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In The Beginning, part 5
The Image of the Best
Mentone February 21, 2015
What difference can seven seconds make? On May 23, 2008,
Joel Ifergan rushed to a nearby convenience store in Quebec, Canada.
He wanted to get there before 9 p.m. in order to purchase two tickets
for the Super Seven lottery, by that time valued at about $28 million.
At 8:59 he plunked down his money in front of store owner Mehernosh
Iranpur, and one at a time the tickets spilled from the machine. The
first bore the time insignia of 8:59 p.m., but because the tickets are
processed one at a time, the second was just a few seconds later and
bore time mark of 9:00:07. That second ticket had all the winning
numbers, and Joel thought that since he had, in his mind, made the
purchase before the 9 p.m. cutoff, he would be declared the winner.
The lottery commission disagreed and refused to pay him, citing
the fact that the ticket, since the machine had issued it after 9 p.m.,
witnessed by the time printed right on the ticket itself, pertained to the
next week’s game, for which his numbers didn’t match. Joel sued, and
now 7 years later the Supreme Court of Canada has decided against
him. Seven seconds cost him becoming a millionaire! Here’s his
picture, with the disappointment evident on his face. If he had gotten
to the store just a minute earlier, how things would be different, and
how his life would have changed!
We bring this up only because there will be countless people who
will miss out on something much more important than the millions lost
by Joel, because they will have procrastinated in making their decision
to accept the gift of salvation offered by God. The devil is just fine with
people thinking, “I’m going to make that decision. I know that I need
to, but I’ll wait just a little longer before doing it.” Don’t be that
person! Receive Christ into your life now, and become an heir to the
biggest “prize” of all, eternal life! Don’t be “seven seconds too late.”
As we’ve seen, Genesis 1 is not only the story of creation, as
vital as that is, but it is also the story of re-creation. We’ve noted 7
points of comparison between the two models, which are: 1) The final
objective: the image of God. 2) The condition when God starts His
work: darkness, without form and void. 3) God exercises creative
power. 4) The Spirit Who “hovers.” 5) “Let there be light.” 6) The
principle of “separate and divide.” 7) The “fruit” and the “seed” which
produces “after his (His) kind.”
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God starts with us when we are in “darkness,” and our lives are
spiritually “without form and void,” and then He exercises His mighty
and awesome creative power to make us new. We’ve talked about the
immense energy of God’s power to bring matter into existence;
remember the comparison of 2500 atomic blasts representing just the
energy necessary to bring 5 pounds of matter into existence. We try to
grapple with what that means as we think of the immensity of mass
contained in the earth, our solar system, our galaxy and the entire
universe. And that’s just talking about bringing into existence
inanimate mass. God’s energy went way beyond that, because He
turned much of that mass into living matter, with plants, animals and
humans.
This huge reservoir of God’s limitless supply of energy is
important to recognize, because in a sense, the project on which He is
now at work, the restoration of the sinful soul, is even more difficult to
accomplish. When God said, “Let there be” in Genesis 1, there was no
stubborn, rebellious human will to resist His directive. Not only is all
His power allocated toward this present project, but we know of no
other undertaking that was more expensive. Nowhere do we read that
another of His building enterprises cost Him His life blood, which this
one has.
It is to His glory that He can restore sinners to saints. Talk to
any builder and they will tell you that remodeling is always more
challenging than new construction. You never know what surprises and
mysteries lurk behind those walls! I can tell you that from personal
experience! And so it is that today, in this sinful existence, God’s
“mission statement” to “Let Us make man in Our image,” even after
sin came in, within sinful flesh and a sinful nature, comprises a radical
plan, an seemingly unimaginable attainment. Yet, through His power,
He is able to do just that, for those who willingly submit to His Spirit.
