The apostle Paul speaks of being “conformed to the image of God’s Son” (Rom. 8:29), or being “transformed into the image” of Christ (Col. 3:10). But when we look at our own human failings such a transformation seems totally out of reach. How could I ever become like Christ Himself? I think there is a clue in Jeremiah where God says something remarkable about Himself:
Thus says the Lord: . . let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth, for in these things I delight, declares the Lord.”
Jeremiah 9:23–24
Notice the last couple of phrases:
“I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth, for in these things I delight declares the Lord.”
Nearly two thousand years of human theology might make us think that the nature of God
compels him to do what He does. But that is not what this verse says. God “declares” that He chooses to practice steadfast love, justice and righteousness because He delights in them. God has a motive. He practices the things that delight Him: steadfast love, justice, and righteousness, and I think we could safely expand the list to include things like mercy, grace and forgiveness. How Extraordinary! I admit that for me it’s nearly impossible to love my enemies much less delight in doing so. So does this understanding of God move us closer or further from ever being “transformed into the image” of Christ? Closer, I think.Let me give an example. As a senior in college I was catching up on some required courses and found myself corralled into taking “Art Appreciation.” As a lover of math and science a course in “art appreciation” sounded about as attractive as basket-weaving, but I tried to make the best of it by maintaining an open mind. It turns out that on several occasions the art professor, Mina Coleman, had been voted teacher of the year, and it was hardly an accident. She did not just teach art appreciation; she loved art and she wanted to pass that love on to her students. We learned about form and function, texture, light and shadow, shape, line, composition, and balance. We learned how the artist could actually control the movement of a viewer’s eye by skillfully constructing his piece of work. That course changed the way I see the world around me and the way I see God’s creation. I never did became an artist, but over the years I have become a very accomplished, landscape photographer. . . thanks to the seeds sown by Dr. Coleman. I learned to love art because I was exposed to her love for it.
And I would submit that that is part of the way we are “transformed into the image of Christ.” When I open the bible and shift my attention from trying to understand doctrine, and instead focus on actually looking for the person and character of God Himself, an amazing thing takes place. As I move in close and watch God in action, doing the things in which He delights, it affects me like Dr. Coleman did. I find that the things that delight God begin to delight me too. I find myself beginning to love things like self-sacrifice, mercy, forgiveness, and righteousness. I think Paul described this phenomenon for us when he wrote:
And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:18)