JESUS came to reveal God's likeness

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Colossians 1:15 (NKJV)
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.

God created man in His image and likeness. However, when man sinned, he still had the "image" of God, but lost the "likeness". In other words, he still looked like God but he lost the capacity to display his likeness or similitude to God. Consequently, what became the norm were behaviors that were completely atypical of God. Man took turns to misrepresent God from their distorted perspective of the likeness of God or their inability to replicate how God was really like. Cain killing Abel was a case in point among many others.

Recall, man was supposed to learn and perfect his knowledge of God and the capacity to flawlessly exhibit the likeness of God from the time God set aside to spend with man in the Garden of Eden. The Bible says God came down everyday, in the cool of the day. Why did He do that? He wanted fellowship with man with the intent that man would get to know Him and be able to truly, completely, accurately act like or represent Him. But that fellowship was brought to an abrupt end when man sinned, and God's goal was not defeated, but temporarily suspended, to be attained with the coming of Christ. 

Even when some men of old stepped out of the rot to cultivate fellowship with God in pursuit of the knowledge of God, they still had times when they misrepresented God as a consequence of the imperfection of their knowledge of God and His likeness. Abraham - the friend of God - as strong as his relationship with God was, misrepresented God severally. Moses - who it is said spoke with God face to face - misrepresented God as well, Elijah did, Elisha did, even David - the man after God's own heart - did too!

So when Jesus came, He didn't come to save mankind from their sins alone, He came to show mankind what or how God is really like. He came to depict the God-life which man was meant to live post-salvation. He came to reveal the likeness of God. He came to correct man's distorted or flawed view of God's likeness. You will recall that Jesus, at different occasions, corrected some events of the old testament. He rebuked His disciples for their desire to replicate Elijah's 'rain of fire' (Luke 9:54-56, 2 Kings 1:10-12). He forgave and was silent when He was mocked and insulted on the Cross as against a certain great Prophet who called two she bears to kill 42 children that mocked Him (2 Kings 2: 23-24). He fulfilled and repealed the law of Moses, He turned water into wine that brought joy and happiness when a certain famous prophet turned water to blood (John 2, Exo 7:20-21), He set a woman caught in the act of adultery free when the same highly revered prophet said "stone her to death" (John 8:1-11). Someone may be wondering, wasn't it God that sent the fire that Elijah called to devour the 100 soldiers? Friends, I could argue that it wasn't. Regardless, that's a perfect example of someone working in the permissive will of God. God will never force His will on man. It is instructive to note that His permission does not mean approval. Hence, there was constant friction between Jesus and the Pharisees, Sadducees, Scribes, the teachers of the law because the picture of the Father that Jesus painted to them was at variance with what they knew. 

Basically, Jesus came to achieve what God set out to do when He came down to spend time with man in the Garden. We all agree that you can't truly be or act like who you don't know, so Jesus spent three and a half years with His disciples to reveal the likeness of God to man and restore man's capacity to truly live, be or act like God as a supplement to looking like God, like God wanted to achieve with Adam. Just incase the three and half years wasn't enough, Jesus returned back to live in man in the form of the Holy Spirit so that man could effortlessly exhibit semblance or similitude to God. 

Therefore, if you really want to know how God is really like, with the aim of modeling your life after His likeness, please look intently and study the life of Jesus. Jesus is the perfect picture of the Father. Our reference scripture tells us that He is the image (likeness as well, obviously) of God the Father, not Moses, and definitely not Elijah! So, to all the wannabe Moses and Elijah, please Jesus is the one you should really be like!! God wants us to look at Jesus. Jesus Himself said learn of me (Matt 11:29).

In truth, only God Himself could show us how He is really like, and that's why He had to come in the flesh. He came as the visible, physical manifestation of the invisible God who man hasn't and could not see, yet was made to be like. Today, we can't present the cheap excuse of not knowing how God is really like. If you desire to lead your life after the similitude of God, you can! Simply look to Jesus! Spend time to fellowship with Jesus via the instrument of the Word and prayers. Gradually but surely, you will become conformed to His likeness as your mind gets renewed continuously. God bless you!

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