When it comes to replicas, there’s nothing that’s been replicated more than expensive watches. There are entire websites that exist simply to sell you a replica Rolex watch. These watches look like the real deal—they even have the Rolex logo—but actually they were made in China and aren’t worth much. However, they do have the image of a Rolex watch.
Image: representation or replica (mind, will, and emotions)
Likeness: a gauge of comparison (substance) “like father, like son”
Let’s look at these two important qualities:
IMAGE (two aspects)
1. A MARRED IMAGE
Genesis 5:3, “And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth.”
“After his image”—he was born with a marred image (sin nature). It would be like if you got a replica Rolex watch that didn’t work. You see, we were born broken. We were made in the image of God (having mind, will, and emotions), but we were also made in the marred image of Adam—we’re selfish, we lie, we cheat, we steal, we manipulate, we hurt, we fight, we control, we rebel, we complain, we devour, we destroy. In other words, we’re broken.
2. A MOLDABLE IMAGE
In the Old Testament, God compares His people to clay, and He calls Himself the Potter.
Jeremiah 18:6, “O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.”
God desired to shape and mold His people into what He wanted to make them. This idea comes to full fruition in the New Testament.
Romans 8:29, “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.”
II Corinthians 3:18, “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”
LIKENESS (two aspects)
1. PARTIAL LIKENESS
“Like father, like son”
At salvation, we inherit the royal bloodline
Romans 8:17, “And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.”
2. COMPLETE LIKENESS
I John 3:2, “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.”
Psalm 17:15, “As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.”
TRANSFORMATION
This leaves us with a question: How do we become like Christ?
Ephesians 4:22-24, “That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.”
This gives us a three-step process to becoming like Christ:
PUT OFF THE OLD MAN
This is a deliberate choice.
Romans 6:13, “Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God…”
“Neither yield ye”—stop presenting. In the day-to-day confrontations with sin, stop giving in. This requires commitment.
RENEW YOUR MIND
Romans 8:5, “For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.”
Being fleshly or spiritual is a mindset. If you’re thinking about carnal desires, you will do them. When you’re carnal, you’re at enmity against God. This is why you must guard what you let into your mind.
Romans 12:2, “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
This transformation of the mind happens only through God’s Word.
PUT ON THE NEW MAN
Romans 13:14, “But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.”
If you are putting off a bad habit, it’s vital that you replace it. That’s the principle here. When you put off a specific sin by confessing it, you must replace it by something that is good and pleasing to God. This isn’t something you do once; it’s something you will be doing constantly throughout your Christian life.
ILLUMINATION
In other words, we need to stop exposing ourselves to sin, and we need to expose ourselves to God’s Word and let it change us.
Illustration: exposure to sun, sun tan (II Cor. 3:18)
In his book Changed Into His Image, Jim Berg says, “This effect of illuminated truth upon the heart of a believer is the essence of revival. When the Holy Spirit reveals the glory of God to him, the believer’s response is always, ‘This is right; I must believe it! This is wonderful; I must praise it! This is compelling; I must do it!’ A man moved in this manner by what he is seeing of God is being revived, and others cannot help noticing the profound change…The change in him is the direct work of the Spirit of God upon the soul of a man who is seeking God in His Word.” (pg. 152-153)
CONCLUSION
As we close tonight, let me ask you, How much are you like your Savior? Are you conforming to Him every day? Are you Christlike?
I think it’s very interesting that couples who have been married for several decades start to look like each other. Why do you think that happens? I think the answer is clear. It’s because they have spent so much time together. Eventually, they begin to think the same, act the same, and even look the same.
The longer amount of time you spend with Jesus, you should begin to act like Him, and even look like Him. Sad to say, many Christians don’t look anything like Christ because they’re not spending time with Him. They need more Son exposure—exposure to the Son of God found only in God’s Word. Do you desire to be changed into the image of Christ? May we all strive to be more like the Savior.
