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Reflecting Christ's Image |
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by Ralph I. Tilley
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The Christian's premier model for holy living is neither an apostle nor a church father, neither a reformer nor a revivalist, neither a prophet nor a preacher. Rather, our foremost exemplar is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. While the believer has been providentially granted a host of saintly worthies—from biblical times to the present day—who have characteristically demonstrated a heart for God, none of these fallen individuals had, or has, the sinless credentials to qualify as our perfect role model. Only He who walked a flawless life among sinful men qualifies as our infallible standard for holy living. The Christian has been called by God to be conformed to the likeness of Christ: "For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of Christ . . ."(1) What was Jesus like? How did He act and react? Which of His Son-of-Man attributes are we expected to emulate? While we can't be exhaustive here, let's look at a few ways the Christian is called to be like Jesus, to reflect His image.
Gratitude Whether it was on the mountainside, looking up to His Father with bread and fish in His hands, or in a cemetery, about to raise His friend from the dead, the habitual language of Jesus was "Father, I thank you . . ."(2) The Christian can be grateful in every circumstance of life because of his view of the sovereignty of God. He realizes that nothing comes to the God-lover but what has first of all been approved by his wise and good Father.(3) Through temptations or tests, friendly or unfriendly providences, the involuntary language of the mature heart and lips has become, "Father, I thank you." There will be occasions when it will be expressed with tears coursing down one's cheeks; and there will be times when it takes some effort to give thanks. Nevertheless, the seasoned believer has learned that God does all things well; therefore, it is the delight of his soul to be thankful in all things.(4) The Christ-like person is a grateful person. Holiness Jesus lived on this earth as the sinless Son of Man. While all of His followers have sinned, they are also all called to a life of holy living. In His prayer for all His disciples, Christ prayed, "For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth."(5) Though the meaning of sanctification includes inner purity, it primarily means being set apart from sin to live wholly for God. Since the sinless Son of God had no guilt or inherent sin to be cleansed from, the meaning of His prayer is that He decisively separated Himself from everything that would contaminate His life, so that His followers might be empowered to draw upon His grace to walk a holy walk. Despite what some well-intentioned people advocate, the Christian will never in this life flawlessly reflect the holiness of Christ, but neither will he settle for a sinning Christian life. The honest, thirsty-hearted disciple of Jesus knows his fallenness like no one else. He glories in the Cross and the righteousness of Christ, but he knowingly distrusts himself and the flesh. With all their foibles and infirmities, with all their short-comings and disabilities, with all their failures and trespasses, the Christ-like aspire to be like Jesus. Forgiveness Jesus is our model for forgiveness. Our Teacher not only taught this truth with His lips, but He movingly underscored it with His life during His darkest days on earth. What He admonished His disciples to do toward their offenders at least 70 times 70, He Himself practiced toward His executioners: "Father, forgive them."(6) Since Jesus extended forgiveness to His enemies while dying on the cross, we too are to follow in His steps by forgiving all those who have ever wronged us, regardless of how deeply we may have been wounded. Forgiveness does not always come easy. It has been more than 25 years ago now that I was standing on a church campground following an afternoon service. As I was visiting with two friends, a woman approached us and addressed me in these precise words, "Brother Tilley, are you still living with your wife? I saw you drive out of a motel parking lot the other day." Then she turned and left. But her poisonous inference was obvious. I told my friends that I had no idea what she was talking about. However, it occurred to me later in the day that she had seen me leave a hotel where I had inquired about a room for some of my family who were planning to visit us. This woman who had turned against me and left our church, had determined to poison two of my leaders against me in my presence. Gratefully, these men had the highest confidence in their pastor and were not shaken by her slanderous remark. But how was I to react? Was I angry? Yes. She had done me a great injustice. Could I forgive her? Yes. How? Because I knew that I had been forgiven by a merciful God of far more. We can forgive others because we've been forgiven ourselves. Though Jesus never had to be forgiven, yet He forgave. What a model He is for us! Humility We are exhorted by the Apostle Paul to "Be completely humble."(7) In the context of this exhortation, Paul is addressing the need among the Ephesian Christians to express gentleness, patience and forbearance toward each other, as well as stressing the importance of believers living in harmony and peace with one another. Knowing that none of these Christian virtues can be practiced without the essential grace of humility, the Apostle urges believers to be "completely humble." One can appropriately deduce that where there is harshness, impatience, bitterness and grudges, tension and dissension among brothers and sisters in Christ—there is a substantial absence of Christ-like humility. We are to always keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, our Model, who ". . . made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-even death on a cross!"