How can we Reflect God?
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Welcome Back!
Welcome Back!
Welcome back to the Anchor everyone! It’s been a little bit of time. Tonight we are finishing the identity series, but before we end does anyone here remember the previous words that we mentioned connected to Identity?
We were created by God (fearfully and wonderfully made)
We were made to worship God (Worship is a wonder-filled, respectful response to an amazing God)
We were made to Love God and love others (What Michael shared) God loves us -> we are to Love others.
So tonight we are going to end close to where we began.
But let’s pray first.
Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.
God created us in His own image. The image of God. This is a huge part of our identity!
Did you know this is explored even more in the New Testament. Paul writes about this.
He says this:
Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
Imitate, what does that word mean? Who were we imitating tonight?
We even see a connection here to what Michael talked about, walking in love.
We are to imitate God. Paul even says to imitate him as he imitates Christ.
Another word we could use is Reflect. Each of us here reflects both of our parents. In a lot of ways we have similiar characteristics as them.
God wants us to reflect Him. To be like him in our own ways.
God wants us to be like Him.
But how? How can we be like Him? How can we change?
Hear responses
Let’s see what God’s way is for us to reflect Him.
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
This is at the end of an important chapter in 2 Corinthians. This is one of the verses that help us know the Holy Spirit is part of the Trinity. As you can see here it says with unveiled face.
The verse before these says: 2 Corinthians 3:16
But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed.
When we turn to the Lord, the veil is gone: we can behold the glory of the Lord. So what is this glory of the Lord?
He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
Christ is the radiance of God’s glory. So let’s read the Corinthians passage again.
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
Beholding Christ. Are being transformed to look more like Him. The Spirit does this.
Can you behold something you aren’t around? No.
In order to behold something we have to be with it. In order to be with Christ we have to turn to Him. The only way the veil is coming off to see the glory of the Lord is by turning to Him. Turn to Him. Give Him your life.
Let me put it this way. It’s a fact the you are a lot like the people you spend the most time with. I’ve spent a lot of time with my wife Shaina and we have begun adopting phrases and quirks the other has. Same for you with your best friends or your family. Guess what, God wants us to spend our time with Him, beholding Him, remaining with Him. That’s how he will make us reflect Him.
So how are we transformed to reflect God? Spending time with Him.
We are going to explore more what it means to spend time with God in our next series, but know this: God wants to spend time with you. He wants you to get to know Him more. He wants to shape you so that you can reflect Jesus.
What was our word tonight? Reflect
Who are we called to reflect? Jesus/God
How can this happen? By spending time with Jesus
Repeat last question
