[Ryan Hall] Well, to begin this message, I'd
like everyone to imagine a kindergarten classroom. All the little kids are sitting at their little
cute little desks, drawing their little pictures coming from their wild imaginations, and a
teacher is walking around, just looking at her kids. Sometimes, some picture it might catch her
attention, but then there's one student who is really into her work. So, she walks over to the student, and she
says, "What are you drawing?" And to her surprise, the little girl says,
"I'm drawing a picture of God." Now, this stumps the teacher, she pauses for
a second, and she goes, "But, no one knows what God looks like." The little girl never looks up, never stops
drawing, and says, "They will in a minute." Now, I like to take this cute little story
and use it as a catalyst, to get our minds starting to think about the all-important
self-examination process that we start before each Passover season. Passover, believe it or not, will be here
in about 13 weeks, and there's nothing like now to start because we all know, 13 weeks
will become, we're here in no time, and the Passover will be in our memories. So today, I want to ask you a question. What image do you bear? Whose image do you bear? So, as I begin, let's establish what exactly
is an image? I looked up on Merriam-Webster, and it defines
it in a basic sense in a noun form as “a visual representation of something.” Dictionary.com adds, "It's a physical likeness,
a representation of anything. It can be a person, animal, or thing." Vine's Expository Dictionary adds it the same,
"Just a representation." So, with that definition in mind in the noun
form of image, whose image do you and I bear? What is our physical image pointing to? What are we here to represent? If you would please, take your Bibles and
let's turn over to Genesis 1, as we begin to explore this answer. Genesis 1, and we'll start in verse 26. Genesis 1:26, "Then God said, ‘Let Us make
man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let us make them and have dominion over the
fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, of all the earth, over
every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." Verse 27, "So God created man in His own image;
in the image of God He created them; both male and female He created." Now we know that according to John 1:18, that
no one has ever seen the Father, save Jesus Christ. And there is no true real depiction in picture,
statue, or painting of Christ either. However, here in chapter 1 of Genesis, we
find a very important clue about our image. We closely resemble that of the Father and
of the Word. You know, the Bible doesn't say exactly how
close we resemble, but it does say as we read, "In our image, according to our likeness." So, when God took the dust of the ground,
and He gave us this gift, the physical life, we find the original inspiration of our physical
image. Let's continue though, to follow evidence
of God's approach at our creation. Psalms 139, if you would, Psalms 139. This is just one of the handful of scriptures
that talk about our creation. Psalms 139:13. Psalms 139:13 says, "For You have formed my
inward parts; You have covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and
wonderfully made." Now, the Good News Translation puts verse
13 like this, "You created every part of me, You put me back together," or… "You put me together in my mother's womb." And we look and we see that back at creation,
God used dust as His first medium of His artistry, now from flesh-to-flesh, He is continuing
His workmanship. Here in Psalms, King David acknowledges this
miraculous event that God instituted. It was He who decided — Him and the Word
to create us the way we are created. We also find referenced in Scripture, if you
can bring many scriptures to your mind, God talks about, it says, "His eyes, His ears,
His hands, His arms, He done this for a reason." It's so that we can have a closeness. He wants us to be able to relate to who He
is. So, outwardly in our physical form, we have
an inspiration and a representation of what they look like. But, I ask you another question, is it enough
to express the full image of God and Christ? There's a big gap we find here. Having a likeness of something can be very
different than the original subject itself. Unlike the saying, "If it looks like a duck,
quacks like a duck, swims like a duck, it's probably a duck." It's not that simple and it's not the case
when we come to looking at His image. The problem we start to see is very obvious,
God is not physical, He is spiritual. Therefore, this physical image only cannot
give an accurate expression of who and what God is, it just simply can't be made. The physical image leaves so many things unexpressed,
and this is where we find our limitations of and by ourself. But we know, we have a hope, we know that
we're not alone, this is not where God planned to stop. He created us at a physical portion, but there's
so much more waiting in our destiny. If you would please, turn to 1 Corinthians
15, 1 Corinthians 15, starting at verse 46. 1 Corinthians 15:46, "However, the spiritual
is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual. The first man was of the earth, made of dust;
the second Man is the Lord from heaven. And as a man of dust, so also those who are
made of dust; and as in the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly." We see a progression here. Verse 49, "And we have been borne in the image
of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man." God has an order to His creation progress. It was designed in a manner for us to learn,
