Imaging God, Following Jesus

Did you know that the word ‘take’ in the passage “thou shalt not take the Lords name in vain” is most commonly misinterpreted as ‘to use’ Exodus 20:7? A closer translation would be ‘to bear, to carry’, from the Hebrew word nasah. So the passage is more accurately saying ‘do not bear the name of the Lord in a worthless manner’.

When we claim the Lord God our God we then become His representatives. When we say, ‘yes I am the Lord’s’ we want our conduct to reflect this. We want to walk the walk and not just talk the talk. We want to honor His name and bring it glory; we want what He stands for to be presented. We want to bring His love, His goodness, His truth. God asks us to imitate Him and love others as He loves us. He wants us to bear His name! He wants us to walk with Him and be grown up in Him. We are meant to image God for He made us in His image. When we walk uprightly in Him it pleases Him and brings Him glory and blessings and favor and goodness are poured out us.

“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma” Ephesians 5:1-2.

Because we are human we fail a lot. We struggle against the flesh and get lost to our own foolish ways and thinking often. But the Father hasn’t left us without guidance or help! His word helps us know who He is better and tells us of our redemption and our help in Jesus! He gave us Jesus to show the way! Jesus is the perfect imager of God. He is our example of imaging God! Christ is “the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself” Colossians 1:15

We are called to be Christ like, to follow after Christ, to conform to the image of Christ. This is how we do not bear the name of our Lord in vain! This is how we do His name justice and represent Him! Christ bridges the gape and reconciles us to God. Christ Himself is the greatest gift of love the Father has given us. Christ loved us before we loved Him. Christ gave Himself up for us before we gave ourselves to Him. Christ’s love is perfect, just as the Fathers love is perfect. Let us walk out our faith as we imitate and put Christ on for the sake of the Lord. Let us say “Father glorify your name!” John 12:28.

Lord, help us walk in a manner worthy of you. Show us your ways and your thoughts that we would not lean on our own understanding or our own works. Guide us and teach us, grow us up in you Lord. Help us to put Christ on everyday, always asking of things  'does this make me more like Christ? Does this demonstrate the Father?'. Help us watch over our hearts with all diligence that from it would flow springs of life! All glory and honor and praise is yours Lord. Amen.

“may [you] be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light. ” Colossians 1:9-12