He Looks Just like You!

Eden Stillwater

Merry Christmas! God Loves You!

Publish Date: 12/14/2011

John 3:16&17 is on my mind this morning. I was having a conversation with a friend about why people don't believe in Jesus; in God. A lot of people don't believe or don't want to have a relationship with God because they have the wrong image of Him. They see him as an ogre sitting in heaven with a proverbial "fly swatter" just waiting to whack us for misbehaving or making a mistake, etc. So many preachers, teachers and pastors contribute to the distortion by preaching only judgment, condemnation and hell-fire. Yes, there is a hell- and there will be a judgment day for everyone-we all have to give account for ourselves before Jesus. (Romans 7:21-8:4) God is love and it is not His will that any should perish, but that all should come to the saving knowledge of His grace and mercy toward us-and His great, great love for us. -that all should come to the truth and live.

Often, people see all the things that Christians "can't do" or "aren't supposed to do."-Those things are not God saying, "Because I'm God and I said so."-Rather, God is saying, "Those things will cause you harm physically and/or emotionally/spiritually, because we are created in His image and after His likeness. We are not meant to sustain the kinds of wounds-the shame, guilt, condemnation, bondage and fear that doing those things (sin) can bring in.

What we see in the beaten, bruised, bloodied, flesh torn-literally ripped from his body, human Jesus-"beaten beyond human semblance" (beyond recognition as a human being) is what we look like in spirit. We are wounded-bloodied, bruised, battered, torn/ripped and shredded; beaten beyond "God in us" recognition" in our spirits, through sin inflicted on us by others or self-inflicted. We were/are created "in his image and after his likeness" and He is love.

Whenever there's a new baby born into the family, everyone crowds around the nursery window and you always hear someone say, "He/she looks just like you." This Christmas, take another look at that baby in the manger. Can you see the "resemblance?"

Copyright Marina Morrison (aka) Eden Stillwater, December 2011