transformed into the same image from glory to glory,
just as from the Lord, the Spirit."  And what are the means by
which all of these thingsd are accomplished?  The continuing
process of taking on a family resemblance to Christ isn't de-
pendent upon some mystical experience or magic formula;
instead such a transformation occurs when my life's energy
and focus is set on beholding the glory of Christ as revealed
in the New Testament and striving to mimic this pattern of
living (1 Thes. 1:6; 1 Cor. 11:1).

     God's will for each of His children is for them to be involv-
ed in a progressive, steady, and unending metamorphosis
into the image of Christ -- not a superficial modification of 
eternal features, but a deep inward transformation of charact-er.  And such a 
likeness ought to become even more pronoun-
ced as we mature spiritually.  It would be wonderful if people
of the world, as they observe the lives of those who claim to
be children of God, would remark, "Those Christians bear a
likeness to their elder brother!"   ---- Terry Slack in Biblical
Insights, Vol. 6, No. 9.  Sept. 2006.
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