“Out of nothing,” ex nihilo, which describes both His technique in
creating the world as well as describing our spiritual condition before
He comes into our lives, He makes something good. As long as I
realize that I am “nothing” as for as righteousness goes, there is hope
for me. Paul said, “For when I am weak, then I am strong.” II
Corinthians 12:10. Jesus said, “Without Me you can do nothing.” John
15:5. It is His unique gift, His special pleasure and delight to re-make
us into His image, His icon. We noted that this is the same word (in
the Greek Old Testament) that Revelation uses in warning against the
“image of the beast.” So at the end of time there will be two “images,”
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two “icons” on display, the “image of God” reflected in the lives of His
saints who have allowed His mission statement of Genesis 1:26 to be
fulfilled in their lives, and those who have rejected His grace, and now
devoid completely of His Spirit, have taken on the “image of the
beast.”
Only Jesus is the absolutely perfect, “express image” of the
Father, but we can become a reflection, a perfect reflection of that
image through His grace. We’ve concentrated so far on the word “icon”
when speaking of the “image” of God, because that’s the word in
Genesis 1. But there’s another word we should look at, that’s also
translated “image” in the Bible. In Hebrews 1:3 Paul uses a word
translated “image” when He says, that Jesus is the “express image of
His person.” That word is not “icon,” but it’s a word that like “icon”
also came directly into our English language. It is the word character.
Jesus is the express character of the Father, but we can be re-made
into His likeness and reflect His character.
This word character has an interesting background that has
lessons for us. It originally referred to the instrument that was used
for engraving or carving. Then it became associated with the marks or
letters that were burned in by the instrument. It’s not used much in
the Bible, but we have one usage of it in the Old Testament to
compare. In Leviticus 13:28 (LXX) which speaks about a priest
examining a person formerly afflicted with leprosy and pronouncing
him clean from it we read, “But if the bright spot stays in one place
and has not spread on the skin, but has faded, it is a swelling from the
burn. The priest shall pronounce him clean for it is the “scar” (or
“mark” the character) from the burn.”
This word meant “impress, reproduction or representation” as in
a coin that bore the impress of a king. Think of the spiritual lessons
associated with that concept! The word character is closely related to
another word in Greek, the word charagma which also means a “mark,
or stamp, engraved, etched, branded, cut or imprinted.” Arndt and
Gingrich, p. 884. It was used to refer to brands on horses, stamps on
documents or impressions on coins.
Here’s where it gets really interesting. In Revelation 13 and 14
this word is used to describe the “mark” of the beast. Because it is so
closely related to the other word, we could say that those who defy
God at the very end will receive the character, the character of the
beast. The thoughts and motives of Satan will have been “engraved,
stamped, etched branded and imprinted” on their minds to the point
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that they have his character, his mark. We don’t want to be in that
group! We want to be in the group that has the character, the icon,
the image of God that He wants to etch and engrave into our minds!
We want to be the “coin” that bears the “impress” of the “King,” the
character of Jesus!
This matter of being made into the “image of God,” the molding
of our characters into the reflection of Jesus, is the work of our
lifetime. But in an instant, by fiat creation, we are given a restored
standing in His sight, and given the light of the knowledge of His
gracious love and Being. Purpose and meaning replace aimless
wandering. He brings us into loving relationship with Him and inscribes
on our hearts His image, His likeness, His character. Genesis 1:26,
“Let Us make man in Our image,” is fulfilled in us, even in a sinful
world.
This task of remolding us into God's image is accomplished
through the Holy Spirit, Who “hovers” over the sea of humanity
waiting to do His work of restoration. God said, “Let there be light,”
referring to the truth about God, His love, His kingdom, His law and
His just requirements. God is still saying today, “Let there be light.”
Then we saw the principle of separation and division we see in
Genesis 1. This also finds a parallel in our Christian walk. We saw the
“separating” work evidenced in 4 phases, just as He “separated and
divided” during the first four days of Creation week. First, it is His
objective to separate from us sin. Then He is separating us from
unholy alliances with those who would draw us away from Him. He is
now separating the “waters from the waters.” Someday He will “sever”
or “separate” those who are faithful to Him during the seven last
plagues and protect their lives. Finally, He will separate sheep from
goats, weeds from wheat when He comes.
Today we conclude with the principle of the fruit which has the
“seed in itself,” that reproduces “after its kind.” Does anyone here like
fruit? I love fruit! I think it’s awesome that God gave us fruits that are
“seasonally adjusted.” Watermelon’s ripe just when you’d like it to be,
in the summer, right?
