And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. Gen 1:26

Ask Your Self!

Did you ever have a friend tell you that you had a spot of smut, grease, or dirt, upon your forehead?  Of course, you could not see your own forehead, so in order to locate the spot, you would have to glance into your looking glass.  As your reflection was cast back to you, you could see for yourself that what your friend had said was true: you did have a spot upon you.  Did continuing to gaze into the mirror remove the spot?  Or, did you not have to apply soap and water until the smut had disappeared?  Yes, truly you did, and as long as the cleansing agent had not been applied the looking glass still condemned your appearance. But, as soon as the cleansing agent had bee used, and you gazed again into the mirror, the looking glass not condemn, but, rather, it approved.

What would you think of your friend, to whom you had pointed out a smut upon your face, and who had verified it in the mirror, and then after having removed the spot, threw the mirror away, saying that there was no further need of a looking glass?  Would you not think such as a person insane?  Just because our friend removed the spot, and the mirror approved of his appearance, was no reason that mirrors should be abolished.  There might be other smut spots to be reflected. Or, other persons might want to use the looking glass.

Just as we know that the mirror is useful, whether it condemns our appearance, or approves, so is like manner, is the law of God useful.  It is likened unto God's looking glass, His instrument which shows us ourselves as He sees us.  Just as we cannot see the spots upon our forehead, without the aid of the mirror, so in like manner we cannot see the sin spots upon our souls without the aid of God's looking glass, His Ten Commandments law.  Our friends may tell us we have sin stains upon us, but only God's mirror, His perfect law, will verify the truth of their statements.

Of God's looking glass, James hath said, "For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:  For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetting what manner of man he was.  But, whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed."  James 1:23-25.

Some friend may tell you that you sin in some of your ways, another may tell you that you sin in some of your words, and still another may says that your omissions are sin; but unless you look into God's looking glass you really cannot tell of your own self.  You may think they knew, and act accordingly.  You may give them the benefit of the doubt, and conclude that you are wrong; but only by looking for yourself into God's mirror can you see your own reflection, just as your neighbor sees you; but, above all, just as God behold you.

Which one of us will go out into the street without taking a glance into our mirror to see that we have a clean, tidy appearance; yet few look into God's mirror at all to see how they are in God's sight.  We would be ashamed to appear before men and women with smut spots upon our faces or with our garments wrinkled and soiled; yet, sad it is to say, many walk boldly before their neighbors and friends with sin spots upon them, their garments soiled with things of this world.  Should we not seek to please God, rather than man?

Just as we cannot know for sure the spots upon our faces without looking into a looking glass, so, in like manner, it is impossible to know what sin is without looking into God's Law.  This law if found in the 20th chapter of Exodus, verses 1 to 17 inclusive.  The first commandment forbids our having other gods before Jehovah; the second to make graven images, or likeness, or to worship such as idols; the third to take God's name in vain, or to no purpose; the fourth commands us to cease from our work upon the seventh day of the week, Saturday, but to labor on the six days preceding the Sabbath:  the fifth command exhorts us to honor our father and our mother; the sixth forbids our taking life of another; the seventh to commit adultery; the eighth to steal; the ninth to lie, or bear false witness; and the tenth to covet, that is desire unlawfully, that which is not ours.  These are know as the Ten Commandments, God's looking glass.  It reveals unto us what sin is, for "Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law; for sin is the transgression of the law." -- 1 John 3:4.

Some might say that the law is not needed to show us sin, but Paul, the apostle says that it is needed, "For by the Law is the knowledge of sin" (Romans 3:20).  In other words, we would not know sin without the law which points it out.  Paul said in another place, "I had not know sin, but by the law; for I had not know lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet," that is, by the tenth commandment. --- Romans 7:7.

Some say that the law  is not in force now, in other words, God's looking glass is not working today.  Well, if it is not used now, but has been broken destroyed, then there is no sin now, for as we read above, "Sin is the transgression of the law," consequently, "Where no law is, there is no transgression."  Rom 4:15.

