the mystery
May 5, 2009
The Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like Him as we are changed into His glorious image (v.18).
READ: 2 Corinthians 3:7-18
Recently, my 4-year-old son was explaining to me what he wanted to be when he grew up: a doctor. I’ve heard him voice other choices—astronaut or artist or racecar driver. However, he has never mentioned either of my professions—pastor or writer. So, somewhat cautiously, I asked, “Would you ever think about being a pastor?”
“No,” he replied. “I don’t like pastors.”
I know my son didn’t intend his remark to be an assault on my identity. Many messages we receive from our culture, however, can do precisely that.
If we struggle with self-value, Paul’s words might send us reeling. A mystery, Paul explains, has been “kept secret for centuries and generations past,” but has now erupted into the open (Colossians 1:26). And this revelation is wild, scandalous: the very presence of the risen Jesus resides within every person who has received God’s mercy.
Salvation, then, is not merely a judicial act by which God determines whether or not we are forgiven; salvation is also the act of God’s re-creation. He remakes us to be what we were intended to be all along (2 Corinthians 5:17). He saves us from sin, saves us from ourselves. Jesus makes us new by giving us His full self. And this redemptive move has mammoth implications. God restores our true identity, and He places us in the position where we literally share in “Christ’s mighty power” (Colossians 1:29).
There is no place for self-loathing or self-hatred in this reality. There is no place to listen to the lies that say we are unlovely or unwanted or despicable. As C. S. Lewis said, “What we can understand, if the Christian doctrine is true, is that our own composite existence is not the sheer anomaly it might seem to be, but a faint image of the Divine Incarnation itself.” —Winn Collier
How do you truly view yourself? What does the reality of having Jesus living within you—defining your identity—mean for your self-understanding?
Tweet This
Share on Facebook
Digg This
Save to delicious
Stumble it-
RSS Feed
Related
ODJ: Sin Management
May 1, 2012 Put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you (Colossians 3:5). READ: Ephesians 4:17-31 We once lived across the road from Aman Nature Park, which was wonderful—except for the raccoons. Oh certainly, they’re fascinating creatures. Yet the masklike band of black across their eyes should have alerted us to one vital detail: [...]
ODJ: hopeful
August 15, 2010 This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: “Someday people will again own property here in this land and will buy and sell houses and vineyards and fields” (v.15). READ: Jeremiah 32:6-17 Carefully patting the dirt around the base of the seedling, we stepped back to observe [...]
ODJ: wrestling angels
October 28, 2011 This left Jacob all alone in the camp, and a man came and wrestled with him until the dawn began to break (v.24). READ: Genesis 32:22-32 My boys love to wrestle me. They create names like Captain Thunder and Tiger Ninja. Adrenaline peaking, they attack me with yells, a flurry of boy-energy and [...]
ODJ: Alligator Aid
March 30, 2012 Though it is against the law, I will go in to see the king. If I must die, I must die (4:16). READ: Esther 4:1-5:3 When Alexis Dunbar returned home, she received a huge surprise. A living, breathing alligator was lurking in her guest bedroom! The 6 foot alligator had crawled out of [...]
Christian Courses
Day Of Discovery
Discover The Word
Discovery Series
Help For My Life
My Utmost For His Highest
Our Daily Bread
Our Daily Journey
RBC Ministries
WarungSateKaMu
Manasociety
雅米