There are deep spiritual truths taught in Genesis 1:11. “Then
God said, ‘Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed,
and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is
in itself, on the earth;’ and it was so.” Did you know that there
something like 10,000 varieties within the “grass” family? And,
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according to the World Resources Institute, there are at least 100,000
types of fruit trees in the world. One website states that there are
7,500 varieties of the apple tree alone! God gave an abundance, didn’t
He!
The fruit in Genesis 1:11 is described as having its “seed in
itself” and that it reproduces “after its kind.” Important genetic and
spiritual truths are taught by these words. The “seed is in itself” refers
to the fact that within the fruit, as made by God, there is the
mechanism for propagation. The “after his kind” phrase tells us that
that reproduction will be like its parentage.
There is an abundance of seed material for the propagation of
more trees. We don’t think very much about it. We slide open an apple
and there are many seeds in the core, each potentially in itself another
apple tree bearing thousands of apples, each of which contains more
seeds, and so on. Just try to think if it were not the case, that among
1,000 apples there would be just one seed. How tedious and careful
the search would be to find that one seed so that apples wouldn’t
become distinct. “Ah! I found it,” a shout would go up. Somebody
would find that one seed and rejoice like they found a gold coin in a
cracker-jack box. But that’s not what we find in nature, is it. There
are thousands of seeds, and it’s not an issue. Each watermelon
contains hundreds (unless it’s of the seedless variety) of seeds, each
of which can become a watermelon vine, bearing many watermelons,
and so on.
What does this mean for us spiritually? Aside from teaching that
there are “abundant” resources for our spiritual needs, the Apostle
John makes this inspired comment. “Whoever has been born of God
does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because
he has been born of God.” I John 3:9. Two thoughts we wish to
emphasize in this text. Who is the “Seed,” and what is the significance
of the phrase “His Seed remains in him”? Who is the “Seed” in this
context? It is Jesus!
Referring to the promise made in Genesis 3 Paul writes, “He
does not say, ‘And to seeds,’ as of many, but as of one, ‘And to your
Seed,’ who is Christ.” Galatians 3:16. Jesus is the “Seed” that remains
in us. And when He is within us, He gives us His faith and His victory.
“You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He
who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” I John 4:4.
“Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Colossians 1:27. What is the “glory”
that Paul is speaking about here? Is it merely the mansions above, the
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majestic splendor of His kingdom? We're hoping for that, aren't we,
and that's not wrong to do so. But we must also recognize that this
“glory” also includes the “glory” that is His character, written within
our hearts by His Spirit, re-making us into His image. A lot of people
what the “glory” that is the heavenly reward, but they're not really
interested in having the selfless character of Jesus, which is also His
“glory.”
What does it mean that Christ is “in” us? It just means that we
have given our lives to Him. We have asked Him into our hearts.
Revelation 3:18 pictures Jesus standing at the door of our hearts,
knocking. If we will simply allow Him entrance, He will enter and abide
with us.
Let's go back to Genesis 1:11. “Then God said, ‘Let the earth
bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that
yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth;’
and it was so.” The term “seed” describes what it was, and the phrase
“after his kind” refers to what it did. Because it was a “seed” that
contained the reproductive capabilities that God gave to it, it couldn't
help but fulfill this function and produce “after his kind.” The “nature”
of the fruit is to do just that, and it's still true today.
This text certainly refers to the fruit trees and all other living
things that were given power to propagate, including human beings.
Today we find that there are a number of words in our language that
are based on the Latin word for “seed” that bear out that meaning,
including the scholastic institution that pastors attend to learn about
the “seed of truth.” We call that type of a school a “seminary.”
But there is also a spiritual application of this text as it applied
to Adam and Eve and all their sons and daughters, including you and
me. Adam and Eve were made with a perfectly intact and holy spiritual
nature. Originally, just like the fruit that we're reading about in
Genesis 1:11, the “seed” of God’s character was within them. They
fulfilled that verse in a spiritual way, and they “reproduced” the
character of God by nature, “after His kind.” Holy thoughts and holy
deeds came “naturally” to them, because it was their nature to love
and obey God. They delighted to do His will.
