Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus.—Acts 4:13
I love this! The message is so simple! Those who were listening to Peter and John realized that Peter and John had been with Jesus because they resembled Him. In them they saw Jesus’ boldness, His authority, His grace and His power. As a child of God we ARE to look like (and imitate) our Father in Heaven. God’s people are His living witnesses here on earth. Our affiliation with Him should be obvious to the people He has placed in our lives for just that purpose. Beloved…Psalm 135 tells us that we will become what we worship.
15 The idols of the nations are silver and gold,
The work of men's hands.
16 They have mouths, but they do not speak;
Eyes they have, but they do not see;
17 They have ears, but they do not hear;
Nor is there any breath in their mouths.
18 Those who make them are like them;
So is everyone who trusts in them.—Psalm 135:15-18
The Bible tells us that as we look to our God and spend time with Him, we begin to resemble Him. Moses face shone after spending time in the Presence of God. The same is true for us as believers. When we look to Him, we become radiant and our faces unashamed.
But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.--2nd Corinthians 3:18
And have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him,—Colossians 3:10
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.—Romans 12:1-2
But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; 28 and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, 29 that no flesh should glory in His presence. 30 But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption— 31 that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the LORD.”—1 Corinthians 1:27-31
Spending time with Jesus helps us to see all in our life in the light of His glory...other things that might seem important and compete for our attention fade as we behold Him. The darkness in our own soul and the wickedness of our heart will be overcome by His marvelous light. Through no power of our own, we begin to put away sin and strongholds that have held our heart captive. Behold your God....Seek His face....Seek His presence....abide in His word, surrender to His Spirit and allow Him to transform you into His glorious image.
For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. 8 We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed— 10 always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. 11 For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus' sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 12 So then death is working in us, but life in you.—2 Corinthians 4:6-12