As some would teach us, Just break the looking glass and there will be no more smut spots upon us.  Take away the mirror and we will not be shown our sins.  Dear one, will you say that  we do not need looking glasses today just because we are not condemned by them?  Should we not rather love to look into a mirror or a law, which approves of our life instead of condemning it?

As we look into the mirror and behold our soiled natural face, does the glass remove the spots, or does it not rather reveal that we may apply the cleansing agent?  As we look into God's law, the transgression of which is sin, and see the sin spots upon us, in whatsoever commandment we have broken, whatsoever precept we have transgressed, what shall we do?  Will just looking into the law, just reading the commandments, just hearing the precepts, ever remove the sin, or cleanse us from our transgression?  No, we know that such is not the way of the Lord, "For not the hears of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified." -- Romans 2:13.

What then shall we do?  What cleansing agent is to be applied?  What makes us right again, that God's looking glass will not point out the spots?  There is only one cleansing agent, only one remedy:  the precious blood of Jesus, the Lamb of God, is the means whereby our sins are erased.  Though our "sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; thous they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool" (Isaiah 1:18)  How?  Through Christ, "through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; to declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believe in Jesus." --- Romans 3:25-26.

Do we do away with the need of the mirror when we wash our natural face with water and soap, and erase the spots?  We know that it is not so!  Do we then abolish God's law, His commandments, by using the blood of Christ through faith to wash away our sins?  No, the two are similar, the natural mirror, and God's law.  Paul asks the question, and answers the same that all may know, Listen!  "Do we then make void the law through faith?  God forbid:  yea, we establish the law."  -- Rom. 3:31.

We have heard it said that Jesus came to destroy the law of God, the looking glass, but Jesus denied the charge, saying, "Think not that I am come to destroy, but to fulfill," that is, to obey....

"Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven:  but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven." -- Matt. 5:17-19.

Listen to what Paul says of God's looking glass:  "Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just and good... For we know that the law is spiritual... I delight in the law of God after the inward man." -- Rom. 7:12, 14, 22.

Does it make any difference whether the law of God is spiritual or not?  Yes, very much so:  "for to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.  Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be."  Romans 8:6-7.

Do not listen to those who tell you that God's mirror has been found out of date, that it was done away with, was taken in the time of Christ, being nailed to the cross; for the law is still with us; it is still "holy" and each command remains "holy, just, and good" as the day it was spoken, on the day that Paul wrote these words.  It still measures sin:  it still condemns the sinner:  it still points out to the transgressor the need of the blood of Jesus:  it still reflects back unto us our lives, and let us see ourselves as God sees us.

The Psalmist said, "The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul," but some say it was imperfect, and therefore one command was take out, and another placed within; that nine are perfect as they were spoken but now we do not need to keep holy the seventh day (Saturday), but rather a seventh day (Sunday).  But can one improve upon a perfect law?  Can one make better a perfect looking glass by cutting out a piece and fitting in another?  No, dear ones, God is no respecter of persons.  He has not changed (Mal. 3:6).

What was once sin is still sin.  "Sin is the transgression of the the law," just as it ever was.  "Whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.  For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill.  Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law" (James 2:10-11).  Now, dear one, if you do no adultery, and do not kill, neither take God's name in vain, nor break any of these Ten Commandments of God, except the fourth, please remember that he that said, "Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill," but in addition, the entire code of Ten Commandments including, "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.... the seventh day (not a seventh day) is the Sabbath of the Lord they God." --- Exodus 20:8-11).

"Sin is the transgression of the law,” even in one point, and the "the wages of sin is death." --- 1 John 3:4; Romans 6:23.

Dear one, take a look right now into God's looking glass and see yourself as the Lord sees you.  If you have even one sin spot upon you, if you are a transgressor even in one point of God's law, place it under the blood through faith in Christ.  Wash away the sin spots, and then keep clean through His grace, and then when you gaze into God's perfect mirror, and your reflection comes back to you, you will find that "there is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." -- Rom 8:1.

God's looking glass will show you to be just what you are.  If you are a sinner, it will condemn. If you are a saint, washed white in the blood of Christ, and an observer of all God's commandments, it will approve.  We then delight in the law of God after the inward man, and the Spirit beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.

May God bless you, dear one, as you obey.  Amen.