and it's for our benefit. The physical is needed, but it's only the
beginning. We are called to develop from just an earthly
temporary image of our great God into the image of the heavenly, which is eternal. And this is where the verb form of the word
image sheds light. Both Merriam-Webster and dictionary.com defines
this verb form as “to picture or represent in the mind, to conceive, to reflect the likeness
of, to mirror, to portray in language especially in a vivid manner, to make appear.” Vine's adds the word, "Manifestation." Instead of just being an object that looks
visually like the part, this verb form of image put's something deeper than a surface
representation. It points to an action and a change from within
expressed on the external. It's clear evidence that something else exists
than what you're seeing. Apply this to our calling. We are called to be more than just a simple
physical image of our great God. We are to be projecting, mirroring the one
who gave us the image. We are to be a full representation of the
original. So, how do we, how do we get this physical
representation that we have now, to become a full expression of God and Christ? Let's start to discuss this by turning over
to Acts 2. Acts 2, starting in verse 37. Get me some water. Get me some water. Water. Could someone please get me some water? Acts 2, starting in verse 37, "Now when they
heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles,
'Men and brethren, what shall we do?' Then Peter said to him, ‘Repent, and let
every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and
you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.'" How we start this process is through that
calling. Without the help of God working in us, cutting
us to the heart, we never see where we need to start or where we need to begin. That call was initiated to begin that full
representation process. It allows us to develop something we didn't
have of ourself, righteous godly character. The spiritual connection that we make, makes
it all possible. It gives us an opportunity to represent what
His true Majesty is, what His true power is. If you would please, turn back to 1 Peter
2. 1 Peter 2, and we're going to read… Skip through here, and starting in verse 9,
I'm going to be reading from the Amplified Bible for this selection. 1 Peter 2, starting in verse 9, "But you're
are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a consecrated nation, a special people for God's own possession,
so that you may bear claim the excellencies, the wonderful deeds, the virtues, and the
perfections of him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light." Drop down to verse 11, "Beloved, I urge you
as aliens and strangers in this world to abstain from the sensual urges, those dishonorable
desires that wage war against the soul. Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles. Conduct yourself honorably, and graciously,
and with integrity, so that for whatever reasons they may slander you as an evildoer, yet by
observing your good deeds, they might instead come to glorify God in the day of visitation
when He looks upon them with mercy." Verse 13, "Submit yourselves to all the authorities
of every human institution for the sake of the Lord, to honor His name, whether it's
to a king or anyone in a position of power." Verse 15, "For it is the will of God that
by doing right, you may silence the ignorance and irresponsible criticism of foolish people." Brethren, we have been called for a time as
this. We have been redeemed, handpicked to set an
example, to bear an image. It's a fulfillment of a promise that our God
made long ago, and we can't fulfill our part if we remain just mere physical representations. God has called us to become something greater,
to bear a greater image. We're called to be a manifestation of who
He is, and we know that power, it is not of ourselves. It is a gift from God through Jesus Christ,
and it doesn't mean that God looked down and He saw we were the ones who had the power
to do the work, but He looked down and He saw that we had the potential to accept the
changes necessary to handle that power in us to do the work. It starts with Him, it ends with Him. The works that we do with His Holy Spirit,
they're never for our glory, but they're for the glory of our God. So being chosen firstfruits, we understand
it's a great honor, but this great honor becomes a huge responsibility placed upon our shoulders. Failure is not an option for us. Hypocrisy will never be tolerated by our great
God. This is why you and I should be more than
eager to examine ourselves each and every year to see how we are responding to this
wonderful gift that we're given. How are we allowing it to manifest in our
lives so that others can see? The Passover season reminds us each year,
our great calling. It reminds us of that commitment we made at
our baptism. If you would please, turn back to Romans 6. Romans 6, and we're going to start in verse
2. Romans 6:2 says, "Certainly not!” referring
to the previous scripture. I'm going to pick it up with, "How shall we
who died to sin live any longer in it? Or do you not know that as many as of you
were baptized in Jesus Christ were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with him through
baptism into death. That just as Christ was raised from the dead
by the glory of the Father, even so, we also should walk in the newness of life." Continuing in verse 5, "For if we have been
united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness
of His resurrection." In verse 8, to finish off this part of the
