For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren (Romans 8:29).

Conformed To His Image

What do people see when they look at my life? One of the distinctions of the Christian is the need to reflect the image of Jesus Christ. What the world needs to see in the lives of God’s people is not the same image as what they see in the world. If the Christian looks no different than the world around him, he has become like the world. The challenge of walking a righteous life is paving a path through an unrighteous world. The Christian must conform to the image of Jesus Christ.

Edward Payson said, “Paint Jesus Christ upon your canvas, and then hold Him up to the people; but hold Him up so that not even your little finger can be seen.” As the Christian grows in knowledge of the character of God, he begins to reflect the image of the Son of God. A transformation takes place where the old man of the world becomes the new man of the spirit. The goal is to change the image of our lives to that of Jesus Christ. God wants His children to look like His Son because His Son reflects the image of the Father. A transformation occurs as the spirit grows in the heart of the child of God. The more time spent in fellowship with a godly character, the less the world sees the image of man and sees more the image of God.

Reflecting the image of God is conforming life to the principles of godliness. Truth is the foundation of everything a Christian does in life. Their speech is godly, their mannerisms are reflective of Christ, and the mind dwells on the things above. God desires His children to continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of His Son so that they will become more and more like Him. That perfection shows that when people see our lives in Christ, they see the canvas of God’s love and nothing else.

Living godly in an ungodly world is difficult. Jesus told His disciples in the mountain sermon to be lights in the world. Sometimes, that light is all the world can see. The more lights in the world, the more people can see Christ. I may not be a beacon of light changing the world from darkness, but I can be a glowing light for Christ where I am. When I go to work, I can let my light shine. As a spouse or parent, my light must show the glory of God. What I want the world to see is God. Hopefully, the more I grow in Christ, the less people see of me (including my fingers holding the canvas). Let’s reflect on the image of God.