Lesson 4 In His Image

    As we read through the Word of God, we find so many passages that identify us with Jesus and our Father.  We find such a passage in Romans 8:29 (Amplified), "For those whom He fore knew (of whom He was aware and loved beforehand) He also destined from the beginning (fore ordaining them) to be molded into the image of His Son (and share inwardly His likeness) that He might become the firstborn among many brethren."

     It was God's intent from the very first to have family.  It only stands to reason that if Jesus is our brother,and God is our Father, then we must be born in His image.

     Hebrews 2:11 (Amplified) says "for both He who sanctifies (making men holy) and those who are sanctified all have one (Father) for this reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren."  Also, in the same chapter of Hebrews 2:17 (Amplified) we read "So it is evident that it was essential that He be made like His brethren in every respect, in order that He might become a merciful (sympathetic) and faithful High Priest in the thing related to God, to make atonement and propitiation for the people's sins."

     Since we are spiritual children of the Most High God, our Father deals with us as spiritual children.  In Hebrews 12:5-11 (Amplified), the Word speaks of God disciplining His children and correcting them.  In verse 10  we see a comparison drawn between the Father of Spirits and our earthly fathers.  Our earthly fathers deal with our flesh (they paddled our backsides) for discipline.  Our Heavenly Father deals with our spirit.

     In John 15:1-3 (Amplified) Jesus said, "I am the true vine and My Father is the vine dresser."  Verse 2  continues, "any branch in Me that does not bear fruit (that stops bearing) He cuts away (trims off,takes away) and He cleanses and repeatedly prunes every branch that continues to bear fruit, to make it bear more and richer and more excellent fruit."  Verse 3 says "You are cleansed and pruned already, because of the Word which I have given you (the teachings I have discussed with you)."  Notice what He used to prune them with!  The Word.

     In Ephesians 4:12-13 (Amplified)  He had been talking about the five fold ministry when he said in Verse 12, that His intention was the perfecting and the full equipping of the Saints (His consecrated people) (that they should do the work of ministering to Word building up Christ's body (the church).  Verse 13 (Amplified) says" (that it might develop) until we all attain oneness in the faith and in the comprehension of the (full and accurate) knowledge of the Son of God, that (we might arrive) at really mature manhood (the completeness of personality which is nothing less than the standard height of Christ's own perfection) the measure of the stature of the fullness of the Christ and the completeness found in Him." 

     Once again in II Timothy 3:16 (Amplified) we find God's way of dealing with His children.  "Every scripture is God breathed (given by His inspiration) and profitable for instruction, for reproof and conviction of sin, for correction of error and discipline in obedience (and) for training in righteousness (in holy living, in conformity to God's will in thought, purpose, and action."  Verse 17 continues, "So that the mand of God may be complete and proficient, well fitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work."

     We as Christians of the New Covenant, try to be disciplined like those of the old covenant.  God had to deal from the outside in the old covenant because they were spiritually dead men.  Under our New Covenant, God deals with Spirit people by His Word (which is Spirit).  If  we were to spend more time in His Word, then we would learn to train our senses by the Word.

     In Hebrews 5:11-14 (Amplified) Paul is speaking to the Church and declares, "Concerning this we have much to say which is hard to explain, since you have become dull in your (spiritual) hearing and sluggish (even slothful in achieving spiritual insight).  Verse 12 continues "for even though by this time you ought to be teaching others, you actually need someone to teach you over again the very first principles of God's Word.  You have come to need milk, not solid food."  Verse 13 (Amplified) says "For everyone who continues to feed on milk is obviously inexperienced and unskilled in the doctrine or righteousness (of conformity to the divine will in purpose, thought and action) for he is a mere infant (not able to talk yet)."  Verse 14 (Amplified)  says "But solid food is for full grown men, for those whose senses and mental faculties are trained by practice to discriminate and distinguish between what is evil and contrary either to divine or human law."

     We seem to prefer that God deal with us as He dealt with Old Testament people and blame every hardship in life by God disciplining us.  If we would learn to listen to the Word and the Spirit, then we wouldn't have to deal with as many hardships as we presently deal with.

     I don't recall God beating up on Jesus to get Him to do what's right.  As a matter of fact, I don't recall God beating up on Adam to get him to do right.  Until Adam fell from grace in the Garden, he and the Father walked in the Spirit together, named all the animals in the Garden together, and had unbroken fellowship until the transgression.  Once sin came in and death separated them, then God had to begin dealing with him in a different way.

     Since we have been born again by and of the Holy Spirit, we have the great privilege of being led by the Spirit and not the flesh.  Romans 8:14 (Amplified) says "For all who are led by the Spirit of God are Sons of God."