Who Do You Look Like?

Have you ever been sitting somewhere and someone walk up and introduce themselves and you give them your name and have them say, I thought so you look like such and such. Perhaps you have had someone ask you “is your last name so and so” you may say “yes it is”, and have them say I thought so for you look just like your mother or perhaps your father. This happens more frequent than we might think.  How many times have you seen someone and said to yourself “that looks just like so and so.”

As I thought about these occurrences that happen regarding physical appearances, what about the spiritual?  Who do we look like when others, especially those outside the body of Christ, see us?  Do they see Jesus or someone else?  When we refer to the spiritual, we are not referring to the physical makeup of a person. The physical appearance of people are too diversified for that to be a consideration.  People can however be unified in manifesting Jesus in character and attitude.

Paul in writing to the Galatian brethren expressed a desire for Christ to be formed in them (4:19).  The word “form” used here is from a word which refers not to the external and transient, but to the inward and real.  It is used in this text “expressing the necessity of a change in character and conduct to correspond with inward spiritual condition, so that there may be moral conformity to Christ.”  What image do we reflect in our character and conduct?  Not all reflect the image of Christ, note John 8:44 “ye are of your father the devil and the lust of your father ye will do…” what image are they reflecting?  What image did Judas reflect when he sold the Lord for thirty pieces of silver? What image did Ananias and Sapphira manifest when they lied to the Holy Spirit of God?  The attitude and conduct we manifest is a clear manifestation of who we look like.

There is a song that used to be sung often entitled “Let the Beauty of Jesus Be Seen In You.”  Paul summed it up quite well in Galatians chapter two and verse twenty “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”  For Christ to live in us we must live in harmony with the gospel, Philippians 1:27.  To live otherwise is to look like someone else other than Jesus.

In Acts chapter four and verse thirteen is a statement made regarding Peter and John the disciples of Jesus. They are brought before the elders and rulers of Israel, who inquire regarding the authority for their actions in chapter three verse 7.  Peter gave a clear defense of the miracle on the impotent man in chapter three that it was by the authority of Jesus Christ that the man was made whole. Peter reveals five clear facts about Jesus Christ in his defense:  1. It was by the authority of Jesus the miracle was performed, 2. They had crucified Christ.  3. God raised Jesus from the dead.  4. Jesus is become the head of the corner.  5. There is no other name in which salvation can be found. The statement that I find profound is found in verse thirteen, “…they took knowledge of them that they had been with Jesus.” What did they see and hear that made them think this?

It is true, we cannot perform miracles today, but people can take knowledge that we have been with Jesus by our attitude and conduct? We must never forget that when we become Christians we are clothed with Christ Gal. 3:27. When people look at us, my dear Christian friends who do they see?

Bill