Adam had to go “against his nature” when he chose to disobey
God and sin. It didn't come “naturally” him. But when sin came in,
their natures became corrupted and weakened. The “seed” of
righteousness, which would have continuously produced holiness “after
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His kind,” was no longer present. They became “without form and void'
and their minds were engulfed in spiritual “darkness,” incapable of
understanding truth, incapable of resisting evil on their own. The
“seed” of righteousness that had been implanted with them was gone.
That which God had placed in them was now absent. Genesis 1:11
would now have a different meaning. Because they had sinful natures,
the “after his kind” principle would result in the replication of unholy
thoughts and unholy deeds. A “bad seed” came into humanity.
An outside Source would have to come to the rescue, which is
exactly what God did. Now, the good “seed” must be replanted within
us supernaturally, which God can do if we will let Him. Originally, it
was Adam's and Eve's nature to do right, to love and obey God. But
when sin came in, the holy “seed” was removed, and and a different
principle was activated. They were now controlled by a selfish nature,
just as we were born with. That built-in capacity to love and obey God
was forfeited by sin. But through the Gospel, God can again put the
“seed” of righteousness back in us, putting us on advantageous
ground in the battle against evil. If we remain faithful to Him,
uncorrupted by the world, we become His children and known to Him
as the “holy seed.” Ezra 9:2.
God must plant the good Seed within us. Notice the imagery that
James uses. “Receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able
to save your souls.” James 1:21. We'll suggest that the term “word”
there refers both to the Sacred Scriptures, the written word, as well as
the “Word” that came, was made flesh and dwelt among us, the living
“Word.” “Receive with meekness the implanted Word, which is able to
save your souls.” What a Gospel promise! It's an invitation to relive
Genesis 1:11 in its spiritual application. Did you receive Christ into
your heart today? Did you invite Jesus, the “Seed,” into your life
today?
Now, through the generous provisions of the Gospel, Christ
brings His power, His infinite power, through His Word into our lives
and gives us victory over the evil one. The “Seed” of Christ and His
righteousness can again be part of our experience. Here's what the
Apostle Peter tells us. “As His divine power has given to us all things
that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him (the
“light”) who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to
us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you
may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption
that is in the world through lust.” II Peter 1:4.
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The nature we were born with, the nature that Adam bequeathed
to us, is defective and not equipped to resist evil. But God will give to
us, if we ask Him, a new nature, one that “delights in His law” and
loves to follow Him. This new nature, if nurtured and cultivated, will
subdue the evil nature, through His grace and power, and we will be
transformed into the character, “image” and “likeness” of the Lord.
What that means is that when we become Christians and give
our lives to Him, there is a conflict inside of us, with two sides at war
one with another; with our natural evil nature, with which we were
born, battling against the God-given spiritual nature we're given when
we're born again. This conflict will stay with us unto Jesus comes,
because it's then, at the Advent, that He completely removes the sinful
nature from us and we will be completely free from any leanings or
attractions to sin.
But in the meantime, Christ can give us victory and remold our
characters to be in His image, even while we are living in sinful flesh
(flesh weakened physically by the deterioration of 6,000 years) and a
sinful nature (a nature that tends toward evil). Christ's power can
dominate the sinful nature so that it is “held under” and controlled by
grace, resisting the promptings to go against God's law.
The closer we come to Christ, the more the heavenly nature will take
precedence, the more our thoughts and deeds will become a perfect
reflection of His image.
But in order to progress in our spiritual walk, the “Seed,” as John
tells us, must “remain” in us. “Whoever has been born of God does not
sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has
been born of God.” I John 3:9. We have to invite Jesus into our lives
every single day, every single moment, or we will succumb to the
deceptions and delusions of the evil one and fall back. It's something
like plugging in your cell phone every night. If you don't, you'll run the
risk of losing power and losing the ability to connect. So we have to be
“plugged in” constantly to the Source of power that is made available
to us, Jesus Christ, through His word and through the Holy Spirit. Then
His “Seed” will “remain” in us and we will experience victory in
Christian living, and progress toward the ultimate goal of being
changed into the likeness of Jesus, the fulfillment of Genesis 1:26.
