TRANSFORMED
TO HIS IMAGE
Lk.
6:27-36, 40 "...Everyone who is perfectly
trained will be like
his teacher."
Loving your enemies = Merciful
Mt.
6:43-ff Loving your enemies makes you like
your heavenly Father.
The
nature & character of God is unique:
All-seeing
- All-knowing - All-powerful - Ever-present We
are none of these things
We
are to become
like Him as we grow in His grace.
Jn.
1:11-18 Jesus "declared" the Father - &
gave
us "power to become Sons
of God.
This
was a matter of God's choosing before He made us:
Rom.
8:29 "For
whom He forknew, He also
predestined to be conformed to the
image of His Son, that He might be the
firstborn among
many brethren."
Rom.
12:1-2 "I
beseech you therefore, brethren, by
the mercies of God, that you
present
your bodies a living sacrifice, holy,
acceptable
to God, which is your
reasonable service. (2) And do not
be
conformed to this world, but be
transformed by the
renewing of your
mind, that you may prove what is that
good and acceptable and perfect will
of God."
Consider
some characteristics in which we are to become like God:
HOLY
Lev.
11:41-ff Laws regarding clean & unclean
animals - was to teach
the Israelites
about holiness.
They
were to consecrate themselves and be holy like God
1
Pet. 1:13-16 "Therefore
gird up the loins of your
mind, be sober, and rest your
hope
fully upon the grace that is to be
brought to you at
the revelation of
Jesus Christ; (14) as obedient
children,
not conforming yourselves to
the former lusts, as in your
ignorance;
(15) but as He who called you is holy,
you also
be holy in all your conduct,
(16) because it is written,
'Be
holy, for
I am holy.''
"
GRACE
& TRUTH
Jn.
1:14, 17 "And
the Word became flesh and dwelt
among us, and we beheld
His glory,
the glory as of the only begotten of the
Father, full
of grace and truth."
(17)
"For the law was given through
Moses, but grace
and truth came
through Jesus Christ."
We
are to grow in grace
& knowledge of Christ = truth:
2
Pet. 3:18 "but
grow in the grace and knowledge of
our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ. To
Him be the glory both now and forever.
Amen."
NOT
TO HOLD ON TO OUR ANGER
Psm.
103:8-10 "The
Lord is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger, and abounding in
mercy. (9) He will not always strive
with us,
nor will He keep His anger
forever.
(10) He has not dealt with
us according to our sins, nor
punished us according to our
iniquities."
We
are not to let the sun go down on our wrath-
'
Eph.
4:26-27 "Be
angry, and do not sin: do
not let
the sun go down on your wrath.
(27)
nor give place to the devil."
PATIENT
- LONGSUFFERING
2
Pet. 3:14-15 "Therefore,
beloved, looking forward
to these things, be diligent to be
found by Him in peace, without spot
and blameless; (15)
and consider
that the longsuffering of our Lord is
salvation - as also our beloved
brother Paul, according to
the
wisdom given to him, has written to
you."
1
Cor. 13:4 "Love
suffers long
and is kind; love does
not envy; love does not parade
itself, is
not puffed up;"
IMPARTIAL
- NOT PREJUDICED
Deut.
10:17-19 "For
the Lord your God is God of
gods and Lord of lords, the great
God, mighty and awesome, who
shows no partiality nor takes
a bribe.
(18) He administers justice for the
fatherless and
the widow, and loves
the stranger, giving him food and
clothing. (19) Therefore love the
stranger, for you were
strangers in
the land of Egypt."
Jas.
2:1-9 We are not to hold the faith of our Lord with partiality.
LOVE
ONE ANOTHER
1
Jn. 4:7-11 The proof of God's love is our
example
1
Cor. 13:1-3 Love
is the measure of our maturity
in Christ.
All
who are in Christ are to set Him as their pattern for living - their
goal
Col.
3:1-11 The "new man" is renewed in
knowledge according to
his
Creator's image.
2
Cor. 3:12-ff (18)
"But we all...are being
transformed into the same
image
from glory to glory..."
God's
children are blessed to walk in the way of the Lord - anticipating a
time when we will see Him and be like Him.
1
Jn. 3:1-3 "Behold
what manner of love the Father
has bestowed on us, that we
should be
called children of God! Therefore the
world does not
know us, because it did
not know Him. (2) Beloved, now we
are
children of God; and it has not yet been
revealed what
we shall be, but we know
that when He is revealed, we
shall be
like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.
(3) And everyone who has this hope in
Him purifies
himself, just as He is pure."
We
are purified in the blood of Christ - to walk a new
life
Rom.
6:3-13 Being dead to sin - we are freed
from sin & made alive in
Christ
2
Cor. 5:17 "Therefore,
if anyone is in Christ, he is a
new creation; old things have
passed
away; behold, all things have become
new."