idea, "Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we should also live with Him." We died. We'd given up that old man when we were baptized. In that ceremony, hands were laid upon us
and we took on a new image. Something spiritual took control. We allowed it to work in us. We became a child of our great God. That was a huge leap from where we were, and
each and every day, we allow it to work in our lives, it's another huge leap to where
we're going. This is why it's vital that we have a clear
vision of who and what we've been called to do. We are called to represent someone higher
than we could ever be. We're called to represent in character, the
God who is going to save this entire world. We owe our Father the respect to walk as those
examples. Continuing in verse 12 of Romans 6:12 says,
"Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey in its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments
of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your
members as instruments of righteousness to God." Drop down to verse 16, "Do you not know to
whom you present yourself slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether
it of sin to death, or obedience to righteousness?" We have put to death sin and that nature that
wants us to sin and separates us from the life that we find in Christ. We have been joined to something pure, and
as part of that union, we have a duty to let the old man go. We must now submit to the one who has called
us and saved us from that death. We're no longer a slave to our old ways, but
we're slaves to the righteousness of God. We know it's a daily fight, we can't kid ourselves. It's not going to be easy and it's not easy
each and every day because that old man, he's going to fight for his life, but we have to
remember, at baptism we are resurrected to a new life. We cannot be the one to reach back and resurrect
the old man, he must stay behind. Our desires must be forward thinking, focus
on the goal, looking for that new life. The life that we now live is not of ourselves,
it points to the true Creator. It's the only picture that we should be presenting
to this world. The outside physical image that we bear must
join with that new inward spiritual image, and together glorify our great God and our
Lord and Savior. We are to be living, breathing examples, representations
of God and ambassadors for Jesus Christ. If we truly, we deeply want to desire to shine
as lights of Jesus Christ, we must have a sincere love for His truth. We must be disciplined in the things that
He proves as excellent. We must seek to know them as much as they
have sought and continue to seek to know us. If you would please, turn on to 1 John, 1
John 2. 1 John 2, and I'm going to read 3 through
6, but I'll be reading from the NIV. 1 John 2, starting in verse 3, "We know that we have
come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. Whoever says, 'I know Him,’ but does not
do what He commands, is a liar, and the truth is not in that person." Verse 5, "But if anyone obeys His word, love
for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in Him. Whoever claims to live in Him must live as
Jesus did." Jesus Christ is the epitome of perfection. He is the example we must follow. This is our goal. This is the aim of our entire life's work. Just as those who walked this path before
us, we too must strive to dedicate our life to fit His standard. We're breaking down who we are and building
up to a higher heavenly standard. We're not trailblazing, we're simply following
in the path that Jesus Christ has made for us. We would save ourselves so much trouble if
we simply follow that one path. To be fruitful in this though, we cannot,
and a not, allow ourselves to ever try to adjust His standard to fit who we are, but
we must fit ourselves to that standard. And as this standard becomes permanently a
part of who we are, that change will develop. It will be outward. People will begin to see who you are, based
upon the character that you're portraying, which is, God the Father's righteous character. They'll see past that outward appearance,
and begin to see something greater than what you are yourself. In 2013, there was a biographical film called
42. Many of you may have seen it. It's a movie about baseball's greatest legend
in my book, Jackie Robinson. In 1945, Brooklyn Dodgers General Manager,
Branch Rickey, offers Robinson an opportunity to become the first African American to play
in the major leagues. Now, Rickey knows and he warns Robinson that
he's going to be taunted, he's going to be harassed for being a Black man who is entering
what is considered a White man's league, he would not be accepted. But, Rickey did something, he encouraged him. He told Robinson, “You need to learn to
drown out all the adversity that you're about to face, or else you're going give the ones
who have this prejudice against you, the upper hand.” He reminded him that what they're trying to
do is break down this racial barrier in American sports, and Robinson had to be something stronger
if they were going to accomplish this. In 1947, Robinson made the major league team,
and as expected, he was met with hatred and of course, great discrimination. From the moment he signed that contract, Robinson
received verbal and physical harassment from his opponents, from the umpires, from teammates,
fans, and especially the press, but this man refused to let himself retaliate in anger,
he instead let it go. Now, he had his moments privately, but he
let it go because he did not want this to negatively affect who he was, and especially
his family. Against insurmountable odds, Robinson faced
