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DeYoung: Is it any wonder then that God would want all his creation to adore his Son...?

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The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being (Hebrews 1:3). Is it any wonder then that God would want all his creation to adore his Son, the Redeemer who was led like a lamb to the slaughter so we could be freed from deceitful desires such as those linked to perfectionism? Christ went to a cruel death on the cross and “God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9–11). God is well pleased with his Son.


God’s Motive for Us to Be Like His Son

Image result for the hole in our holinessOur desire for perfection is generally self-focused. We desire perfection as a means to be accepted or to control our fear of rejection or failure. Like Harmony, our motives for perfection often cluster around a desire for approval or significance. In contrast, God’s desire for us to be perfect is just another way of saying, “Worship my Son who has redeemed and rescued you. Worship my Son who suffered a brutal death in your place. Worship my Son who was unwavering in his mission to rescue his own, even when they behaved as his enemies.”
In addition to exalting the Son he loves, there is a second reason God wants us to be like his perfect Son. God wants us to look like his Son because he loves us. God treasures us; he wants us to have the best.

Why do you teach your children the things you teach them? Because you despise them and their annoying little ways? No, you invest in your children and teach them because you love them. You want to equip them to excel. You want the best for your children. God wants you to look like Jesus because he wants the best for you. There is nothing better than Jesus. God desires you to be like Christ because he loves you.

It’s right and proper to long to be like Christ, the perfect Son. This perfection is all about Jesus; not about us. This perfection is only attractive because it represents Christ. We long to be perfected because we want to be conformed to the image of Christ. It comes from a heart that sees Jesus as the greatest treasure one could have.

When we want to be like Jesus, this begins to be reflected in our actions. Our relationships start to change. Instead of spending our time wondering what others think of us and making our goal in relationships to keep others from being mad at us, we begin to genuinely love others instead of fearing them and their disapproval. We begin to seek the good of others, rather than solely our own good. In fact, we begin to consider their interests as more important than our own. And as we do, we start to look more and more like Jesus, our perfect Savior. This is not the product of a heart whose goal is to make us look good or to achieve some self-focused desire. This is the work of God that empowers us to grow in the likeness of Christ and thereby magnify our Savior. And becoming like Jesus pleases God.


Baker, A. (2014). Picture perfect: when life doesn’t line up. Greensboro, NC: New Growth Press.
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