Looking at ourselves in the mirror of the Lord

I want to ask you a question today. How many today had the opportunity to look in the mirror? Although some, like me, look in the mirror and do not get much, but there are others who have a whole process while looking in the mirror, especially the sisters. It's not just looking at yourself in the mirror but everything you have on the table to be able to give yourself one or another little touch on the face, right? Some.

It is an almost cultural necessity, it is an almost national necessity to have to look at ourselves in the mirror. Has anyone ever looked in the mirror in their life? Has anyone left in such a hurry that they didn't even remember to look in the mirror?

I believe that it may, in this world of so much madness, it may have happened at some time. But the consequences after that oversight must have been disastrous. How important is it to look in the mirror, huh? Such an insignificant accessory in the home, it could be, although today you go to Home Depot or some store around there, they have a quantity of mirrors that makes you want to buy them all and put each one on every little side you can.

There are some who already have so many mirrors in their homes, but there is always one missing, and they put that one at the exit door of the house, to see the last touch. If I put on the right shoes, if I didn't put them on changed. If I more or less agree with what I am going to present myself at that moment.

But what we can do the most, one way or another, is go into the bathroom two or three times to make sure that what we saw was something nice. But I want to invite you today to have an experience in the mirror of the Lord. I was reading a few weeks ago a verse in the book of Second Corinthians, Chapter 3, verse 18.

The Second Book of Corinthians, Chapter 3, Verse 18, led me to wonder a few things in my life regarding my daily routine of looking in the mirror. And the most essential, the most primordial question, the one that jumped out at first glance is, did you look at yourself today in the mirror of the Lord? It is also something essential, it is essential in our lives every day to look at ourselves in the mirror of the Lord.

So today I want to invite you to begin, if you have not already done so, to prepare ourselves, to look at ourselves in the mirror of the Lord. This is how we are going to put this sermon “Looking at ourselves in the mirror of the Lord”. Thus the text says in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit:

"... Therefore we all beholding with unveiled face, as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, we are transformed from glory to glory, in the same image as by the spirit of the Lord...."

Let's read it again. How many found this passage. They found him? Yes, I know there are some different versions but read it, if you read it in English too, it doesn't really matter.

“… Therefore all of us ─ no one is left out here ─ … all of us looking with an uncovered face, like in a mirror… ─what are we going to look like in a mirror? That? ─ … the glory of the Lord…”

Do an exercise and look at your brother next to you and see if there is any of the glory of the Lord in your brother next to you. Here the husbands take advantage of putting themselves on good terms with the wives as well.

“…we are transformed from glory to glory, into the same image as by the spirit of the Lord….”

Looking in the mirror somehow helps us to realize some details in our physical expression. It is necessary to look in the mirror, humanly speaking, because we know if we are well combed, if we don't have very haggard eyes, if we don't have some marks from life, from the years... And something came out here next to my eye. I have to try to stretch it anyway. It seems my hair is a bit long. It seems I don't have a good appearance, I had a bad night. I have a very white countenance, very pale. Or I slept little and I have tremendous dark circles. Or some cried a lot at night and wake up with tremendous swollen eyes from crying so much.

The mirror somehow helps us to have a reference of how our image is. If that day we have an important interview, if that day we have a conference, an important meeting, if that day we have to go to work, we have to somehow take care of how we present ourselves to others.

When you look in the mirror you have the advantage of being able to have the option of reaching, probably some goal for which you woke up that morning. If you are worried about your image, looking in the mirror will probably bring you a good job opportunity, it will bring you a good opportunity to be in front of someone you would like to like. It is always important to look in the mirror. It is always important to take care of our physical appearance. It is always important to keep in mind that each of us needs to present ourselves in front of the world in the best light.

We are talking about a physical aspect. But when I come across this text, the question that comes to reflect on my heart is whether I also do this spiritual exercise every day: Looking at myself in the mirror of the glory of the Lord, in the mirror, which somehow begins to treat some defects, or some details that there are in life, in my life and in the life of each one of us that we need to improve.

Looking in the mirror of the glory of the Lord means looking in the mirror, in the image of Jesus Christ. Our best example is Jesus Christ. When we look in the mirror we always want to look like ourselves, wow, I'm close to Luis Miguel now. no I do not. I am doing an example.

Some sisters, I am very close to this soap opera actress, I just need to get up here a little bit. There is always a need to try to present a good image. Facing the mirror of the Lord, we also have to consider presenting ourselves with a good image.

And do you know why? Because it is that image that transcends those around us. The image of seeing ourselves in the mirror of the glory of God is the one that transcends in order to reach the souls of other people and present them with an image of joy, an image of peace, an image of goodness, an image that is in accordance with our reality of faith, the image of Jesus Christ prevailing and ruling in us.

