Dear Sisters,
Who am I? Who do people see? Who does my family see? What image does God see when He looks at me? How much of my appearance contributes to reality or a charade? I confess to my own confusion and frustration by these questions. I know what the ‘pat’ answers to the questions are—but what is the truth?
The Greek Word, eikōn “image” means that which resembles something, represents that thing—not in the sense of a coincidental resemblance, or a similarity, but an actual relation of one to the other. For instance, “And He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation.” Col. 1:15. Jesus is part of the God-head. In seeing Jesus, we see God.
On the contrary, appearance is simply my outward aspect. I have a tendency to confuse the importance of the two. My image in Christ should be manifestly more important than what I wear to a party or how ‘the Jones’ view my house. What does God see when He looks at me (and into me)? Thankfully, as a believer, He sees Jesus, “yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach” Col. 1:22.
But our image does not stop at simply being cleaned. Paul continues, “If then you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” Col. 3:1-3. So, we should keep our minds with Christ where our lives already are, and catch this—we become God’s very righteousness: “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” II Cor. 5:21. How is that for an image? Not only have we been washed clean from our sinful filthiness, His blood covers us so thoroughly that His righteousness is imparted to us as well! Who needs that ‘little black dress’ now?!
Running with you,
Rebecca