and conquered a great onslaught of adversities both on and off the field, because it didn't
end when he left the field, it actually got more intense, that's where he had to protect
his family. What was amazing, although he faced an initial
rejection from his own teammates who really hated him for who he was, it was through his
attitude, it was through his commitment that he gained their friendship. He gained respect by each one of them. It was through his integrity, his self-control
that this man was able to face down those giants of racial discrimination and adversities,
and he arose a conqueror. Towards the end of the season, it happened
here in Cincinnati, Robinson was out on the field prior to a game, and one of his teammates,
Pee Wee Reese came up to him and thanked him for what he had done, and he did something
that was remarkable. He turned to Robinson, he says, "How about
tomorrow, we all wear number 42," which was Robinson's number, "so that they cannot tell
us apart." You see, Jackie was not going to change those
men on his team, he wasn't going to change the minds of anyone else in this world by
force, he was not going to change the color of his skin to what seemed appropriate at
the time, he was there to show that whatever they saw on the outside was a reflection of
who he was on the inside. For this to happen, Jackie Robinson had to
first know who he was, what he wanted to express to this world. He had to change what he needed to change,
and he had to stay true to that change. He was not a Black man trying to take on White
man's so-called privilege, but he was a man of courage, a man of integrity, and of course
a man of great talent. It would be through his influence of who he
was from his heart that would change the game of baseball forever. This story should sound very familiar and
relatable to each one of us. This is exactly what you and I have been called
to do. We can't allow this world to break us. We have to be steadfast, fully committed,
have a vision that far exceeds what we see with our own eyes, and of course, be very
courageous. God knows everything we're about to face. He's well aware of even our own human nature. He knows that finding out problems in our
life is not the highlight of our year. He's there to help us, but we can't shy away
from seeking out those things in our life that we need to change. Feedback is always uncomfortable, especially
when you have to call foul on yourself, when you have to be honest when you have to be
truthful. The good thing is God is very patient with
us. He is there to help us when we look inward,
and He supports us when we see the need and take action to change what needs to be changed. Isaiah 40, please, Isaiah 40, starting in
verse 28. Isaiah 40:28, "Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator
of the ends of the earth, never faints nor is weary. There is no searching of His understanding." Verse 29, "He gives power to the weak, and
to those who have no might He increases strength." Drop down to verse 31, "But those who wait
on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they
shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint." This is the very reason God initiates checkups. Times of personal examination. God is there, He gives us the tools to see
and acknowledge our own weak, flawed character. This is His hands-on development program. This is where we gain strength, by turning
to Him. Letting go of the weight of sin that keeps
us from moving forward, it keeps us focused. We have a promise. It keeps us focused on a vision. We get to see what God is doing in each one
of our lives, and it's not a question because we know why we stay close to Him. We get encouragement because we learn to establish
within our hearts and minds, who and what they are, because they're becoming who and
what we are. Leo Tolstoy, a Russian writer who was regarded
as one of the world's most achieved and greatest authors of all time, once said, "Everyone
thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing themselves." Change is a great idea when we look outward. So often, we place a starting point of change
on the outside when we should be looking inward to start the change. When we place it within, our change begins
with our heart, and that's where it has to be first. We know it's not going to be easy, but if
it begins with the heart, we always know if, with the power that God gives us with His
Holy Spirit, the outside will follow, but if we refuse, if we refuse to continue in
that commitment, we will not have finished that creation process that we want dearly
in our lives. We can come blinded to the reality of our
situation. We close off our minds. This is a very dangerous situation, because
when we don't look inward, we may not see the decay, the slow death that's happening
in our heart. We may look the part, but are we in full substance
of that part? When I was a young boy, I remember in my hometown
of Eastman, Georgia, we had this beautiful oak tree downtown. About three or four men would have to hand-in-hand
to go around it, but one day a storm came through, broke it in half, and when they inspected
this tree, there was nothing internal. It had rotted from the roots, all the way
to the top, only about an inch of wood around the outside. Although that tree looked like the perfect
representation of a Southern oak tree, inside it was dead, decayed, and more important,
it was dangerous. What if a child… what if anyone had been
beside that tree at any time the wind would have picked up? It died from the inside out, and it could