There is yet another lesson contained in the concept of the
“seed,” and that is that, in our world after sin has come in, a seed
becomes productive only when it dies. I'm sure that that was not
God's original plan, because nothing died in Eden before sin came in.
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That's why it's not mentioned in Genesis 1:11. But now that sin has
come in, things have changed and the “death” of the seed has become
a necessary requirement for the new life to take place.
Speaking primarily of His own death Jesus said, “Most assuredly,
I say to you, unless a grain (“seed”) of wheat falls into the ground and
dies, it remains alone; but if it does, it produces much grain.” John
12:24. The “seed” has to “die” in order for it to bring “life.” Jesus
became the Model of that Seed that died and then became productive
in providing salvation. That is a very apt picture of what He did by
dying on the cross to give us eternal life. But the “seed that dies” is
also an illustration of our lives too. We also, like a seed, must “die” to
self in order to become born again into His image. What did Paul say?
“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ
lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in
the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” Galatians
2:20.
When that happens, then the second principle becomes
applicable in our lives. The “after his kind” genetic law takes effect.
There’s a genetic principle and a Gospel promise defined by these
words, “after his kind,” which has literal as well as spiritual application.
When I was in the 7th grade the teacher Mr. Lucas chose to use me as
an example of how children partake of their parents’ traits. It
embarrassed me to death! But I don’t hold it against him. The lesson
he was trying to get across has stuck in my mind ever since. My dad
was tall and thin, and so was I. To express the same idea sometimes
we say things like, “The acorn didn't fall far from the tree,” or “he is
the spit and image (not “spitting image”!) of his dad.”
There's a profound spiritual lesson here. The “Seed” produces
“after His kind.” God’s children partake of His DNA. “Like Father, like
son (or daughter)” is an adage that has a Gospel application. Fruit
trees bear “after their kind.” An apple tree will never produce a cactus
pear. Here's a picture of one of our apple trees. It's called an “Anna
Apple,” because it is supposedly adapted to warmer climates like what
we have in southern California. It doesn't produce every single year,
but when it does, it produces prodigiously. You know those 5-gallon
plastic buckets, don't you? Last year I brought in bucket after bucket
of apples from that one tree. I washed them, cored, them, boiled them
and made applesauce which we froze. I think we made about 20
gallons of applesauce, and it could have been another 20 but I ran out
of time, energy and space in the freezer.
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You might be thinking, “Thank you very much, Pastor, for telling
us about your applesauce, but that doesn't do my taste buds very
much good.” Well, we brought some of it today, and you can test a
sample of it at our fellowship meal if you like. That apple tree will
never produce watermelons or tomatoes. It will produce apples, “after
its kind.” The spiritual lesson for us, is that if Jesus is within us, if His
“Seed” remains in us, then in a spiritual way the law of genetics will
take effect that will result in our character traits becoming “after His
kind.” The Lord will produce the “fruits of the Spirit,” which are Godlike characteristics in our lives, according to Galatians 5:22, and we
will be molded into the image, the likeness of our Creator. God's
mission statement of Genesis 1:26 will become our reality.
Now it may be that someone will say, “I hear what you're
saying, pastor, but I just don’t think that’s ever going to happen in my
life. I’m always going to go on sinning and making mistakes.” We can't
think that way! We must never limit what God can do! God can do
what He says! Someone might say, “What about you, Pastor
Anderson? You've been on the 'journey' for a while now. Are you
'there' yet?” First of all, if anyone were to claim perfection, that would
be clear evidence that they have not achieved it. Whenever a question
like that comes up, I take refuge in remembering what the Apostle
Paul said. “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected;
but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has
also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have
apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are
behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press
toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 3:12-14. In other words, we keep trusting in Jesus to do
what He promised in us.
Remember, the vast, limitless resources of Heaven are standing
by to help anyone who calls for assistance. “Now to Him who is able to
keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the
presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to God our Savior who alone
is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and
forever. Amen.” Jude 24, 25. We need to trust in Jesus to complete His
work us, just as He’s promised. “Being confident of this very thing,
that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the
day of Jesus Christ.” Philippians 1:6.
The world is getting more and more wicked every day, isn’t it.
