Do I Reflect Christ?

by T.W. Fullerton, Melbourne | Category: General | Jul 1978

Distributing gospel booklets to students of a local high school as they emerged, we handed two of the lads a booklet each. They had gone only a few steps when a car drew up, and the occupant, evidently a teacher, called one of the boys. We could not avoid hearing the ensuing conversation. After the question: "Have you been smoking?" there followed some straight talking. We were impressed by the final remarks, of which we give the substance: "You know that you are not permitted to smoke when you are in school uniform. That other boy can do as he pleases as he has left school, but you must not disobey school regulations". It was evident that smoking by a pupil reflected upon the character of the school.

As we thought over the incident, we asked ourselves, Is there not a lesson here for disciples of the Lord? Our minds turned to Galatians 3:27, "As many of you as were baptized into Christ did put on Christ". Baptism is a public confession before God and man that we have been identified with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection. The Son of God, who loved us and gave Himself for us, bare our sins in His own body upon the tree, enduring the death which ought to have been ours as He experienced separation from God. We died judicially with Him, our divine Substitute; we were buried and raised to walk in newness of life (Rom. 6:4). We have put on Christ, the new man. Things that we once did, we should no longer do, they are "the works of the flesh", which, we declared at our baptism, had died. If we continue in them, or return to them, we bring reproach upon the Name of Christ, whom we have confessed and whose image we should in some degree reflect before men. His characteristics are seen in the "fruit of the Spirit" of Galatians 5:22 and 23. This reminds us of language used in Psalm 96:9, "the beauty of holiness" or "holy array" (RVM), which can only be acquired as we meditate upon Christ and His written Word. Let us be continually exercised to be found displaying the standard of behaviour expected from disciples of the Lord: and a true reflection of the character and ways of Him whom we have "put on".

T.W. Fullerton, Melbourne | Jul 1978
General