Mirror Image

We should all be a reflection of His holy face.  What does that face look like?  Well, in order to find out, we must be looking in the mirror, the mirror of God's word.  God's word serves two purposes.  It shows us what we look like and it shows us what God looks like.

We find out how we look by using God's word as a standard.  The law was given so that we would understand where we fall short of His image.  The law is external, written on tablets of stone and required atonement. Atonement in the Old Testament was through blood sacrifice on behalf of sinful people. These standards and sacrifices did not have the power to transform.  It wasn't until the ultimate blood sacrifice, Jesus Christ, came that our lives were able to be transformed into His image.  When the ministry of grace came, salvation meant that God's word is now written on the heart; it is internal and able to transform lives from the inside out.  When Moses came down off of Mount Sinai, his face glowed because he had been face to face with the Lord.  He had to wear a veil because his face frightened the people.  But when he went back up the Mount, he took off the veil because he was face to face with God.  Under the Old Covenant, Moses was the only one who had fellowship with God.  Through Jesus Christ, we now have access to fellowship with God and the mirror of God's word which shows us His Son and transforms us into His Son's image.  Moses reflected the glory of God, but we can now radiate the glory of God.  Moses' reflection of glory was external, ours is internal.

"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 from the Lord, the Spirit."  2 Corinthians 3:18 (NASB)

We must not only hear the word, we must do it.  We must not only see how we fall short, we must do something about it. Many people think that hearing a good sermon or Bible study is what makes them grow.  Acting upon God's word is what brings transformation and this comes only through self examination.   The purpose of the mirror of God's word is self examination.  We must look at ourselves in light of His word and we must see ourselves for who we really are.

There are several mistakes we make as we look into the mirror of God's word.  The first mistake is that we only glance at ourselves.  We do not carefully study to show ourselves approved.  We quickly read and unless we spend concerted time understanding and meditating on the word, we will not see our deepest needs.  And we will not be transformed.  Our reading of God's word cannot be an obligation fulfilled.  It must be a discipline pursued. We must hunger and thirst after His righteousness.

Another common mistake is that once we have looked in the mirror, we forget what we have seen.  If we have truly looked into our own hearts, we would cry out as Isaiah did in Isaiah 6:5, "Woe to me! I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty", and as Peter did in Luke 5:8, "Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man!"

The third mistake that we often make is that we think that hearing the word is the same as doing the word, and it is not.  We must be doers of the word and not merely hearers who are deluding ourselves.  So we must see ourselves for who we really are, we must not forget what we have seen, and we must actively seek to do what we have been taught in God's word.  This requires time, commitment, and devotion to the word of God.

"But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was."  James 1:22-24 (NASB)

"Don't fool yourself into thinking that you are a listener when you are anything but, letting the Word go in one ear and out the other. Act on what you hear! Those who hear and don't act are like those who glance in the mirror, walk away, and two minutes later have no idea who they are, what they look like."  James 1:22 (The Message)

"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified."  Romans 8:28-30 (ESV)

Dear Lord,  Please help us to look at ourselves in the light of Your word.  Help us to be doers and not merely hearers.  Help us to study Your word and to meditate on it so that we might be transformed into your mirror image... 

Photography courtesy of Sean Zellmer.

Can You See Clearly? Unload Your Logs Here!

"For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' and behold, the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye." Matthew 7:2-5 (NASB)

I was walking with a friend yesterday and she began talking about this verse. She was sharing how the Lord had brought the verse to mind when she was upset with someone else's "speck". How many of us are walking around with logs sticking out of our eyes, logs that are obvious to everyone else, but not to us? The beginning of this verse reminds us that with the measure that we judge others, we also will be judged. Ouch! How often do I hear myself complaining about someone else's behavior without examining my own?

Socrates said, "The unexamined life is not worth living." We can barrel down the road of life with planks and logs sticking out of our eyes, but it seems to me that as Matthew 7, verse 5 says, "You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye." I really want to see clearly, don't you? And according to this verse, we cannot see clearly unless we are continually examining ourselves. Most of us do not want to look at who we are and I am convinced that this is what leads to the wickedness and selfishness in the world. We have become very good at convincing ourselves that we are okay; it's everyone else who is out of wack.

We must take a good look at ourselves! We must daily compare ourselves to our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ.

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted." Hebrews 12:1-3 (ESV)

"For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in His steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in His mouth. When He was reviled, He did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly." 1 Peter 2:21-23 (ESV)

When we lived in Southern California, we had season passes to Disneyland. We used to go for a few hours on Sunday evenings when the lines were not very long! One of our favorite rides was the "log" ride Splash Mountain. Although we enjoyed the whole ride, the favorite part for most of us was the big downhill slide after which your log would bump along many turns sloshing water up into the log until you finally finished where you started. Above the unloading area hung a large wooden sign which read, "Unload Your Logs Here!" Well, as a family we loved to laugh together, and for some reason that sign made us laugh! We will still repeat the words of that sign at appropriate moments for a laugh. But all laughter aside, as believers we must "Unload Our Logs Here". Where is here? At the foot of the Cross...

"For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:6 (NASB)

"Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work." 2 Timothy 2:21 (NASB)

Your job is to examine yourself; His job is to faithfully complete the good work which He began in you. The Bible says, "Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, and He will do it." Psalm 37:5 (NASB) and "The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it." 1 Thessalonians 5:24 (NIV).

"Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." Psalm 139:23-24 (KJV)

Dear Lord, I commit my way to You and I trust in You! I know that You are the Author and Perfecter of my faith and that You are faithful to complete the good work You began in me. Teach me to examine myself in the light of Your word and lead me in the way everlasting.