God created man in His own image, not only in outward appearance, but also in character. Man’s love, goodness, purity, and holiness were all in the image of God. What God liked, man liked also; in all things, they were in harmony. Then man changed. Now man is in the image of Satan—his character, his taste, his ambition, his selfishness, his pride, his hatred, and his hypocrisy. Men hate one another; a man commits crimes, he steals, he kills. Men make each other’s lives miserable. Men became vain; while professing to be wise they became fools.
“Because that, when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves.” Romans 1:21–24
How did this change happen? It happened through the lust of their hearts. Man was created to be the temple of the Holy Spirit, but his heart was defiled by lust and sin, and became the dwelling place of evil, unclean spirits. Man is now so far from the divine image, that humanly his restoration is not possible. We need God’s miracle-working power to change man back to the original image in which he was created.
Even many Christians who profess to be followers of Christ do not have the power of God to change their characters into the image of God. “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” 2 Timothy 3:1–5
All these characteristics must be overcome, and must be changed into holiness or we will be lost, and never make it to heaven. Often the only difference between a worldly person and a Christian is that people in the world do openly which a professing Christian does secretly; however, both are controlled by Satan. Millions of Christians think that they can enjoy the world, and also go to heaven.
Why does a Christian put away the Bible and turn on a television show? It is because his heart is in the world; he loves the world. He may stay all his life in the church, but will never reach sanctification—the character of Christ.
“For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.” 2 Corinthians 11:13–15
“And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.” Revelation 18:2
The image of Satan has the appearance of religion; he goes to church regularly. The fallen churches have become the habitation of the devils. The members of these fallen churches think that they worship God, but they are Babylon. The fallen churches are filled with evil spirits, who are working wonders and miracles. What kind of people go to these churches?
“So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of My mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.” Revelation 3:16–17
Many members of these fallen churches do not know their spiritual condition and have spiritual sickness. One of these sicknesses is envy. “A sound heart is the life of the flesh: but envy the rottenness of the bones.” Proverbs 14:30
Another sickness we find in Proverbs 1:19, “So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; which taketh away the life of the owners thereof.” These are terrible diseases that afflict people, and make them miserable, restless, and unhappy. Many other spiritual sicknesses can be added to this list, and only God can help us to overcome them. We alone can do nothing.
“Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD.” Jeremiah 17:5. We cannot even trust ourselves. Only in God alone can we trust fully. “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” Isaiah 53:6. To go on our own way means to be lost.
To be carnally minded means to follow Satan. We must be spiritually minded; then we are in the likeness of God.
If someone loves God and admires the character of Jesus, and sees something beautiful in Him, he will read the Bible every day, and think about Him, and follow His example. If we love the world, then we want to watch television and read worldly books, and the Bible is left on the shelf.
Jesus promised to us fullness of joy, and happiness, and peace that passes understanding. We need to know God personally, and to be His friend, and talk to Him as to a close friend. He will give us the Holy Spirit; He will comfort us, and lead and guide us. A person with Christ in his heart cannot be made unhappy.
“Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.” Matthew 5:8. The pure in heart has only pure and holy thoughts in his mind. But Satan wants to defile our hearts and our minds with worldly things, that we would lose our missionary spirit, that we would stop reading the Bible every day, and not be present in every church meeting anymore.
The distance between those who serve God and those who do not serve Him is growing greater and wider. When suddenly the Sunday Law and persecution are upon us, then the unfaithful members will not be with God’s church anymore.
“As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.” 1 Corinthians 15:48–49
Those that are earthy will not be with God’s church to the end, but the members that are heavenly will be in God’s church always.
We all can become heavenly with God’s help. “For whom did He foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.” Romans 8:29. The faithful members were predestined to be conformed to the image of Christ. This is the work of God today, to conform sinners to the image of Christ. When we all are in Christ’s likeness, then we fit together—we can live in the same house, we can tolerate each other, we even love each other.
David had a special desire. “As for me, I will behold Thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with Thy likeness.” Psalm 17:15
It should be our desire also to be in Christ’s likeness. But, how do we do it? How do we change into Christ’s likeness? “But we all, with open face beholding as in a
glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” 2 Corinthians 3:18
It is done by beholding Christ in our minds, in our thoughts, in Bible reading, and in our prayers. Little by little, His lovely image will be seen in us. We become more humble, more subdued, more kind, more patient, more missionary minded, and more spiritual. In the end, we will be restored into the perfect image of God.
All our doctrines, our Sabbath-keeping, our health reform, our church meetings, and our Bible studies are for the purpose of restoring the image of God in us. Salvation means to be rescued from the image of Satan and transform into the image of God.
“None but Christ can fashion anew the character that has been ruined by sin. He came to expel the demons that had controlled the will. He came to lift us up from the dust, to reshape the marred character after the pattern of His divine character, and to make it beautiful with His own glory.” –The Desire of Ages, p. 38
When Jesus comes soon, all who have been transformed into the image of God will enter into eternal glory with Him.
Is it your desire to be perfect, and reflect the image of God? If you put all your energy, your time, and your talents into the work of sanctification, Jesus will help you; and by the grace of God, one day you can sing the song of victory with the 144,000 on Mount Zion. Amen.
Timo Martin