Reflecting His Image (Protestant/Evangelical Devotional)

What can be said of Christ’s being the “express image of His person”? Are not we all created in the image of God and does not this reference merely speak of Jesus as the perfect man, the one in whom the image of God has not been besmirched or corrupted? I think the text means more than that.

Philip Hughes says this: “The Greek word translated ‘the very stamp bearer’ means an engraved character or the impress made by a die or a seal, as for example, on a coin; and the Greek word translated ‘nature’ denotes the very essence of God. The principal idea intended is that of exact correspondence. This correspondence involves not only an identity of the essence of the Son with that of the Father but more particularly a true and trustworthy revelation or representation of the Father by the Son.”

We remember the request made to Jesus by Philip when he said, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us” (John 14:8). We need to meditate upon the response of Jesus in John 14:9–11. He who would taste the fullness of the sweetness of Christ and perceive the total measure of His excellence must be willing to make the pursuit of the knowledge of Him the main and chief business of life. Such pursuits must not be hindered by sentimentality or reason.

Pray this prayer: “Dear God, reveal to me the depth and riches of the nature of Your Son, Jesus.”

John 14:9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.

It is your soul that is created in the image of God. The physical body is merely a manifestation if the soul.

In the beginning was the word. What is a word? It is merely a metaphor for a pattern of consciousness, the composition of the soul.

We are seeds of consciousness, planted here in the darkness of the soil of earth to sprout and grow to utilize and become One with the Light of God.

Matthew 13

The Parable of the Weeds Explained

36 Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”

37 He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one, 39 and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.

I use a model of consciousness to explain John 14. When you use this model is helps understand many other puzzling scriptures.

I use the model of Russian Nesting Dolls where we are the little doll in God, the big outer doll. Jesus is the doll between us and God.

We exist in Jesus and Jesus exists in God.

But the contents if the big outer doll, i.e.God,also exist in us and Jesus.

So Jesus instructs us that we accept him within us(communion), then God that exists within Him also exists within us.

Using this model it is easy to understand that you cannot find God except through Jesus.

I’ve noticed in prayerful meditation that any level above me is seen as brighter Light. The Holy Spirit looks like a golden Light. Jesus appears as a White Light, and God is Bright White Light beyond words.

When I died, there was a tunnel with the bright Light of Heaven that shown through the tunnel and I moved into the Light It was total Love and bliss.

And then I moved through Heaven to an even brighter Heaven above that. It is the second Heaven Paul spoke of. There the Light and Love was beyond words of description.

I did not want to leave, but was required to return to my physical body. It was the most painful full experience I ever had and caused a heartache to return, I miss it so much.

I actually look forward to dying again to return home.

Philip Hughes says this: “The Greek word translated ‘the very stamp bearer’ means an engraved character or the impress made by a die or a seal, as for example, on a coin; and the Greek word translated ‘nature’ denotes the very essence of God. The principal idea intended is that of exact correspondence. This correspondence involves not only an identity of the essence of the Son with that of the Father but more particularly a true and trustworthy revelation or representation of the Father by the Son.”
We remember the request made to Jesus by Philip when he said, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us” (John 14:8).

(Show us the money: "In God We Trust")

The Hebrew word for coin [מטבע] derives from teva [טבע], the word for nature.

There's a great multi-level Hebrew-Greek-English word play involving coin, what with Koine Greek being the common language of the day (money talks)...

In Hebrew, Koine is קוינה, which equals 171, the same as Peniel [פניאל], the "face of God".

The paradox (or irony) is that coins are stamped out by the tens of millions; nothing unique there. Then again, one name appears on all via the national motto. It's right up there with:

1 Kings 11:36 And unto his son will I give one tribe, that David my servant may have a light alway before me in JerUSAlem, the city which I have chosen me to put my name there.

And

Ezekiel 9:4 And the LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of JerUSAlem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof.

It's amazing what sits there in everyday English that describes another day in the life of America, the place of "In God We Trust."

Like God can't work a pun, the lowest form of humor. Foolishness. All the wisdom of the world can't compete.

Also in John 14 is the statement by Jesus that “You will do the things that He does and even more in His name.”

If you aren’t doing some of these things you are not growing in Christ. Most of us Christians treat Jesus as a lifeguard that can pluck us out when we are drowning (dying).

Which would you sooner have, a lifeguard that waits until you are drowning to save you, or a lifeguard that teaches you how to swim?

Jesus was a rabbi, a teacher. We need to follow his words in our actions to do the things that He does and more.

Jesus is my Savior as He lowered himself into the flesh to teach me to emulate Him.

What a great Loving sacrifice!

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