Thursday: Restoration
As deep and pervasive as the effects of sin have been on humanity, our plight is not irreversible.
Image © Lars Justinen from GoodSalt.com
The Bible speaks about the possibility of renewal and restoration of the image of God in us, at least to some degree.
Study the following passages carefully: Rom. 8:29; 2 Cor. 3:18; Eph. 4:23-24. What hope is presented?
The Bible clearly holds up the hope for us to be remade in God’s image. The renewal of the image of God in humanity is accompanied by a reduction of the effects that sin has had on us and our relationships. None of this, however, is the result of man’s own achievement. The Bible points to Christ as being the basis of hope for man’s renewal; also, whatever changes are wrought in our lives, our hope of salvation must rest always on what Christ has accomplished for us and the offer of salvation based on His righteousness, not our own.
How is 2 Corinthians 5:17 related to the re-creation of man in God’s image? Does being a new creature place a person beyond the reach of sin and its effects on the human experience? What does your own experience tell you about the answer?
Overall, the evidence from Scripture leads to the conclusion that spiritual renewal comes at the cost of watchfulness in a spiritual warfare. It is a warfare between the flesh and the spirit (Gal. 5:16-17). Those who are being renewed in God’s image find this spiritual warfare to be the reality of the human experience, and thus they embrace the challenge in the strength of the Lord (Eph. 6:10-13). To choose to be re-made in the image of God is to place oneself on the side of God in the great controversy. Writing about those who have experienced the renewing power of Christ, Ellen White noted, “But because this experience is his, the Christian is not therefore to fold his hands, content with that which has been accomplished for him. He who has determined to enter the spiritual kingdom will find that all the powers and passions of unregenerate nature, backed by the forces of the kingdom of darkness, are arrayed against him. Each day he must renew his consecration, each day do battle with evil. Old habits, hereditary tendencies to wrong, will strive for the mastery, and against these he is to be ever on guard, striving in Christ’s strength for victory.”-The Acts of the Apostles, pp. 476, 477.
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2 Corinthians 5:17 tells us that those who trust in Jesus as their savior from sin become new creatures, in other words their original status is restored. We don’t have to wait until Jesus comes to have the image of God restored in us. God makes us new creatures when we trust in Christ and His plan is for everyone who is in Christ to be conformed to the image of His Son.
Paul says in Romans 8:29 that “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.” If we’re conformed to the image of God’s Son, then the image of God is restored in us. This is God’s ideal, His plan for us. In practice, we will never reach the place where we can claim to have reached the ideal. But we should be always growing in the right direction. Regardless of how close to the ideal we get, our own righteousness is never sufficient to save. We must always trust in the perfect righteousness of Christ.
God restores us to the image of His Son by bestowing upon us the fruit of the Holy Spirit- love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control- this whole package of nine items is a good description of what Jesus is like. God will restore His image in us by giving us the gift of the Holy Spirit. With the Spirit comes the fruit of the Spirit beginning with agape love.
I don't have any revelation that has not already been said. I do though, would like to associate restoration with reconciliation. Reconciliation is reestablishing a close relationship between God and us. God has no intention of us sitting back and folding our hands, letting it happen. God wants us to be participants. The relationship between a husband and wife would soon dissipate, if they both didn't put into it. "When Thou Saidst, seek ye My face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek. Psalm 27:8. What a rush of emotion. God is seeking me as much as I am seeking Him. No wounder in Christ Object Lessons page 118 it says, "The parable of the merchantman seeking goodly pearls has a double significance: it applies not only to men as seeking the kingdom of heaven, but to Christ as seeking His lost inheritance. Christ, the heavenly merchantman seeking goodly pearls, saw in lost humanity the pearl of price. In man, defiled and ruined by sin, He saw the possibilities of redemption."
Happy Sabbath
Ellen white summed up restoration nicely.
The Messiah fulfilled the Sacrifical laws Daniel 9:27, The Moral laws, such as the ten commandments are still in full effect
It also has to be noted that restoration was for Israel, not the whole world. After Christ had died and fulfilled the promise for his people Israel, did he then tell the disciples to go to all Nations!
Matthew 28:18-20
18And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
19Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Before this he said
Matthew 15:24
24But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
Thank-you Ikedi! But I am not sure where you are going with, "restoration is only for Israel?" Isaiah 56:6-8