The True Who of You

~ Galatians 4:6-7

 Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.

The Problem:

You’ve heard it said that appearances can be deceiving. The most beautiful flower secretly bears a curse-inducing thorn. A gourmet banquet set before guests hides an invisible toxin of salmonella. A winsome face belies a poisonous tongue. On the other hand, a less alluring bouquet can radiate the fragrance of Elysium. The fruits with the most repulsive rind sometimes encase the sweetest flesh. An ordinary face can heal the sick and raise the dead. Moral: “Don’t believe everything you see.”

Humanity’s opinions of other people are often formed by observing one another’s external façade. And yet, similar architectural liberties can be taken with an otherwise stark and unpretentious building. Likewise, man has been “blessed” with the benefits of cosmetic and pharmaceutical augmentation. His outer shell can be significantly enhanced with a little help from his “friends” (Those with plastic surgery diplomas!) But by doing this, a risk is run by imitating someone we are not. “So, what’s wrong with that?” one might ask. And others might answer: “False advertising! Caveat emptor (buyer beware.) She’s not a factory original! Maybe his warranty has expired!”

What you see is not necessarily what you get! We play the games of deceit by disguise! However, there’s a fine line between being presentable and “well turned out” and taking excessive means to gain the approval of others. Some crossed that line years ago and never looked back. (Actually, they can’t look back; their eyebrows are too high!)  Nevertheless, we bind ourselves closely to how we look at the person we think we are. That’s all we expect strangers to see and, therefore, believe. But do they genuinely believe it? Are we fooling anyone here? We continue to search for identity; rummage for individuality; go on safari and hunt for the quarry of “self.” Save your time, folks. Read all about the true who of you in “The Finer Print” below.

The Promise:

“Extra! Extra! It doesn’t matter what any of us look like!” Short or tall; skinny or fat (excuse me, “slender,” or “gravitationally challenged”); black, white, brown, or magenta. Whatever! The exterior appearance of our corporal tent has absolutely no bearing on who we are in God’s eyes. He sees all of us as His beloved sons and daughters; plain and simple, factory original or slightly customized; "showroom new" or "chopped and channeled." He loves us completely, without a single restriction or condition. There exists no greater love in the universe than the love God shows to us. He loves us so much that He sent His Son to die in our place and His Holy Spirit to guide and protect us through our lives. We are meant to represent His love, regardless of our appearance. If we’re doing it right, we should feel the presence of the Holy Spirit shaping our hearts.

Yet, it still might be invisible to others, especially if we are ashamed of our true identity and hide behind a mask. The presence of His Holy Spirit was placed there primarily to make intimacy with Father God simple and straightforward. It was there mainly because that was the image we were given in the beginning, His image. There’s also an undocumented feature in all of this. We have been issued a celestial backstage pass to our eternal identity. It’s our true character, who we are in Jesus. Our names are already written down in the will. We are the heirs to luxurious estates; inheritors of fortunes not tabulated by ones and zeros. Our legacy will not include disease or disharmony; no fear, pain, or suffering. None! Not even the “Big Sleep,” death, has any sway there. We will walk freely back into paradise. The entrance ticket cost was already paid for a long time ago by perhaps a very plain-looking Calvary man named Jesus, the Christ.

Don’t waste a breath on phony facades. Read “The Finer Print” below and take a good look at who you take after! Do you see the family resemblance?

~ Galatians 4:6-7

Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.