Wednesday: Restoration in Jesus
“My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you” (Gal. 4:19, NKJV).
We were originally created as perfect and complete beings in a perfect and complete world. Unfortunately, this pre-Fall paradise was lost through sin, and the world as we know it is filled with death, violence, suffering, fear, and ignorance.
Image © Rolf Jansson from GoodSalt.com
The plan of salvation was created in order to bring this world back to its original perfection. Christ came in order to regain what was lost in the Fall.
“In the beginning God created man in His own likeness. He endowed him with noble qualities. His mind was well balanced, and all the powers of his being were harmonious. But the Fall and its effects have perverted these gifts. Sin has marred and well-nigh obliterated the image of God in man. It was to restore this that the plan of salvation was devised, and a life of probation was granted to man. To bring him back to the perfection in which he was first created is the great object of life-the object that underlies every other.” – Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 595. Though this restoration won’t be completed until the new heavens and the new earth, the process has already begun in us now!
Read Galatians 4:19. Whatever his immediate concerns, what important spiritual point is Paul making here?
In Hebrews 1:3 Christ Himself is presented as the image of God-“the express image of His person” (NKJV). (Compare with John 14:9, 2 Cor. 4:4, Col. 1:15.) He desires to unite with us in order to restore God’s image in us. If we consent, Christ, the image of God, can be in us: “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Col. 1:27, NKJV).
The ultimate experience of being restored in His image will occur at Jesus’ second coming (see 1 Cor. 15:49, 1 John 3:2). However, when Christ is in us, and we in Christ, the process of being restored in God’s image begins on this side of heaven. When that happens, we will long to bring those in our community to the One who can restore them as well.
| Though the work begins now in us, to restore us, why must we always remember that restoration won’t be totally complete until the second coming of Jesus? |
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" However, when Christ is in us, and we in Christ, the process of being restored in God’s image begins on this side of heaven. When that happens, we will long to bring those in our community to the One who can restore them as well."
The reason we do that is because we have the mind/compassion of Jesus. We are motivated to help others to have the highest quality of life available.
"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."
JN 10:10
What do you think restoring an image in a sinful world here and now means? One needs to know the description of what is being restored. Some may have a vague idea. John 10:10. Some refer to the earth made new.
The emphasis of Hebrews 1:1-4 is the relationship between God the Father and God the son. Information that was important to the apostle Paul especially for the Jewish nation.
The image under discussion here is character buiding. Jesus is here restoring the character of God in us. When houses, roads etc deteriorate, engineers can repair and reshape them. When human character deteriorates it is only God who, working through JESUS and HOLY SPIRIT, can repair it. This process involves pain because we have to learn and unlearn. Thus Paul likens it to labour in childbirth.
Restoration will not and cannot be complete because this is really a sinful world. We all have sin and total restoration means to be like Christ without sin. In the Earth made new where sin is no more, there we will have complete restoration.
Silvera, That seems to fit as I see it. If restoration could occur here and now, would it be permanent?
No it would not be permanent because the Lord promises us that He is gone to prepare a place for us and that He will come back and receive us unto Himself and only then will we be like Him. Too much sin in this world for total and complete restoration
I fully agree with this, Silvera Chambers,EGW says that "not until we lay down our armour at Jesus feet will it be safe to say that we are saved and sinless." And in 1 John 3:2 it is clear that "...it doth not yet appear what we shall be..." because it will not be until He appears that "...we shall be like Him..." But praise God for His Robe of Righteousness in His Son Jesus because being there will not be dependant upon us being perfectly flawless and sinless but upon accepting the Robe of His perfect, flawless, and sinless Robe Of Righteousness.
