Introduction: Jesus, from His birth, has always been identified and called the Son of God. In fact, God manifested Himself in Christ (2 Cor.5:19). In order to know God you had but to know Christ, "For in Christ all the fullness of God lives in bodily form." Jesus' life on earth was a representation of His Father. As the Son, Jesus never did anything without first calling on the Father. As the Son of the Father Jesus demonstrated what complete obedience and dependence was. What is interesting is that many who call themselves children of God appear to be rebellious children. Why do I say that? Because the Word of God implies it. Paul says in Romans 8:9, "You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ." I trust we can all understand what Paul is saying. If one has the indwelling Spirit of God in him, he will not be controlled by the sinful nature and if the Spirit of God does not indwell a person, that person does not belong to Christ. If the Spirit of God resides in an individual, there will be a manifestation of God in his/her life. Let us consider our theme, like Father, like Son! In our Birth, Miraculous. Jesus Christ was the product of a miraculous birth. Mary, His mother had never sexually known a man, yet, the Word of God tells us the Holy Ghost impregnated her. Beyond the realm of the natural in the manner of His birth, Jesus had an earthly mother but a heavenly Father. Like the Son, those who have been 'born from above' and are called the children of God now have a heavenly Father. The process of new birth is miraculous, (John 1:12-13, Romans 8:15-16, and many more). The fact that one is 'born of God' implies the reception of the life-giving Spirit of God and the right to be called His children. That is miraculous to me. In our Life, Submissive. Jesus Christ throughout His life was completely submissive to the Father. As a Child He realized that when He said, "I must be about my Father's business." In other words, Jesus was saying He had to be taking care of the affairs of His Father. He was saying at the time, His personal life, as a man, was not important but to submit the self to the purpose of the Father. We who are called sons and daughters of the Father must also be about His business. As His children we are also called 'stewards or managers' of the Father goods. In order to properly manage His property or business we also must relinquish or submit our personal life for His life, (Romans 12:1-2, 8:10-14, James 4:7, Luke 22:42). Do what He wants, speak what He wants, and do all for the glory of the Father. To be like the Son we must be submissive. In our Labor, Obedient. Paul tells us in Romans 12, "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." (NIV). We are exhorted not to fashion ourselves or respond in the way the world does. This verse implies mental or intellectual response seeing there is to be a renewing of the mind. Our thinking will be like Christ and not that of the world or natural mind. In order for our labor to be like Christ, obedience to the Word of God is prerequisite. We must also know what the labor or work of Christ was in order to accomplish it. The hardest thing for natural man to do is obey God. Romans 8:7-8, "the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God." Religion has away of saying, do, do, do while God says, "wait on the Lord." We seem to think that we can choose what is right and what we ought to do because it looks religious. We want to please God, but we want to do it our way. Our ways are not God's way and the sooner we realize that the better we will be. Our work must be His work and it can only be successful doing it His way. Seek the Lord in all your doing and obey Him. "Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth." I John 3:18 NIV. In our Worship, Reflective. Jesus, as He spoke to the Samaritan woman said in John 4:23-24, "Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth." Jesus was telling her that with His arrival the place of worship is not important but the manner. The manner of worship was to be with our life. Because God is Spirit, and His Spirit indwell believers, our body has become His temple. Our every day life is to be one of worship, one of homage to the Father. When the Jews saw the Temple, they knew it was the House of Jehovah. When people see us, do they see the House or building of God? "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body." 1 Cor.6:19-20, (Ephe. 2:20-22, 1 Peter 2:5). Our life is to be a worship that honors God and that worship is to be reflective of Christ. The fact that our new birth is the result of a miracle of God, it beckons us to be submissive to His will, obedient to His word and reflective of His life. That is what Paul is telling us in Romans 8:29, "For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers." God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world (Eph.1:4), and He chose us in order that we might be conformed or fashioned in the likeness of His Son. Christ is in the likeness of the Father and the first of many more of the same likeness. When we see a child we might say, because of physical likeness or mannerism, 'he is the spittin' image of his father. Are we the spittin' image of our heavenly Father?? Like Father, Like Son. BACK