Likeness

God created man in His own image, and in His own likeness. God created everything to reproduce after its own kind, in its own likeness. So when Adam and Eve had a son in Gen. 5:1-3, it is not surprising that the son had the image and likeness of Adam. Everything follows the seed sowing principle, which says that whatever is planted brings forth a harvest after its own kind. Paul expands this principle into our everyday lives in Gal. 6:7,8, where he says that whatever a man sows, that shall he also reap. He applies this to sowing to our flesh nature which reaps destruction, and sowing to the Spirit, reaping life everlasting. Every thought and every action becomes a seed sown. Rom. 12:2 tells us that we need to renew our minds so we may find out the will of God. Renewing the mind is replacing the old mindset with the new thoughts of God. Jesus said that we should "Take no anxious thought, saying, 'What shall we eat?', or 'What shall we drink?', or 'What shall we wear?' " We are not to take those thoughts, and we are not to say them. We are to renew our minds to the Scripture, and say those promises. This is the transformation of the mind to live by faith, and not by doubt. The words we say are so powerful they have the power of life and death in them, Pro. 18:21. We must let God change our hearts and minds by receiving His thoughts and attitudes. Consider the beatitudes, how they display the attitudes that Christ had, and how each beatitude is also a principle of sowing and reaping. Paul said that he was confident that the good thing that God started in us, God would continue to complete until the day of His coming. What is it that God is wanting to do in us? What will we look like when He has completed His work? His work in us is to bring is into the image of His Son. He wants us to become like Jesus in every way. He wants our lives to bear the likeness of His Son.