take others out with it. James warns us over in chapter 1 of this very
exact thing happening to you and I. Let's turn over to the book of James 1, starting
in verse 22. James 1:22, and I'll be reading this selection
from the Amplified again, "But prove yourself doers of the word, actively and continually
obeying God's precepts. Not merely listeners, who hear the word, but
fail to internalize its meaning, deluding yourselves by unsound reasoning, contrary
to the truth." Verse 23, "For if anyone only listens to the
word without obeying it, he's like a man who looks very carefully at his natural face in
a mirror;” 24, "for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he immediately forgets
what he looked like. But he who looks carefully into the perfect
law of liberty and faithfully abides by it, not having become a careless listener only
who forgets, but is an active doer who obeys, he will be blessed, and he'll be favored by
God in what he does in his life of obedience." Jesus Christ actually sharply warns the Scribes
and Pharisees of this condition in Matthew 23. He called them hypocrites for their self-righteousness. It's because that righteousness they had was
simply superficial. It was external only. They appeared to be holy, but in their hearts,
they were failing to obey. Without our constant yielding to God's Spirit,
we can fall into this category. We become dead, we can become hypocrites. We may like what we hear, we may like what
we see, but if it's not internalized, we quickly can forget and go about the way that we want
to be. Without our hearts sincerely focused on looking
on to God, living by His standards, we too can develop self-righteousness. It will be evident especially if our faith
is superficial. If God's character is not a permanent part
of our identity, then whose identity are we portraying? We shouldn't want others to think of us as
righteous because we have the truth, we want others to think of us as righteous because
we are truly living examples of that righteousness. God's Spirit must be at work within us to
change our identity, to change our character. Our failure to mature in our conversion will
be reflected in the character that we portray. Left to ourselves, we know we can be self-righteous,
and we know self-righteousness can spread like cancer. Our failure to obey the law of God from the
inward man will eventually make its way out to the outward man, and this is where we open
the door to Satan himself and give him access to every aspect of our life. He then jumps in, he intensifies the condition. He blinds us from seeing the need to mature. And if we think what Branch Rickey told Jackie
Robinson, "We can never allow Satan to have the upper hand if we are to accomplish what
God has asked us to do." We have to look inward. We have to see the need to change. We have to have this strength to fight the
good fight of faith. You and I are disciples of Jesus Christ, our
great Teacher, our great Lord. Through His life, His death, and His resurrection,
He faced this world and He changed this world forever. When we come to the Passover, we are reminding
ourselves who our great teacher is, why we decided to become a disciple of this great
teacher. We think about life, that death, that resurrection
so that we can reenergize our hope, so we can restore our vision. Our goal is to become like Him in every single
aspect of our lives. Our duty is putting on His image, wage war
against our own human nature, against Satan, against sin. We want to stand, we want to fight for the
truth, because we're fighting for not only ourselves, we're fighting for this world. They need examples to follow. They might not understand it now, but you
are influencing so many people by the character you display each and every day you walk in
this world. If you would, please turn back to Luke 12. Luke 12 starting in verse 8. I'm going to read this from the Good News… Excuse me, the Good News translation, "I assure
you, that those who declare publicly that they belong to Me, the Son of Man will do
the same for them before the angels of God." Verse 9, "But those who publicly reject Me,
the Son of Man will also reject them before the angels of God." When we examine who and what we are, it forces
us to face the truth about who we are portraying to the world. We have to ask ourselves, "Do I just believe
in image only, or am I proclaiming to what I believe who and what God, the Father and
Jesus Christ are? Are my actions a reflection of my heart, and
does my heart reflect that of God's character?" What if you and I were ever brought up in
a court of law, and we had charges brought against us of being a disciple of Jesus Christ? Would there be enough information, enough
evidence beyond the shadow of a doubt to convict you? Would we stand guilty as charged? We have to consider this when we live our
lives. Are we living? Are we treating each other as a member of
the family of God? Have you ever asked yourself, and I've asked
myself, "How do I treat my spouse? How do I treat my friends, my mothers… my
mother, my father, my brothers, my friends? Does it reflect how Jesus Christ treats His
Bride, the Church? Did He treat His friends the same way that
I treat my friends? Do I treat them as He treats me right now?" We have to ask ourselves if we're going to
emulate Him. We can be confident, brethren, when we think
like this, when we want to, when we desire, we work for it. That the image that we are expressing is true
if we're committed to how He acted, how He walked. When we change how we think, we change who
we are. When we understand who we are truly inside,
