Experiencing God's Presence #312

Experiencing God's Presence #312

You are the salt of the earth. . . . You are the light of the world.

Matthew 5:13-14

God created human beings in His own image, watched us fracture and distort that image through sin, worked throughout ages to prepare to restore the image, sent the perfect image of Himself to live among us, and then put the Spirit of that perfect image into the beings that had fallen. The result is a renewed race not only made in His image long ago but remade in His image and enabled to house His own Presence.

If you had gone to such lengths to create people who reflect your likeness—that is, to put your glory within them—how would you want them to use their identity? Your ultimate goal would be fellowship, of course; that’s what love desires. But you wouldn’t want it to be a purely private relationship. If you make such extraordinary sacrifices to display your own characteristics in others, you want the display to count. If your motive is to be known, you want to be known widely.

God’s motives for creating and recreating people in His image were (1) to share His thoughts, emotions, and goals with creatures who could understand them and relate to Him in love; and (2) to make Himself known using creatures who could reflect His character and ways. We know this from the major themes of Scripture and from His instructions that point to these purposes. His command to know and love Him, as well as His calling to go into the world with His Spirit and His truth, show us His heart. His desire is for us to be influencers in a fallen world—to be salt and light, affecting others with the image He has put within us. Amazingly, He has left the display of His glory largely to repaired and restored vessels like us.

Lord, it’s an awesome responsibility to reflect Your image and Your glory to the world, but it’s an awesome privilege, too. Give me opportunities to do so and help me reflect You well.