His Image

"The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created; things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him." Colossians 1:15-16 TNIV

When we need a good dose of just who this Jesus is we love and adore, we need to turn to Colossians and begin to read. These first three chapters are full of who and what He is. Getting these passages very solid in our spirit will help us as we face the challenges of life because they anchor us in Him and in the truth about Him.

Here we begin to understand the Trinity. There is no separation between Father, Son and Holy Spirit. They are One. The Son is the agent of all the Father does through the power and action of the Holy Spirit. We often struggle with this, but if we will take a good look at a human being made in this image, it will become much clearer. We are tri-part in our very being. We have a spirit, a soul and a body. These parts are not the same in structure or  purpose, but if we are a human - all three are in place. The three interact and what is true of one is true of the other, but yet there are three parts. So it is with the God-Head. Three in One - making One.

Christ Jesus as Son is the image of the invisible, or unseen, God. We often quote John 4:24 "God is spirit..." as beginning to understand that there is no image of Him. Yet, here we are told that Jesus Christ is the image of God. The image is a human image. The form is like us. When we desire to know what God is like, then we begin to understand that the created man and woman is like Him. Look around, we are not God, but we have been created in that image. Now I am aware the image has been severely tainted with sin, yet, the image remains. My natural born children look like my husband and me. No matter what they do or think or say - they still look like us. So it is with the Lord - we look like Him.

Then the passage continues to say that all (and all means all) things were created in Him - even heaven itself - everything! The invisible things, the visible things, the thrones, powers, rulers or authorities - all created by Him and for Him (or in Him). He knows what He is doing. He has created everything. So as we begin to allow this Lord of ours to be seen in our hearts, may we begin to identify ourselves in Him - not some separate creation.

As believers, He not only lives within us (as we are the temple of the Holy Spirit), but He is also imaged in us.

"Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator." Colossians 3:9-10 TNIV

We will work further with these verses when we get to the third chapter, but we need to receive this verse here as well.