From
beginning to end it’s all about love. God loves us to much to leave us the way
we are, so He gives us His Spirit to manifest His nature in us. The Apostle
Paul called it being conformed into the likeness of Christ; to be cut and
shaped like a garment into Christlikeness, not a proper dictionary word but the
reality of our life in Him – Christlikeness. I don’t think God is much
concerned with what label we impose upon ourselves, whether we are a vanilla or
chocolate denomination, movement X or independent Y, the only real abiding
issue before our loving Father is how much do we resemble His Beloved Son. This
God of love, who paid such an unthinkable price to draw us to His side and
release His DNA in us, do you really think there is anything more important to
Him then seeing the nature of Jesus take root and blossom in us, His blood
bought children. Nothing can separate us from His loving work in us, willing
and doing His good pleasure in our lives– nothing but our volition! Nothing but our conscious choice
to maintain Self on the throne of our heart.
It
should not surprise us that the narrow straight way to eternal life is
difficult and wrought with trouble, adversity and pain – in a word, bad -- for
these are the Grace-Builders that enable the crucified life, that in death of
Self Christ’s new life might spring forth. The roaring lion still prowls earth
but he must make a road trip to the throne of God before he can devour
anything... before he can so much as touch a numbered hair. God allows in His
wisdom what He could easily prevent in His power. Job understood the givings and takings of the Lord, accepting
both good and bad providentially, with “though He slay me” trust, and never
sinned with his lips by blaming God,
(Job 1:21-22; 2:10; 13:15). Job understood... we need to understand also. The
Master Potter’s love is released in the creative pressure of His hands... ever
molding, always shaping... nothing in our life is without purpose, for God
never wastes bad. We need only gaze upon the baffling, horrendous cross of our
Savior to understand we are Bone of His Bone and Flesh of His Flesh. Baptized
into Christ... baptized into His death, that just as Christ was raised from the
dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of
life... conformed into Christlikeness. God never said it would be easy, but He
did say we would not have to walk this way alone.
CHRISTLIKENESS
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