Reflections of His Image

When People look at you, do they see the characteristics of Christ?

Romans 8:29

In one of David Wilkerson’s recent Times Square Pulpit Series articles,1 he states: “If I am not Christ-
like at heart—if I’m not becoming noticeably more like Him—then I have totally missed God’s purpose
for my life. It doesn’t matter what I accomplish for His kingdom. If I miss this one purpose, I have
lived, preached and yes, striven in vain.”

“Now, I help pastor what would be called a mega-church. I conduct minister’s conferences around the
world, preaching to thousands at a time. I founded Teen Challenge, a Christian rehabilitation ministry
for alcoholics and drug addicts, which now has 500 centers worldwide. I’ve written some twenty
books, helped establish a Bible school, set up a home for abandoned mothers and their children. I’ve
had honors heaped on me. But if this isn’t my wife’s testimony—if she has a secret pain in her heart,
thinking, ‘My husband isn’t the man of God he pre-tends to be’—then everything in my life is vain. All
my works—the preaching, the accomplishments, the charitable giving, the many travels—amount to
nothing. I am a withering, useless branch that doesn’t bear the ‘fruit of Christ-likeness.’ Jesus will
cause others to see the death in me, and I’ll be worth little to His kingdom.”

He finishes by saying: “God’s purpose is fulfilled in me only by what I am becoming in Him. Christ-
likeness isn’t about what I do for the Lord, but about how I’m being transformed into His likeness.”

2 Corinthians 3:18 is a Scripture that perfectly describes God’s purpose for us as Christians

Christ is to be glorified (1 Cor 10:31) cf 1 Pet 4:11

Glorifying means, “Reflecting his likeness in everything we do”

1. Glorification is not self-seeking. John 5:31 – Jesus said bearing witness of himself is not true (how
much more is it for us)

In whatever Christ did, He glorified the Father. (John 17:1, 4-5; 13:31; 14:13)

Adam was made in the image of God, his son in his image, Jesus in the Image of God

Nothing will bring others to saving knowledge of Christ faster than seeing genuine living examples.
And nothing will turn them away quicker than phoniness and hypocrisy.

God doesn’t just want us to have a revelation of Christ, He wants us to be a reflection of

Him. The question is: How do we become a reflection of Christ? How are we conformed into His
image? What must we do? What are the steps?

Follow the Spirit – Following was the first command Jesus gave each disciple (Follow me…)

Be cleansed by the Spirit – Heb 9:14 How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the
eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to
death, so that we may serve the living God!

Worship in the Spirit- Jn 4:23,24 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers
will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is
spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."
Phil 3:3 For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ
Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh

Live in the Spirit – (changes the mind) Rom 8:5,6 Those who live according to the sinful nature have
their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have
their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man [a] is death, but the mind controlled
by the Spirit is life and peace;

Walk in the Spirit – (changes the direction) Rom 8:1 kjv There is therefore now no condemnation to
them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

The purpose of our lives as Christians is to be conformed into Christ’s image so that we may glorify Him
in all we do. However…

 we can’t really glorify (reflect Jesus)Him unless we understand how to abide in His presence.
 And we can’t really abide (changed state of being) in His presence unless we know how to
worship Him.
 But we can’t really worship (put him at the forefront of your life) Him unless we understand
how to get clean.
 And we can’t really get cleaned (from sin) unless we know how to make faith choices.
 But we can’t make faith choices (based on scriptural understanding) unless we have the Spirit of
God in us.
 And we won’t have the Spirit of God in us unless we have been born again by Christ.

The Holy Spirit is our comforter, counselor, helper, supporter, advisor, advocate and ally.

 Ephesians 1:3-14;

 2:18 – access to the Father

 1 Corinthians 12:4-6 different gifts, same spirit

 2 Corinthians 13:14 – empowerment for fellowship

This Spirit, then, is the One that sets about conforming us into Christ’s image. (2 Corinthians 3:18)
His job is to first make Christ’s presence known to us, and then through us to others.

God doesn’t want us to just have a revelation of Christ, He wants us to be a reflection of Christ

1 John 4:17 – as he is so we are in this world – that is how we show love (And so we know and rely
on the love God has for us.
      God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. 17In this way, love is made
complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we
are like him.)