We are children of the King, created in the image of God Almighty, and heirs to his kingship. Genesis 1:27 tells us so:
“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”
Yet we live in a world at war, with sinful temptations on every side, and we find it difficult to live up to the example given us by Christ.
What’s gone wrong with God’s plan?
The real issue is that we’re only human. We are what God created us to be, flesh, and as long as we are flesh, we will struggle with fleshly needs, impulses, and desires. That is what it means to be human. 1 Corinthians 3:3 tells us:
“For you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way?”
Does that mean we accept sin as inevitable? Of course not. We must strive to be patient, kind, understanding, long-suffering, and to show all the other fruits of the Spirit. 1 John 4:19 tells us why:
“We love because he first loved us.”
John the Apostle encourages us to lift ourselves above our human condition, to strive to be better, and to elevate our example to the world so that they can see Jesus in us. How is this possible? We find our answer in Romans 8:6:
“For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.”
When we focus our thoughts on the Father, on Jesus, and on the Holy Spirit, we will find ourselves changed. Will we live perfect lives? Probably not, because we are, after all, only human. It is the struggle to become better that lifts us above the crowd, and lets others see the life and peace of our Lord shining through us.
When we keep our eyes on Christ, we become more than we were born to be.
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Code: FGO.C.27.15.vp.esv