How Well Do You Display The Likeness Of Your Father?

 

Matthew 5:43–48 43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

It is expected that a child will display the likeness of one or both parents. From the time of infancy certain similarities are seen and as the child matures those similarities become much more defined and evident. But children bearing the likeness of a parent or parents does not end with appearance. Behaviors, mannerisms, likes and dislikes make it clear they are a chip of the old block. And as children bear the likeness of their parents, the children of God bear the likeness of their Father in heaven.

The teaching of Jesus in the passage above is unmistakable. The function of true faith takes followers of Jesus well beyond normal human affections and loyalties (i.e. “love your neighbor and hate your enemy”). The behavior of God’s people is not established by popular opinion, but it reveals the character of God in and through the lives of His people. The impact of God’s presence and the power of transforming grace is seen in practical expressions of love and prayers even for those who stand in hostile opposition to us as God’s children. Just as indiscriminate common grace characterizes God, so should it characterize His people.

Those outside the Christian faith have little problem loving those who love them and pleasantly greeting those with whom they closely identify. A penetrating look into our hearts and our actions is revealing. Saying we care about people who are pleasant, safe and respectful is no identifying mark of God’s saving and transforming grace. It’s natural. God’s transforming grace empowers His children to function in supernatural ways that put His grace, through indiscriminate care and concern, on display for all to see.

When Jesus informs us that we must be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect, He is helping us to understand that godliness is not a goal to be achieved, but a transformed character that is displayed. God’s saving grace to us in Jesus makes an observable difference in the way we think, feel, behave and react. We do not do well to define the teaching of our Lord down to a place that is normal and reasonably achievable. Those who know Jesus are radically transformed to love, serve and pray for our most ardent foes.

How do you react toward those who ridicule and mistreat you? What God produces in and through the hearts of His children is markedly different than what is normal and natural. How well are you displaying the likeness of your Father in heaven? It will do you no good to try harder. Ask God to do the work within you that only He can do and then anticipate the provision of grace and faith that will empower you to love, serve and pray for your enemies to the glory of God alone!