(8) Compassion One garment the believer is to always wear is the garment of compassion: "clothe yourselves with compassion," writes the Apostle Paul to the Colossian Christians.(9) Sin makes a person hard. Living in an environment where sin is being practiced on every hand can tend to make even a Christian insensitive toward the needs of hurting people. Compassion is more than the ability to feel with hurting people. Christian compassion responds practically toward the hurting and disadvantaged. The compassion Jesus felt toward needy individuals inevitably moved Him to do something for the needy. How often we lamely excuse ourselves from becoming involved in the needs of others by reacting, "You can't help everyone." No, God doesn't call us to help everyone, but He has called us to act in love and compassion toward that one whom providence has sent our wayCour "neighbor." We can't call ourselves Christians and turn a blind eye to the needy people God has put on our doorstep: "But whoever has the world's goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him?"(10) You can only extend compassion according to your ability. It doesn't necessarily involve money, it may mean giving someone a ride every Sunday to church. It may mean sitting with an invalid a half-day every week. It may mean preparing and delivering a meal during a sickness. It may mean buying a new suit for your pastor. Or, it may mean taking some money God has blessed you with and giving it in His name to a needy person. Just a few days ago, it was my privilege to sit in the presence of a compassionate Christian philanthropist. He told my wife and me that just that day he had given a thousand dollars to two people so they could pay their rent. He also related that in the past two years he had paid $350,000 in medical expenses for someone who wasn't even considered a friend. He wasn't boasting; he simply did what he believed he should. You and I live in a day when peopleCeven many Christian peopleClack real compassion for hurting people. Let's purpose not to be one of them; instead, let us look to Jesus who time and again was moved to reach out and minister God's practical love for His hurting creatures. Perseverance God has called His people to steadfast faithfulness. He has marked out a course for each of us to run, and we can either run the course faithfully to the finish, or we can fail and even drop out. Life can be hard, but God is good. As he was sitting in the open air one dreadful day in a Russian gulag, Alexsandr Solzhenitsyn felt despair and gloom settling over him. This brilliant Christian writer had been sentenced to serve years in a Siberian prison by an oppressive, despotic system. He didn't know if he could survive the cruelties of this tormenting nightmare. Feeling the pain and despair of his fellow-man, a man seated next to him picked up a stick and drew the sign of the cross in the dirt. Suddenly, Solzhenitsyn gained a renewed perspective. He got up, picked up his shovel, and went back to work. Knowing that Christ, as the innocent God-man had suffered for him, his will was infused with a new energy to persevere until the end. Just before the patriarch Jacob went to his eternal reward, he gathered all his sons around him in order to pronounce upon them his farewell blessing. Coming to Joseph, he said, "With bitterness archers attacked him; they shot at him wit hostility. But his bow remained steady, his strong arms stayed limber, because of the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob, because of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel."(11) Jacob was saying that Joseph remained "steady"—persevered—in the face of extreme difficulties. Jesus is our Model for perseverance. He faithfully followed the will of the Father for His life to the very end of His earthly sojourn. He came to help you and me to do the same. Christ in Us If we were exhorted by God to live out a Christ-like life by depending on our own strength and ingenuity, this would be an absolute impossibility. But the good news is that our Father doesn't expect us to live like His Son without His help. Here's the open secret of living a Christ-like life: through His Holy Spirit Jesus wants to be a permanent abiding Presence in our hearts. Then, by dwelling in us, He can empower each of us to live every day to the glory of His Father and our Father: "Christ in you, the hope of glory."(12) Apart from the indwelling Christ the Christian can only struggle, strive and make endless resolutions to do better. But with the all-conquering Christ residing in us, HeCwith our obedient cooperationCempowers us to be grateful, humble, compassionate, persevering disciples. On the wall to the main entrance of the Alamo in San Antonio, Texas, is a portrait with the following inscription: "James Butler Bonham (no picture of him exists). This portrait is of his nephew, Major James Bonham, deceased; who greatly resembled his uncle. It is placed here by the family that people may know the appearance of the man who died for freedom." We have no portrait of God our Father, but He has left us a portrait in His Son, Who is "the exact imprint of His nature"(13)—so that we Christians might, through His indwelling power, model our lives after Him, and becoming increasing conformed to His image. May this be our fervent aspiration—to be like Jesus. I pray the words of one of my favorite hymns will always resonate in your heart as well as mine: I have one deep supreme desire, I want my heart His throne to be, - Soli Deo Gloria - All references are taken from the New American Standard Bible except where noted. 1. Romans 8:29. Note: this article—with some changes—is reprinted from the Nov/Dec 2001 issue of LITS. |
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