As In a Mirror

Sorry, folks, for the delay. I guess we will have to suffice for a “Word for Thursday.”

For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if one died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.” (2 Corinthians 5:14-15)

The very name “Christian” means “Christ-like” or “Christ-follower;” we are those who strive to conform more and more to the image of Christ. Our guideline is the Holy Scripture, namely the New Testament. But isn’t it true that most of the time we read these guidelines with tight chests, knowing that our lives are not glorious replicas of these standards. Indeed, we struggle to “live up to” these standards. Our Bible-reading can be filled with thoughts such as, “I try to walk by faith and not by sight, but it’s so hard! I can’t see where I’m going, I’m afraid to admit I’m afraid. How do I glory in tribulation? Tribulation hurts, and somehow being a Christian doesn’t make me invinsible. I know I’m not supposed to no longer be a slave of sin, but that guy made me really angry! I couldn’t hold it in! Esteem others higher than myself? But they don’t know a thing about bricklaying! THEY should listen to me next time and it won’t turn out so disastrous. Lord, how am I supposed to attain to the perfect man, the measure of the stature of Christ? It’s too high for me.”

So how in the world are we supposed to press on to perfection, anyway? Often we feel just too unworthy to even look into the face of Christ, much less step into His presence. It’s like there’s a huge veil separating us.

Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 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.” (2 Corinthians 3;16-18)

It’s not that we feel unworthy, we are just too proud to humble ourselves and open up our sin. God sees it already, but we are too proud to admit it to Him and ask Him to cleanse us. Even though we have asked God a billion times to fix us, we have never really told Him that we were broken, and that we were willing to go through any “fixing” He saw necessary. The law is our tutor to bring us to Christ. We need to look straight into the face of Jesus instead of always looking at ourselves. Your desire will follow your attention. We need to focus upwards at Christ instead of downwards at our filthy rags. In our study of the New Testament, we study the life of Jesus Christ, who He is, what He did and what He does. We see holiness, faith, obedience, and ultimately, LOVE. If we surround ourselves with the image of Christ, the love of Christ, we will automatically become obedient out of our growing love for Christ. Though He was tempted, He never stumbled; though He was reviled, He did not revile in return. We must eventually come to the foot of the Cross, and admit that it was OUR sin that He bore there; it was OUR punishment that He received, though He was holy. How could it be? How could the Son of God die for me? Why did Christ do the things that He did? Why do Christians in other countries and missionaries and evangelists do what they do? The LOVE OF CHRIST compels them. Jesus died because of our sins, but He rose again!

Can we ignore such love? does it not compel us to cast away all that we thought was our dignity and run after Him who makes intercession for us, who took away our burden? But then again, we can not be set free from a burden we do not have. We cannot be fixed unless we are broken. Until now, all we have seen is our own unholiness. But holiness was revealed to us in Jesus Christ. He offers us a remedy, but will we accept it? In order to be born again, we MUST die! Let me repeat 2 Corinthians 5:14-15:

For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if one died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.”

So, will I live no longer for myself, but for Him? YES! The live of Christ compels me! I have unconditionally surrendered myself to His authority! I have been crucified with Christ, and I have a new life; I have been born again!
If we surround ourselves with the image of Christ, we come to love Him, and this love leads us to obedience which leads us to sacrifice, and HE gives the victory. Then we can behold “as in a mirror” the glory of the Lord revealed in Jesus Christ. We will finally understand what it means to walk by faith, to glory in tribulation, to esteem others higher than ourselves, and to flee from all sin, simply because we love Jesus. It is His Holy Spirit working in us these changes, because our desires are now His. Thank God that it is not of us, either, because we do not always feel that glorious sunshine of when we first believed. But if we keep our focus upward, we will always be aware of that newness of life in Him, for the love of Christ compels us. Pay attention to the word of these verses:

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 faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20)

“For it is God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.” (2 Corinthians 4:6-7)

Don’t you just love 2 Corinthians?

For more of the Word for Wednesday posts and participants, see Yeah, Right!