Recently I was looking at some pictures of my mom. She passed away at 104—a strong, wonderful woman. Even in her nineties and past 100, what a looker she was. But the pictures of her at eighteen, twenty—we’re talking movie star looks. I had forgotten how pretty she was. That’s what pictures do: they remind us of how people look when we’re away from them.

As we walk through life, it’s easy sometimes to forget who God is. Even when we’re reading our Bibles and going to church, the trials of life—difficulties, loss, pain, frustrated plans—can make us ask, “Why did God let this happen? What’s going on in my life?” We can forget the image of God.

Satan is always working to distort that image, coming as an angel of light and painting pictures of God that make us resentful. Martin Luther, the great Reformer, even got to a place where he said, “I hated God. I saw Him as an angry judge.”

So John 1:18 is an important verse: “No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known” (John 1:18, NIV; see also Colossians 1:15; Hebrews 1:13).

God sent Jesus into the world for a number of reasons. There was work to be done on the cross, of course, because God loved us so much that He didn’t want us to pay the penalty for our sins. So He sent His Son as a substitute and an atoning sacrifice. But there was more to it than that.

God is invisible, omnipresent, omniscient, all-powerful, and a spirit. No one has ever seen or taken in the totality of God—how could our little pea-brains comprehend who He is? But God wanted us to know what He was like, so He sent His only Son, who is the exact image of the invisible God.

If we want to know who God is, we just need to look at Jesus. What does God feel about women? Study Jesus. What does God feel about the poor? Look at Jesus. What does God feel about sin? Look at Jesus on the cross—sin must be very serious, because He had to die and shed His blood. We learn who God is by studying Jesus.

I grew up in a church where people would take isolated verses from the Old and New Testaments to present an image of God. But their prejudices, meanness of spirit, or legalistic mindsets distorted that image, leaving me thinking, “That’s not so attractive.” Sadly, Christians are sometimes the worst advertisement for God because they don’t act like Christ.

But God is saying to us, “No, look at My Son, Jesus.”

Jesus said, “If you’ve seen Me, you’ve seen the Father” (see John 14:9). All the traits and characteristics of God can be seen in Jesus Christ.

So what’s the purpose of this? Well, when we remember that Jesus is the exact image of God, we can have a leg up on the enemy and live with a lot more peace and joy. We can wake up every morning and be confident in God, relaxed, joyful, and full of faith.

So what do we know about God today?

First, God loves you and me.

“I don’t know, Jim Cymbala. You don’t know my life.”

I don’t know your life, but I know Jesus, and Jesus loved everyone. He proved that by dying on the cross, not for people who were cheering for Him, but for people who spit on Him, mocked Him, and rejected Him. That’s the kind of love Jesus had, and Jesus is the image of God. “But I’ve failed God so much.”

God loves us despite our failures. If Jesus died for us while we were yet sinners (see Romans 5:8), how could God not love us even more now that we’re part of His family?

Some of us have been infiltrated by lies: “God’s against you. He’s mean. He just wants to whack you.” How do we know those are lies? I’ll prove it: look at Jesus. God loves every race, old and young, man and woman and child. Jesus had no target group. If we’re breathing, God loves us today.

Second, whatever we’re facing today, God wants to help us. How do we know that? Because Jesus went about doing good, healing and helping people.

Jesus never met anyone and said, “You again? Man, you’ve messed up so many times, Peter. What’s up with you? Get out of here. I’m picking a new disciple.” No, we can study the stories about Jesus and rejoice in them.

God loves to take messes and leave a blessing. He delights in mercy.

“I’ve really messed up as a Christian. I should have known better.”

But God delights in mercy. We know this through Jesus’ invitation, “Come unto me, everyone who is heavy laden and burdened, and find rest” (Matthew 11:28). God loves us.

Jesus is the image of the invisible God. We can’t let anybody take this or that verse and play us. Let’s stay firm. We know who God is because Jesus is Lord and Savior.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You for revealing Your heart of love and mercy to us through Your Son, Jesus. Help us not to be fooled by what the enemy claims about Your character but instead to anchor our hearts in Your truth. Lead us to walk daily in complete confidence, fully resting in Your grace and mercy.

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