Bearing the image of Christ

 A reporter asked Elvis a question: do you think you’ve lived up to the image thats been created? 

Elvis said .. The image is one thing and a Human being is another. 

He then said with sadness in his eyes .. You know its very difficult to live up to an image ! 

This really got me thinking. 

God created us in His image and likeness. 

God formed man from the dust of the ground.

But God never created man to then try and live up to the image of God. 

Gods plan was simply to live in man where man would then be filled with the fullness of God and become the dazzling expression of God in the earth .  

We were created to be living beings not living doings trying our best to be like Jesus! 

Many today are still on the hamster wheel trying their best by the flesh to live up to whatever image of God that religion has created and said you need to try real hard to live up to this image, which only leads to death! 

To Be Holy for I am Holy ! is not something that we set out to achieve or live up to through our own sheer will power and determination, but its who we’ve already been created to be in Christ! … We are already Holy in Christ 

So Relax and just Be who you are now in Christ ! 

But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God and righteousness and sanctification and redemption— that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the LORD …

1 Corinthians 1:30-31

The best thing for a believer to do is to stop trying to be like Jesus and embrace the Gospel that says 

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 

2 Corinthians 5:17

Remember it’s not about our trying as it is Christs dying. 

The power of the cross is to understand what actually took place at the cross. Not only did Christ die on the cross, but I died with Christ on the cross. I was buried with Christ and I was  also raised with 

Christ to walk in newness of life in Him. 

Christ is my Life .

Have the Faith of God

 Have the Faith of God .. in other words see what God sees and believe what God believes .. 

Faith will help you to see way beyond what you can see . Faith will help you to see what God sees and to believe what God believes . 

God is not a bit nervous about anything going on in this world today ! 

God is not looking at the economy and  the gas prices and saying Wow ! I never saw that coming ! No ! 

Gods kingdom is never shaken by any CNN or Fox News report and neither should we be Why ? 

Because  we have received a kingdom that cannot be shaken . 

And guess what ?  His kingdom is in us . 

We just need to have our eyes fixed in the right place .. in other words what are you looking at ? What are you beholding?

Are we looking at the world ? Or are we looking to Jesus the author and finisher of the faith ? 

We need to have our eyes open to our new reality in Christ .

Remember when Elijah asked the Lord to open the servants eyes to see beyond this perishing world ?? 

So he answered, "Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them." 

And Elisha prayed, and said, "LORD, I pray, open his eyes that he may see." Then the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. 2 kings 6:16-17 

Paul prayed the same thing when he said 

Ephesians 1:15-23 Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, 

18] the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 

and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power 

which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. 

And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

I’m not real sure that much of the church has any clue of the one who now lives in them ! Who they are in perfect union with ! 

Christ is our life and our victory .. Greayer is He that lives in you then he that lives in the world ..

It’s about seeing what God sees and believing what God believes .. it’s have I h your thoughts entwined with Gods thoughts that will cause you to rise up with wings as eagles. 

Colossians says it this way .

If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 

Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. 

For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 

When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. Colossians 3:1-4 

The Gospel is the power of God unto salvation for  everyone who believes it, but for those who don’t well they will be filled with a lot of unnecessary rest and turmoil .

We need to understand that salvation is not just speaking of going to a place called heaven one day , but it’s actually talking about being able to reign in life through Jesus Christ … in the right here and now ..

Salvation is about being able to reign in the this present evil world through the Zoe life of the Spirit of God who now lives in us ..

The Gospel says that not only did Christ die but the old you in Adam died with Him.. 

The old man who constantly looked to his own flesh and to this present world for righteousness and life died ! 

The Gospel says that when Christ was raised up from the dead that we were raised with Him ! 

This is not just a future Hope but a right now present reality. 

We were raised up with Christ and are seated with Him .. In Him 

The Gospel says that my new life is perfect union with Christ life . 

Christ is my life and I no longer seek life where life cannot be found .. 

I’m dead to seeking life in a world that has no ability to cloth me with eternal  life .. My life is in Christ 

As Paul said I’m dead to the world and the world is dead to me ..

Colossians 3:16  also says .. To Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

Let means your need to let it happen .. Jesus the word stands at the door knocking but you need to let him come on in ..

What’s Jesus want ? Why is He knocking? Why does he want to come in ? He wants to fellowship with you and you with Him ..He wants you to experience what you were always created and designed for ..intimacy. 

 Be Intelligent!

I call upon you, therefore, brethren, through the compassions of God, to present your bodies a sacrifice -- living, sanctified, acceptable to God -- your intelligent service; Romans 12:1 YLT

The most intelligent thing that you’ll ever do is to agree with God about who He says you already are now in Christ.

You are alive , You are sanctified and You are 100% fully approved with God in Christ. Be intelligent ! Stop Striving and Start Resting .

The most unintelligent thing that you’ll ever do is to believe that righteousness, holiness or life could ever be by product of your own fleshly striving , toiling or doing ..

Get off the self righteous treadmill and enter into His rest..

Romans 10:1-4

For we who have believed do enter that rest

Hebrews 4:3

For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His. Hebrews 4:10