Skip to main content

Impressed With Christ - The "Image" Factor


Impress is to affect deeply or strongly. Another aspect of it is to press into something or to make an imprint.

Coins are an example of something that is pressed into.  The heated soft metals of the coin are stamped, under pressure, with a die and the imprint is left on the coin.  The result is the likeness or image of former presidents being stamped or pressed onto the coin.

In the book of Colossians, we find at least two aspects of the image of one being pressed onto another:
           
The image of God on Christ:

Ø  He is the image of the invisible God (1:15)

Ø  All the fullness of God dwells in Him (1:19)

Ø  The fullness of Deity dwells in (Christ) in bodily form (2:9)
           
The image of Christ on us:

Ø  We are blameless and beyond reproach (1:22)

Ø  Christ in you, the hope of glory (1:27)

Ø  In Him we are made complete (2:10)

Ø  We are buried with Him in baptism and raised up with Him (2:12)

Ø  We are made alive together with Him (2:13)

Ø  We have died and our lives are hidden with Christ in God (3:3)


Christ imprinted on us?  You bet!  His image has been indelibly cast on us.  In fact, when the Father looks at us, He sees the image of His Son upon us!  Now that’s impressive!
           

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Can't Get No Satisfaction

One of the songs that were popular in my youth was not particularly upbeat or helpful but it probably did express some of the angst of my generation.  It was not one that particularly resonated with me but as I recently read the book of Haggai, it did come to mind, well, at least some of the lyrics did.  It was the Rolling Stones song with the lyrics “I can’t get no satisfaction”.  Take a look at the chorus of that bleak song:   I can't get no satisfaction; I can't get no satisfaction; Gonna try and I try and I try and I try; I can't get no - I can't get no –   Now take a look at Haggai 1:6 – “ You have planted much, but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.” It sure sounds like the people of Judah couldn’t get any satisfaction with the things of life that normally should have brought some type of s...

A Horse Of Course

In Biblical times, horses represented military power and strength.  And if you had both horses and chariots, well, that was the ultimate of military powers and wars were often won with them. Yet in seeking to have what would normally be considered insurmountable military strength, there was one factor that was often overlooked.  The Psalmist made it clear what that factor was when he wrote:  “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.”   (Ps 20:7) While Israel did at times trust in the name of the Lord, there were other times when they tried to trust in horses and chariots to win their battles.  This is what the Lord spoke to Israel through the prophet Isaiah:  “Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help,   who rely on horses, who trust in the multitude of their chariots   and in the great strength of their horsemen, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel, or seek help from the Lord .”  ...

Stouthearted!

Steve the Stouthearted; it has a nice medieval ring to it, maybe even middle earth overtones.  I noticed that word “stouthearted” recently in Psalm 138, verse 3:   “When I called, you answered me; you made me bold and stouthearted.”   (NIV, 1973) The word stouthearted is used in the Bible to describe individuals who exhibit courage, determination, and resilience, often in the face of adversity or opposition. This characteristic is seen as a virtue, reflecting steadfastness in faith and purpose. The stouthearted are those who remain firm in their convictions and are not easily swayed by fear or doubt (from The Bible Hub website). And yet to be bold and stouthearted for most is not something that just comes naturally, we need the Lord to make us bold and stouthearted.   And, from the verse above, it appears that he does so in response to us calling on him.   So it probably wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to say that those who have been made bold and stouth...