I know you have, just as I have seen children and thought, “Wow, that kid looks just like his parents.” My elderly relatives would say, “She’s the spitting image of her mother,” or “He’s the spitting image of his grandfather.” Something along those lines, however I’ve never discovered why spit was involved. What is meant by the saying is that the child has a family resemblance to a relative.
What would it be like if every Christian was the spitting image of Jesus in attitude and action?
2 Corinthians 3:17-18 NLT: “For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.”
I love this scripture because it tell me that I can reflect His glory. I want to look like Him, act like Him, be worthy of the title Christian. A follower of Christ, an ambassador of Christ.
I try to take a honest spiritual look at myself and ask the question, “Do I look more like Christ than I did last year, last month, last week and even yesterday?” I inquire of the Lord, “Am I truly following you? Is my life Christ-like? And if not where am I missing the mark?”
King David made the same type of inquiry of God in the book of Psalms,
“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.” Psalm 139:23-24 NLT
What we must realize is, salvation is free from works, it is a gift from God. However bearing the family resemblance is not free from effort. In fact it’s downright hard work at times!
Paul instructs Timothy to,
“…discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things…” 1 Timothy 4:7-8 NASB
I like the way the Message Bible paraphrases Paul’s admonition to Timothy,
“Exercise daily in God—no spiritual flabbiness, please! Workouts in the gymnasium are useful, but a disciplined life in God is far more so…”
No spiritual flabbiness! Let’s lose the belly fat that comes from a lackadaisical pursuit of godliness. Let’s get into spiritual shape and show off the family resemblance. How about it?
A few years ago I lost 53 pounds (I have found half of it, but that’s another story). When I did relatives started telling me how much I looked like my father. When I worked to get rid of the fat, the family resemblance was apparent. Catching on? When we work to get rid of our spiritual flabbiness we show the glory of our Heavenly Father, we resemble the family.
