“In His Image”

“For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to

the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many

brethren” (Rom. 8:29, NKJV).

In the beginning, God made us in His image (Gen. 1:27), but that

image has been corrupted by sin.

In what ways do we see this defacing of God’s image in humanity?

It’s obvious: we all have been corrupted by sin (Rom. 3:10–19). Yet,

God’s desire is to restore us to what we should have been originally.

This is where our verse today fits in. It reveals God’s plan that those

who submit their lives to the Holy Spirit may be “conformed to the

image of his Son” (Rom. 8:29, NIV).

But there’s another dimension. “The very image of God is to be

reproduced in humanity. The honor of God, the honor of Christ, is

involved in the perfection of the character of His people.”—Ellen

G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 671.

How do you understand what Ellen White says to us in the quote cited

above? (See also Job 1, Matt. 5:16, 1 Cor. 4:9, and Eph. 3:10.)

As Christians, we must never forget that we are in the midst of a

cosmic drama. The great controversy between Christ and Satan is

unfolding all around us. The battle takes many shapes and is manifested

in many ways. And though much is hidden, we can understand that, as

followers of Christ, we have a part to play in this drama and can bring

honor to Christ through our lives.

Imagine being on the field of a huge stadium. Sitting on the

bleachers on one side are heavenly beings loyal to the Lord; on

the other side are beings who have fallen with Lucifer. If your life

for the past 24 hours were played out on that field, which side

would have more to cheer about? What does your answer tell you

about yourself?