You know that the Bible shows us many teachings regarding having to look like the Lord. The Apostle Paul says, “be imitators of me just like what? Just as I of Christ."

Sometimes we don't even dare to tell people, look, try to imitate me, because I am a good Christian. Today it is very difficult to say that. But do you know? The goal is for us to see ourselves with our bare face in front of the Lord's mirror and tell him, Lord, what are the areas in my spiritual life that have to be fixed by you?

Sometimes we look in the mirror of the Lord and continue to be satisfied with who we are. Sometimes we look at ourselves in the mirror of the glory of the Lord, the glory of the Lord is the Son of God, it is Jesus Christ himself, establishing his kingdom, his throne, his mercy, his plan of salvation, his sacrifice for us here on earth. . That is the living example, that is the image that we should show every day that we get up, when we are at work, when we are with our friends, when we are with the family. A church that begins to show the image of Jesus Christ is a church that begins to conquer areas, lands that the devil has stolen and that begins to be captured for the Kingdom of the Lord.

We, in the image of the Lord, can go even further than you can naturally think, where you can go. He knows that we need every day to be concerned about those details that can cause a bad impression due to the carelessness of not looking at ourselves in the mirror of the Lord.

In the book of Galatians 5:19, here are some characteristics of those things that could be discovered while we look in the mirror of the glory of the Lord, certain behaviors says,

“…And manifest are the works of the flesh…”

And you have three verses there to read and entertain yourself with it and begin to see which of those things are affecting your image in front of the mirror that is the image of Jesus Christ above us. The behaviors that we have need to be improved, the habits that offend the Lord, that way of living that is against what the Lord says, against what the Lord has established. Here in this passage from Galatians, Chapter 5, verse 19 onwards, it says that the works of the flesh are manifest and at the end, in verse 22, it says that these will not have an inheritance, they will not inherit the Kingdom of Heaven.

Those who practice, those who do certain things that are written here, those who present themselves to the world with a double image, those who hide, those who prefer to walk in the world in one way, and prefer to be in church in another In a way, here in the church we all look like Christ, when we come out of those doors is when we really begin to take off, many times, the masks that we have.

The Lord's church is not a hypocritical church. The Lord's church is not a mediocre church. The Lord's church is not a church that deceives. The Lord's church is not a lying church. The Lord's church is a powerful church in the image of Jesus Christ. The Lord's church is a powerful church in the authority that Christ has given it, a true church, a church that advances by the word of the Lord that is alive and effective for these times.

The Lord's church, we are the Lord's church. We need to understand that we must stand every day in front of the mirror of the glory of the Lord, and look more like him every day.

Do we look more like Christ every day? In our image is reflected the Lord Jesus Christ for these times? While in the world the concept of beauty and image has to do with arrogance, with pride, with vainglory, for the Christian the concept of beauty has to do with having Jesus Christ as his main image.

While for the world beauty brings certain changes in their emotional behavior, in some people, for those who are beautiful in Christ, the only change occurs because Jesus Christ becomes your eternal image, your emblem, your letter of introduction every day. When you are in front of someone, you do not fall in favor because it is you, because Jesus Christ is the one who acts through you.

How many of us have been told many times that we could not reach a certain point because we did not have an adequate physical structure, because we did not have the necessary capacity, but when we put ourselves and prepared ourselves to change in front of the mirror of the Lord, look, the world there was no where nothing was closed. Because? Because when we advance in Jesus Christ, only the image of Jesus Christ transcends and crosses limits, crosses barriers, destroys fortresses and begins to glorify the Lord through you.

Isaiah Chapter 60, verse 1 says:

"... Shine because your light has come and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you..."

In how many of those who are here the glory of the Lord has been born? When you shine it is that shine of grace, of the authority that the Lord is giving you, of that opportunity to call you that you are a child of a living God. Not everyone has that opportunity. Not everyone has that opportunity, but there are people who have decided not to look like the Lord.

In Second Corinthians, Chapter 4, verse 4 says:

"... In whom the God of this century has blinded the understanding of the unbelievers so that the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, may not shine on them..."

Even within the churches there are people who don't even want to look like the Lord. And they've spent so much time living a religious life that they're okay with it. In the world there are people who do not want to look like the Lord because it seems that he brings many problems. And the God of this world darkened their understanding and they simply stayed with that image and there the Gospel of Christ reaches them many times, not even the image of a loving Jesus Christ, of a Jesus Christ who died on the cross of Calvary, who shed his blood, who made a tremendous sacrifice for each one, not even that sacrifice is enough for some to recognize that they need this Gospel of Jesus Christ who is the image of God.

