Day Thirty-One
The Image That We Bear
“And just as we have borne the image [of man] of dust, so shall we and so let us also bear the image [of the Man] of heaven.” Amplified 1Cor 15:49
There is a game that I once played — a pseudo-intellectual social game, where you compare yourself to one of the four earthly elements: fire, water, wind, or earth. You describe yourself by saying… “if I were one the elements I would be…” and you give the reasons why you are more “like” that element than another. It’s a way of presenting yourself by a comparison – with some insight – but less threatening than doing it directly. But in a very real sense – you testify to the elemental image that you bear resemblance to.
Let’s take that notion a step further. In Luke 20:24 Jesus is speaking to the chief priests and scribes who are once again seeking a way to trip Him up so they can arrest Him. They flatter Him, “we know You speak and teach what is right, and You show no partiality to anyone…” (Lk 20:21). Then they ask Him a question: “Is it lawful for us to give tribute to Caesar or not?” (vs. 22) Jesus defuses their attempt to entrap Him with directness: “Show me a denarius (a coin)! Whose image and inscription does it have?” When the crowd answers, “Caesar’s” – then Jesus instructs them to render under Caesar what is his, and to God what is God’s. If we only assign this passage an understanding of coinage – we have lost its greater import!
You and I bear an image – of whose we are. According to 1Cor 15:45-50, we first bore the image of the first Adam – who was earthly minded and made of dust. But our destiny and calling is to bear the image of the last Adam (Christ) – Who is a spiritual life, Who is heavenly minded and “of” heaven.
You cannot separate here the image that is born from the quality of the mindedness. If we are have an earthly minded focus – the image we bear is the first man Adam’s. If we possess a heavenly-minded focus – we bear the image of the last Adam, Christ. The image is directly tied to the mind-set. One follows the other without deviation.
Now if we assume we bear the image of Christ – but our mindset remains earthly – we MUST ASSUME WE ARE WRONG about Who’s we truly are. Caesar’s coinage never bore another image – but his! The MINDET WE HAVE WILL REVEAL THE IMAGE OF WHO’S WE ARE: either the first Adam’s or the last Adam’s.
The truth is: we all have assuredly borne the image of Adam. We have all had a true natural birth. We have a real physical body of flesh. Now we must begin to bear the image of the Man of heaven – the last Adam – if we are His by a second birth! So examine your mindset. Is it always preoccupied with earthly things: your life, what you will eat and wear and earn and do here today? Or has Christ been allowed to give you His mindset which is occupied with the things that occupy Christ? As we are told in Colossians, we set our minds and keep them set on what is above (the higher things), not on the things that are on the earth. We are to aim and seek the eternal treasures which are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God (Col 3:1-2).
Let us each now bear the image of Christ – His ownership of us! Let Christ become to you the Life-giving Spirit that He is – restoring the dead to life. Allow His life bring a new image to bear in you – that we all will reflect His glory, and His ownership of us – to the world who knows Him not!
Bear His image – for His glory! Be-loved!
Insolomonsporch's Blog 