E.G.W., made a very short comment relating to a very short parable of Jesus regarding His Kingdom here on earth as being a seed of corn being planted, sprouting as a blade of grass, growing into the stalk, growing corn husks, and then finally the seed again fully ripe in that corn husk: She said, "God is waiting for His character to be perfectly reproduced in His people, then He will come to claim them as His own." But Paul in Gal. 4:19 was working to get believers of his day to get back to "Righteousness by faith in Jesus," which they had fallen back from and gone back into "Righteousness by works," (Legalism.) SDA's made the same mistake with Legalism in her day and SDA's are still making that mistake even today and need to get back on track with "Righteousness by faith in Jesus."
We will be restored only after we would have made a deliberate & conscious decision to allow ourselves to be open to His invitation. He is patiently waiting
The lesson is inviting us to shade off from the fall and abide in him (Jesus) as he will also abide in us. That is the only way we can evade Satan and his dirty tactics.
God is in the business of restoration of sinners to saints. He wants to make us whole, to make us into new creatures (2 Corinthians 5:17). Jesus came to die for us so that we may be reconciled to God. His ultimate sacrifice at Calvary gives us confidence that when Jesus is done with the investigative judgement those deemed to be worthy of restoration will return with Him to heaven to spend a thousand years. The process of restoration starts here on earth as we begin to surrender to and depend completely upon Jesus.
No matter what evil you and I may have done in life, Jesus is willing and able to change our lives for the good. Jeremiah 32:27 says, ".......I am the God of all flesh, is there anything too hard for Me?" With Him nothing is impossible. God has also charged human beings to help others to be restored (Galatians 6). The process of restoration starts here on earth, in its current sinful state. It is therefore vital to remember that we must continue to submit to the will and purpose of God in our quest for restoration.
If we are restored to the image of God does that mean we will all be the same?
Maybe the fact that there are 4 living creatures - lion, ox, man, flying eagle - around the throne in Rev 4, is telling us that it takes a combination of 4 different temperaments to represent God? Just think of the different types of spiritual gifts.
Restoration can only be found in surender of bad habits fully to Christ. Here in we find repentance. We maintain restoration by denying self, taking up our cross and following Christ on a daily basis. Luke 9:23. Thus doing we are ready for Him to come, because now His character is perfectly reproduced in us. Has He come yet no, because the world has not all had an opertunity to learn of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Matthew 24:14.
There is a day that God hath appointed for the close of this world’s history: “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” Last Day Events page 16.
It will not be long before everyone will have heard the warning and made his decision. Then shall the end come.—Testimonies for the Church 6:24 (1900). And LDE p.208
I am adding to the post about working on perfecting our characters to be more like Christ while we are here on earth to be ready for Jesus's soon return. There was a question in the post about restoration and if it would be permanent. If we are perfecting our character which is the only thing we will take to heaven the process must begin here on earth.
I found the bible quotes and EW quotes to be very encouraging as to our work in the last days. The Bible and Spirit of Prophecy are very clear that during the investigative judgement we are to be perfect before Jesus comes.
Matthew 5:48 states "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." Revelation 22:11 "He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.
12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be."
The Great controversy says "Those who are living upon the earth when the intercession of Christ shall cease in the sanctuary above are to stand in the sight of a holy God without a mediator. Their robes must be spotless, their characters must be purified from sin by the blood of sprinkling. Through the grace of God and their own diligent effort they must be conquerors in the battle with evil. While the investigative judgment is going forward in heaven, while the sins of penitent believers are being removed from the sanctuary, there is to be a special work of purification, of putting away of sin, among God’s people upon earth. This work is more clearly presented in the messages of Revelation 14. CIHS 103.1. Great Controversy 425
Christ will be fully formed within all who are His by faith before He returns to gather the saved as promised. Eph 3:14-19; 4:13-15; 5:27, Col 1:27, John 14:12, 2 Tim 3:17, Rev 7:3,14, Zeph 3:12,13. Read also “Early Writings” pg 71.
The victory over sin will be complete before Jesus returns, the final touch will be immortality, while our characters will be fixed in this present world as shown in the passages from God's Word above, including Rev 22:11,14.