The Likeness of Glory

The Likeness of Glory

One of the most profound stories in all of literature is Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. In it, the scientist Victor Frankenstein creates a creature. All goes well for a short while – until the creature starts to embarrass the scientist by not leaving him alone. Frankenstein then sees his creation as a pest and a monster. Frankenstein does everything he can to hide and run from this creature, including trying to escape him by going to the North Pole.

The creature, however, just wants a simple thing: He yearns to be near the person whose creativity he bears. He wants to be in communion with his creator. Throughout the story, his heart aches to be near his creator and to be loved by him.

Before the calendar tips us into the new year, you need to be reminded of something important about 2012. You were there for it. For a reason: God needed you. And He has needed you on earth since the day you were born. If He didn’t, He wouldn’t have created you.

You are an original. That’s what the apostle Paul tells us in Galatians 5:26b. No one shares your soul. You’re unique. Every morsel of you was planned. God picked you to be you, with the personality, gifts, and talents you possess.

Yet, in your uniqueness, you share a Likeness. You’ve got something in common with the Creator of the world, with the triune God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. You were created in Their image. Genesis 1:26-27 says, “let Us make human beings in Our image, to be like Us. . . in the image of God. He created them male and female.”

Friend, you’ve got the Us Factor in your DNA.

I love the contrast between Shelley’s creator and the Us Creators. In Shelley’s story, Frankenstein, after the incredible feat of bringing a creature to life, wanted nothing to do with his creation and runs from him. In God’s story of you, He has never stopped pursuing you to be in relationship with the Us.

You and I. We’re part of the community of the Us. We were created by Them because They wanted you and me. We are pursued by a Beautiful God whose Heart yearns for community with us, so much so that He sent His Son, another Original, to earth so that we could get back in community to God.

Psalm 17:15 says, “And I — in righteousness I will see Your face; when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing Your Likeness.”

Satisfy: satis for enough. To fill, to meet expectation of. How does it feel to be made in the likeness of Glory? God is satisfied with his created being ― you! Will you look in the mirror each day of 2013 and boldly believe it?