You know, the enemy has taken it upon himself to keep us busy. The enemy has taken care not to worry about these details. A mirror is an accessory and probably looking at ourselves every day in the mirror of the Lord is not going to be so pleasant for us. One day the Lord is going to tell us, you have to dress up a little more to look like me.

Are you willing to do it? Are you willing to reflect on your life and seek in these spiritual habits, in prayer, in fasting, in the daily reading of the word, to look more like Christ?

I want to invite you, do you know why? Because that's where our profit is. There is our treasure. In Hebrews Chapter 1, verse 3, a part of the text says, speaks regarding Christ as the glory of God:

"... who being the brightness of his glory and the exact image of his person..."

Jesus Christ is not just anything. Stop putting on those black glasses to look like Daddy yankee. Stop dyeing your hair to look like this actress or this singer. Put on humility and begin to look like Jesus Christ. Put on peace and start looking like Jesus Christ. Put on the love and forgiveness of the Lord and start walking like Jesus Christ. That is the church that the world needs to see today, a church more like Jesus Christ than like the world, a church more like Jesus Christ as the Son of God and provider of a saving plan for us, than looking like to a structure of a social system or an economic system, or a political system.

You are the church of the Lord. Do not divert your attention from who really deserves your attention and that is Jesus Christ, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Someone will say, Pastor Andrés, but it will be very difficult to become like Jesus Christ in a world of so much imperfection, in a world of so much incoherence, inconstancy. Look what it says, First Corinthians, Chapter 13, verse 12. This text gives us an interesting hope:

"...Now we see through a mirror darkly, but then we will see face to face..."

Do you know what you are saying? Keep seeking to look like the Lord and even if the image is still a little dark and blurry, as long as you continue on this path at some point you will see him face to face and you will realize that it was worth the effort, sacrifice and decision to look like Jesus.

As we search for models in our lives, as we search for human models on which to hold an image, today I want to speak to you and tell you that there is a revolutionary word for your heart, forget all human models. He wants to be like this evangelist, this preacher, this preacher, this lecturer, this singer, this singer, but the further we are from Jesus Christ we will never be satisfied. And the closer to Jesus Christ we are going to realize that there is still a great world to conquer and show that Jesus Christ is the image of the living God.

Jesus Christ is the image of the living God. Close your eyes for a moment. If anyone is concerned and for some reason in their life of faith they have not valued these habits of looking at themselves in the mirror of Christ every day, I want to invite them to stand up and come forward here.

We have 5 minutes left and I want to pray, say a prayer for you. If in your heart the Holy Spirit has touched you and told you, I want you to present yourself in front of me every day so I can tell you how you have to deal with me, perhaps you forget, there is so much to do, it is so stressful this world. Today is the time to tell him, Lord, I want to settle with you. Come forward here for a moment, come forward here.

If you feel the need for the Lord to strengthen you every day in the way you present yourself before him, I want to invite you to do so, to tell him, Jesus Christ, I want to be like you. Jesus Christ, I want to look like you every day, that you erase from this spiritual image all those details that offend you, all those details in my spiritual image that are not correct in front of you, Lord Jesus. Let me look at your glory in the mirror of your spirit, Lord.

Let me be graceful in the eyes of men with your image. Let, Lord, let my life begin to show who you are more than how I am. Let, Lord, that in my life you begin to show what you have done in me more than what I am to this day.

Oh, Holy Spirit, you who know the mysteries of the heart, if anyone here, Lord, for any reason has felt displaced, because emotionally or spiritually they have declared false words against my brothers, I ask you today to begin to restore the heart and the mind of each one of them.

Lord, may you begin to restore, Lord, his relationship with you. Oh, Holy Spirit, reprove, Lord, exhort, encourage, my God, so that every day we can present ourselves before you, Lord, and look at each other with an uncovered face, just as we must do every day, honestly, sincerely, being transparent , being upright with you, not hiding anything, Lord.

Oh, Holy Spirit, fill with your power God, this conviction that has been born in the hearts of my brothers, that each day they look more like you, that each day, Lord, their image reflects what you are, that each day your Power, Lord, act when they open their mouths, when they look, when they raise their arms, when they walk, when they hug each other, Lord.

Oh, Holy Spirit, fill, fill, Lord, with hope that although it seems difficult, Lord, you are God and that nothing is impossible for you. Thank you Jesus. Tell him, Lord Jesus, repeat after me, Lord Jesus, everyone repeat after me, Lord Jesus, every day I want to be more like you, I want to be the image that you want to have of me, I want to project that you are my Lord and that every day, Lord , I did not stop looking in your mirror with my face uncovered so that you can fix what needs to be fixed.

Thank you for your love, Jesus. Thank you, Holy Spirit, for your presence. Thank my Lord.