Portrait in Clay

Making a sculpture of a person is very difficult but there are talented people who can do it. A clay likeness can be a reminder of someone who is important to us although it is dark and lifeless. What if there were a mysterious light inside of the figure that caused its features to shine with a live rendering of reality? The power inside beautiful figure might begin to make us love it even better than the original person. 

Believe it or not, any person can be changed when God’s powerful light comes to live inside them. The Bible says: We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves. 2 Cor 4:7 (NLT). The Savior is the light that will set in motion a perpetual change if we allow it. This is beyond normal human abilities. 

Jesus spent years giving both physical and mental healing to afflicted humans. Today many folks think that the life-work of Christ ended at the cross. Nothing could be further from the truth. His work continues today bigger than ever because the Savior now lives inside of healed people. Genuine Christians have His power and light shining out from them. Of course many of us will stand in the way of “the Light” at times.

Peter talked about a new day dawning in our hearts.  … for their words are like a lamp shining in a dark place—until the Day dawns, and Christ the Morning Star shines in your hearts. 2 Peter 1:19 (NLT). This apostle says that a new Day will dawn in our life when we humble ourselves and accept Jesus. The Lamp that shines inside of a Christian is what lights up our portrait or sculpture. This makes us one of God’s “little lights” to the world. 

The new covenant that Jesus has provided makes this shinning of our life possible. We can never forget that any good thing, people see in us, is directly related to “the Light”. The Bible says: For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true.  Eph 5:8-9 (NLT). This is the only way we are able to please the Lord. 

Each of us is a lump of clay that will someday return to dirt. The world will sculpt us into a dark ugly figure that will offend many others. But the word of God says that “whosoever will” may come to Jesus. The Lord will shape us into a bright and beautiful person if we allow it. Every Christian has a magnificent opportunity to follow the Spirit that lives in them. This will make each of us a light that calls to the unsaved heart.