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2 Corinthians 3:12-18
So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like Him as we are changed into His glorious image (v.18).
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Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people (Philippians 2:15).
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How does it affect you to realize you’re made in God’s image? What transforming work has God been doing in your life?
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In the book The Weight of Glory, C. S. Lewis makes a stunning claim about humanity. “There are no ordinary people,” Lewis writes. “You have never talked to a mere mortal.” Whoa! Now that’s a welcome thought—especially for those of us who at times feel ordinary at best. Could it really be true that we possess a hidden greatness?
We only have to turn the opening pages of the Bible to discover that human beings are anything but ordinary. The first chapter of Genesis tells us that human beings are the only part of God’s creation who have the distinct honor of being created in His likeness (Genesis 1:26-27).
Francis Schaeffer, a contemporary of C. S. Lewis, said, “There is no more important revelation given about man than that he bears the image of God.” As God’s “offspring” (Acts 17:28), we’re marked by the glorious image of the Creator of the universe. While it’s true that we’re born with sin in our hearts and that we’ve fallen short of reflecting God’s glory (Romans 3:23), there are still traces of God’s glory and dignity in every one of us.
Ralph Waldo Emerson put it this way, “Man is God in ruins.” Like the ancient ruins of the world that still awe and inspire tourists each year, a remnant of dignity can be seen. It’s true of every person you meet, and each one can be transformed by God’s grace.
Part of the glory of the new covenant in Jesus is that God desires and intends to restore us. The New Testament tells us that those who have turned to Jesus and live by His Spirit are “being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory” (2 Corinthians 3:18 NIV).
Take a moment and let that soak in. It’s an amazing truth that frees us to live boldly for Him (v.12).
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Thank you for this. Sometimes during storms, I seem to forget.
Thank you for these words or reassurance. I needed them! When storms come i must remember to look up and realize God is with me, as he did create me in his image.
Expressed in popular slang: “God don’t make no junk.” We are all of immense value to the One who purchased us with His own blood.
But let’s all remember there is a double application. Yes, it is true of you and me, “Joe” and “Mary” Christian going to nice clean churches and experiencing various levels of God’s blessing; but it is equally true of those who haven’t yet embraced this truth. God made them TOO. God made the poor and the needy too. They are NOT junk either. They can be American homeless or foreign orphans; the survivors of a devasted Haiti, but God made them too. Let us remember our less afluent brothers and sisters, here and abroad in both our prayers and in our giving. We who are in a condition of relative comfort must share with those who are not. In doing so, we are witnesses of our Lord in both word and deed putting “feet to our faith” and showing people Jesus with skin on.
I have been suffering from anxiety since I was a child, then I succeeded on getting rid of it. I live in Enna, a town located in the centre of Sicily. The way how I got rid of my anxiety is written in my book “Travels of the mind”. Without the God’s grace I never could succeed in winning my battle. For healing myself, I began to travel and in those travels I came across many people or angels who helped me. These encounters happened in Rome, London, in the Natuzza Evolo’s house and so on. Everything is written in this book. If you have any questions, I am most willing to offer my views on this topic.
Ettore Grillo
This quote has been on my blog since last Fall 2009. It is a memorable one. However, CS Lewis is not the first to hold such a perspective.
The 11th Century Western Bishop, Anselm of Canterbury writes that faith precedes reason.
“Nor do I seek to understand that I may believe, but I believe that I may understand. For this too I believe, that unless I first believe, I shall not understand.”
Faith is not seeing before we understand. We believe in order to understand what we see.
conrade