Conforming to Jesus

As Christians, we all have the same goal- to be made more like Jesus Christ. 1 John 2:6 says “whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.”

Romans 8:29 says we are “predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son.”

The bible tells us many things about how Jesus walked and talked. He gives us a perfect view of how to love others, be humble, take insults, rebuke Pharisees, embrace outcasts, and many other marvelous displays of man as he was meant to live. Jesus produced every fruit of the Spirit (see Galatians 5:22-23) in tangible ways, serving God and men so that we could worship him for who he is, and aim for that high calling.

Yes, there is only one man we are all trying to be like- the man Christ Jesus. So, in an ideal, sin-free world, I must ask- would Christians be clones? Will we be so in heaven? Here are a few points to consider.

We are Made in God’s Image, but with Different Personalities

Genesis 1:27 “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”

Consider that every person you have ever met was created in the image of God- created to reflect God’s nature. Of course, we are fallen and mar God’s glory, but we should still be in awe that each person is uniquely fashioned by God’s hand. The same God made us all, yet no two people are the same.

Those who know me well, know that for whatever reason, I am a magnet for the craziest of people. There is a Walmart employee with outstanding quirkiness that I always end up running into there, even when I have tried to avoid him. He has handed my children store items, assuming I want to buy them. Cut tags off rubber boots in the line and told my kids to change their shoes. Rattled off nutrition information about the food items I am purchasing. Led me on wild goose hunts for items that he never finds. I have often considered talking to the manager about his outlandish customer service.

But last time I found myself in his line I noticed something- he was strangely subdued. He still referred to me as “love” (not normal for Canadians), but the bounce was all out of his step. Someone must have complained about him, I thought, and I was surprised that the realization made me sad.

A thought popped into my head- this man was simply being the person God created him to be. Quirky, loud, overly helpful- and perhaps it needed some fine-tuning, but I suddenly felt that squelching him would be a real shame.

If God is the maker of all people, Christian or not, we should at least be able to see that God took some pleasure in creating a myriad of “types.” Not one is greater than the other. Would you make something without some measure of delight? Especially if your creation was to reflect some aspect of yourself?

Christ can be displayed by people who are naturally silly, authoritative, quiet, bold, intelligent, or inept for that matter. There are no personality types that can mar his image, only selfishness, pride, and all those qualities that lend personalities to sin. When I consider this, God grows more magnificent to me. I think, if people in this world should be so diverse and interesting, I cannot wait to meet God himself.

We Have Different Gifts

The bible is clear on this. Pointing to the one, whole and unified trinity, who produces great variety in his many children, 1 Corinthians 12:4-6 says “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit;  and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord;  and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone.”

Praise the “same God” who would lavish such a great variety of gifts, service, and activities on his church!

We Have Different Cultures

It’s pretty obvious that people are unique, but what we’re wondering is if “becoming more like Jesus” should blur the lines of our uniqueness. It may be helpful to ask what contributes to our being unique?

Culture might be the biggest influence. Have you ever watched the documentary “Babies”? It’s a delightful film following the first year of four babies in four different countries. You can watch a newborn get on a motorcycle with mom, dad, and sibling, to bomb back home down a dirt road, while another mom takes her baby to baby yoga.

As Christians we know that every culture has sin issues, however, many cultural differences are morally neutral. For example, in Canada, we take our shoes off when we enter homes, and my American friends are used to keeping theirs on. Whichever works is good with me.

Jesus kept with his culture in many ways. One example is when he turned water to wine at a wedding, as an act of compassion to spare the host from the shame of running out (John 2:1-11).  He also stood out from his culture to correct ways they had gone astray, such as when he displayed mercy by healing on the Sabbath (Mark 3:1-6) or cleansed the temple of the moneychangers (John 2:13-16).

It’s silly to think that conforming to Jesus means living like a first-century Jewish man.  We should consider that our cultural differences, preferences, and enjoyments, that are free of innate sin, have no intrinsic need to change in order to be like Jesus. In fact, there may be a good reason the bible gives us so few details about Jesus’ childhood, physical appearance, or past times. We are to be conforming to that perfect, holy, and loving nature of Jesus, which can be displayed across any place at any time in history, regardless of their music, art, sports, dress, etc.

Why Does This Matter?

It matters a whole lot in the realm of legalism. Legalism is tedious; It sucks the pleasure out of life. It wants everyone to look just like me, but oh yeah- in the name of Jesus. It’s an insult to the diversity of people that God has created for himself.

Legalism kills our appreciation for believers who are different from us and robs us of seeing pieces of God’s glory. We need to sort out what it does and doesn’t mean to be made like Jesus so that we can be careful not to tear down the work of God in someone else’s life and hinder their faith (read Romans 14 for more on this topic).

Romans 14:4 Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.”

When we are finally, all made like Jesus, when we see him at last, we will become more one than ever before (1John 3:2). Yet in John’s Revelation, he sees “a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages” (Revelation 7:9). It makes me ecstatic to consider worshipping Jesus alongside the vibrant tongues, colors, and music of every tribe. What surprises might await me there? And how strange will believers from ancient history find our modern music? What pleasure might they gain from the new sounds and sights?

Jesus wants us to see past our differences, to the unity of the gospel, God’s image, God’s spirit, and God’s Son. We are not to clones, but we are uniquely made and gifted image-bearers.

Romans 14:17-19 “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.”