But what is God waiting for, before He brings this to an end? It’s the
reflection of His character in the lives of His people. Earlier we took a
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look at a passage in which Paul developed a whole theology by
emphasizing that a word, “seed,” was singular and because it was it
referred to Christ. Remember that text in Galatians 3:16? Now, we're
going to look at a text and note that a word is in the plural and it
makes a huge difference. In the plural it does not refer to Christ. It
refers to us. Here's the text. “For the earnest expectation of the
creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons (and daughters) of
God.” Romans 8:19.
Notice that the word “sons” is in the plural. Now, it would
certainly be true if that word were in the singular, wouldn’t it? It would
be a true statement if the text read, “For the earnest expectation of
the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the Son of God.” That
would be true, wouldn't it? But that’s not what the text says. It says all
creation is waiting for the revelation of the sons (and daughters) of
God.
We could say that the “creation” (that would include angels and
unfallen beings on other planets throughout God's great universe) is
eagerly waiting for the “revealing” of the Son of God. Do you see the
word “revealing” in that text? It's the same word (apocalypses) that in
many other texts does indeed apply toward Jesus' being revealed in
the sky at His advent. See for example I Corinthians 1:7; II
Thessalonians 1:7: I Peter 1:7; 13. Even though it is most certainly
the “earnest expectation” of us who “eagerly wait” for the Son of God
to be revealed, this passage is talking about something else. It is
saying that the creation is waiting for the “revealing” of the sons (and
daughters!) of God!
Who are these “sons” (and “daughters”) of God? If you read just
a couple of verses ahead of this one we see that they are the ones
who are guided by the Spirit. “For as many as are led by the Spirit of
God, these are the sons (and daughters) of God.” Romans 8:14. These
are the ones who have been called from darkness, from a life that’s
empty and void, and have received His light and the benefits of His recreative power, and have been separated from sin and iniquity. These
are the ones in whose hearts the “Spirit Who hovers” has found a
home and are now bearing the fruits of the Spirit after His kind, and in
whom His Seed remains and are shaped into the image of God. They
are the ones in whom Genesis 1:26 has been fulfilled. You can be one
of these “sons and daughters of God.”
The image, icon, of God will be restored in the lives of those who
submit to God and allow His Spirit to re-make them, and at that last
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day there will be two images on display. Every single person on this
planet at that time will have one or the other; either the image and
likeness of God, or the image of the beast. Which do you choose?
On August 4, 1987 Joy White took her daughter, Carlina to the
Harlem Hospital in Manhattan because she had a high fever of 104.
She was just 19 days old. A woman in white comforted the parents,
though it was later learned that she was not a hospital employee.
Sometime near 2 a.m. the next morning, at the time of the changing
of the shift, Carlina White disappeared. She had been abducted. The
hospital had video cameras, but apparently they weren't working at
the time. Flyers were distributed, a $10,000 reward offered and a
nationwide search was conducted without success. Months turned into
years and then into decades, though the family continued to search
and never gave up hope.
It turns out that she had been snatched by a woman named Ann
Pettway, and raised only 45 miles from her home. As she grew up,
Carlina, or Nejdra, the name given her by her abductor, sensed that
she was not the birth daughter of Ann, and began her own “detective
work,” resulting in her contacting agencies like the National Center for
Missing and Abused Children. They put together the true story, as
pictures of “Nejdra” as a baby closely resembled the ones of Carlina,
the kidnapped infant.
Her parents were contacted and DNA tests were conducted, but
according to her mother Joy, they weren't needed. As soon as the
joyful reunion took place in January of 2011, her mother said
something like, “We really didn't need any tests. I saw myself in her
and knew she was mine.”
Oh friends! In its infancy the human family, like Carlina, was
kidnapped by a cruel enemy. God has been on a “search and rescue”
mission ever since. He has been in the process of restoring His
likeness in His children ever since they were taken captive by Satan.
One day He will come in the sky, and He will know the ones that are
His, because He will see His likeness in their characters. He will know
them as His own sons and daughters, the ones in whom His seed has
remained and the ones whose character attributes have produced after
“His kind.” You want to be among those, don't you?
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