we can continue to grow in that grace, applying what we've been taught so that they will see
and you will see the character of our great God reflecting in every part of our lives. The evidence will speak for itself. If you would, please turn over to 2 Corinthians
3. 2 Corinthians 3:18, "But we all with unveiled
face, beholding as in a mirror, the glory of the Lord are being transformed into the
same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord." Very powerful scripture. Think about a mirror. Who looked at one this morning before you
came to church or this afternoon? When I look into the mirror, when I see past
the gray hairs that decide to take over my face, when I look past all the wrinkles that
seem to be coming on daily, I have to look past what I see. I should see something greater than Ryan. I should see Jesus Christ inside of me. When I look out into the midst of this crowd,
and when we turn and look around at each other, we have to see more than just the people who
showed up for Sabbath service. We're collectively holding and bearing the
Holy Spirit of God in our temple of our great God. We have to see that within each other. If you would, please turn on to Galatians
2. And this explains how this is possible, when
we look at each other, we see past the physical images, and see something wonderful. Galatians 2, and you've probably read this
scripture many times. Galatians 2:20, "I have been crucified with
Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives
in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith in the Son of God,
who loved me and gave Himself for me." Our outward appearance is that right there,
something greater living inside each one of us. We must stay humble, we must grow and develop
day-by-day into this glorious image. It's His life that should be radiating from
within us, and it should be giving hope to all because we are that witness to this world. Our duty is keep that portion of light, that
portion of light that has been entrusted in us shining as bright as we can and keep it
pointing to the only source of hope this world has. Before this Passover, I'd like to suggest
that you read this booklet or reread it if you already have, Jesus Christ: The Real Story. Is it a very encouraging work, and you'll
look back and see who and what Jesus Christ really was. Reimagine it in your head as it's happening. You have to… we are to emulate Him, getting
to know Him more and more each year allows us to have more of that inside of us. And plus, when you read that and you think
of the Church at its infancy when it was not a popular thing to emulate Jesus Christ. When you see what they overcame, our work
seems so minimal, but it gives us hope because of what they'd done for us. They made it possible for us to have an example
to follow. I found it very helpful and I think you will
too. For our final scripture, if you'll turn back
to Colossians 3. Colossians 3, and we're going to skip through
the chapter here, Colossians 3, and again, I'm going to use the Amplified. Starting in verse 1, "Therefore if you have
been raised with Christ [to a new life, sharing in His resurrection from the dead] keep seeking
the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind and keep focus habitually on
the things above [the heavenly things], not on things of this earth [which can be only
temporary value]. For you died [to this world], and your [new
life your real] life is hidden within Christ in God." Verse 10, "and have put on a new [spiritual]
self who is being continually renewed in true knowledge in the image of Him, who created
the new self." Verse 12, “So, as God's own chosen people,
who are holy [they’re set apart, sanctified for His purpose] and well-beloved [by God
Himself], put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience [which
has the power to endure whatever injustice or unpleasantness that comes, and you'll do
it with a good temper].” Verse 13, "bearing graciously with one another,
willing to forgive each other if one has cause for a complaint against another, just as the
Lord has forgiven you, so should you forgive each other." Verse 14, "But beyond all these things put
on and wrap yourself in [unselfish] love, which is the perfect bond of unity [for everything
is bound together in agreement when each one seeks the best for others].” 16, "Let the [spoken] word of Christ have
its home within you [dwelling in your heart, dwelling in your mind — permeating every
aspect of your being] as you teach [spiritual things] and admonish and train one another
in wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to
God." And finally, verse 17, "Whatever you do [no
matter what it is] in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus [and
in dependence on Him], always giving thanks to God the Father through Christ." Brethren, we began a new year here, and believe
it or not, it's almost February. Let's give ourselves attention to start that
preparation for the Passover season. Let's keep the vision of that big picture
we discussed today. Keep it clear in our mind so that when we
come to those critical areas, that feedback that we find, we won't be discouraged, we
can be encouraged. Let's examine ourselves to see just what type
of image are we expressing in our lives each and every day. Let's be diligent to make our calling our
election, sure, learning to live in newness of life, because we know that God is working
in us to do His good pleasures. Let's allow Him to do those good pleasures. If we're allowing this to be, it will result
in our image reflecting, manifesting a true representation of our great God
and our Christ.
