Like God

I was in a meeting once, and during one of the prayer sessions, my mind wandered off for a bit as it is wont to do. It did so specifically when the prayer leader raised the song “When You are Here.” For some reason I found myself(?) asking myself: “could God sing the same about You? Do things happen when you’re ‘there’?”

I didn’t think too much along those lines until recently when in another worship session, the song “Reckless Love” (written by Cory Asbury) was raised. And I found myself confronted with that question again: could God sing the same about you? Many times now, when I sing worship songs to Jesus, that question echoes in the recesses of my mind.

Do you perhaps think that’s an unfair question? That I might be putting too much pressure on myself to be as faithful, or as loving, or possessing any of the characteristics of God? Adam and Eve didn’t think so. In fact, they welcomed the idea – well, sort of.

But the serpent said to the woman, “You certainly will not die! For God knows that on the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened… and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

(Genesis 3:4-5, AMP)

The whole package of deception that Eve fell for was anchored on the lie that they were not already like God; that God had some special powers He had kept from them, even though the Bible makes it clear that God had made them in His very image and likeness (Genesis 1:26).

They were like God already, but somehow they were deceived to think otherwise. In succumbing to disobedience, they lost that nature of God and passed down death to everyone that came after them. When Jesus came to give us salvation, He also gave everyone that believed the power to be children of God (John 1:12) – that is, an ability to live as God’s image and likeness here on Earth.

Hence, it’s understandable isn’t it, when God asks us to be perfect as He is perfect (Matthew 5:48) or expects us to live with a holiness that is measured against God’s own holiness (1 Peter 1:16). However, many have fallen into the deception of Adam and Eve- but with a twist. Many these days have been deceived into thinking that it is not possible to be like God, even though our spirits already bear witness that we’re children of God and we can actually live like God.

If the Bible lays an expectation of holiness and perfection on us, it means that it is possible for us to attain it. If the love of God is overwhelming and never-ending, it means that the same measure of love is what is required of us to heal the lost and dying world. There’s no other way people can see God if we’re not like God.

These are the expectations of God laid on us. They’re huge, but they’re not impossible to meet, especially if you consider perfection as a work of the Spirit (Galatians 3:3) and as a journey or process (Philippians 3:12). The more we submit ourselves to the Holy Spirit’s leading and learn to leave our old self (the flesh) on the altar of sacrifice, the more we progress in the journey of perfection.

A believer who doesn’t believe it’s possible to attain perfection and continues to walk according to the flesh, is living in disobedience to God’s expectations and is in great peril.

We must first acknowledge and be convicted that it’s God’s desire for all His children to walk before Him and be perfect (Genesis 17:1, Matthew 5:48). We must also understand that God has given us everything we need to fulfill this expectation (2 Peter 1:2-3).

There will be days that we make mistakes, and take actions that fall far from the standard of perfection. But after those mistakes, we must find our way back to The Straight and Narrow way of perfection, and entrust ourselves to the Spirit working in us to make us perfect.

This world will not have a full understanding of God’s love, or faithfulness, or power if I don’t show it. Be like God; that’s more or less the only way people can understand who He is and come to Him.

Be like God.