Image and Likeness of God: The Deep Meaning in the Bible and the Role of Jesus Christ

 In Christianity,it is commonly said that human beings were created in the image and likeness of God. For many, this means that man is that image himself. However, upon delving into the texts of Sacred Scripture, we discover a revealing truth: the perfect Image and Likeness of the Father is His Son, Jesus Christ. Therefore, humanity was created to resemble that divine Image: the Son of God, who exists from the beginning and was begotten by the Father before all creation.

1. Jesus Christ: The Perfect Image of the Invisible God

The Scriptures clearly affirm that Christ is the exact representation of God.

· Hebrews 1:3: He is "the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being."

· Colossians 1:15: Christ is "the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation."

· 2 Corinthians 4:4: The gospel is about "Christ, who is the image of God."

2. The Creation of Man: A Design with a Model

The creation account finds its full meaning in the light of Christ.

· Genesis 1:26-27: God said, "Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness." Humanity was created in God's image, but the ultimate model of that image is the Son, present in the creative act ("Let us").

3. God's Purpose: To Transform Us into the Image of Christ

The plan of redemption is to restore and perfect that image in us, which was marred by sin.

· Romans 8:29: God predestined those he foreknew "to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters."

· 1 Corinthians 15:49: "And just as we have borne the image of the earthly man (Adam), so shall we bear the image of the heavenly man (Christ)."

· Colossians 3:10: The new self "is being renewed... in the image of its Creator."

4. The Path: From Adam to Christ, by Grace

Humanity, having sinned in Adam, must recognize its imperfection and choose the path of transformation that God offers.

· Philippians 2:5-7: Christ, "being in very nature God... made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness." This is the model of humility we are to follow.

· The Process: God conforms us to the image of His Son through the work of the Holy Spirit and the power of His grace, leading us toward perfection in Christ.

Conclusion (Key Takeaway):

The divine goal is not merely an initial moral likeness,but a total transformation. God intends that, by His grace, we become absolutely like Jesus Christ, reflecting Him in everything, so that ultimately "God may be all in all" (1 Corinthians 15:28). Being created in God's image means, in its deepest sense, being destined to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ, the eternal and perfect Son.

Jesus Christ – The Great High Priest: Biblical Foundation and Significance for Believers.

 

Introduction: The Unique Role of the High Priest

In the Old Testament worship system, the high priest held a central place. He was the mediator between a holy God and a sinful people, the only one who could enter the Holy of Holies to offer a sacrifice for the sins of the nation. The New Testament reveals a stunning truth: all these images and rituals pointed to the person and ministry of Jesus Christ – the perfect and eternal High Priest.

This article explores all key Scripture passages where Jesus is explicitly called the High Priest and explains the profound significance of this role for our faith and salvation.

1. Prophetic Foreshadowing: Psalm 110:4

The first indication of the Messiah's special priesthood is found in the Old Testament:

"The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: 'You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.'" (Psalm 110:4, NIV).

This verse, often quoted in the New Testament, establishes two crucial aspects of Christ's priesthood:

· Eternal: "a priest forever" – unlike mortal Levitical priests.

· Special Order: "in the order of Melchizedek" – a royal and universal priesthood, superior to the Levitical one (Melchizedek was both king and priest, Gen. 14:18).

2. The Primary Exposition: The Epistle to the Hebrews

The book that most fully and deeply expounds on Jesus's ministry as High Priest is the Epistle to the Hebrews. This is the main source for our topic.

a) Jesus – The Merciful and Faithful High Priest (Hebrews 2:17)

"For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people."

The emphasis here is on incarnation. Jesus became human to fully understand our weaknesses and to become a merciful intercessor.

b) Jesus – The High Priest of Our Confession (Hebrews 3:1)

"Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our apostle and high priest."

The author urges believers to pay close attention (fix your thoughts) to this dual role of Jesus: Apostle from God and High Priest to God.

c) Jesus – The High Priest Who Has Gone Through the Heavens (Hebrews 4:14-15)

"Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin."

This is one of the most encouraging passages. Our High Priest is:

· Great and exalted ("ascended into heaven").

· Sympathetic, having gone through temptations.

· Sinless – the key distinction that makes His sacrifice effective.

d) Jesus – High Priest in the Order of Melchizedek (Hebrews 5:5-10; 6:20; 7:11-28)

Entire chapters (5-7) are dedicated to comparing Jesus's priesthood "in the order of Melchizedek" with the Old Testament Levitical priesthood. The main superiorities of Christ are highlighted:

· Eternal: "he lives forever" and "has a permanent priesthood" (7:24).

· Blameless: He is "holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners" (7:26).

· Royal: He is both King and Priest.

· Founded on God's Oath: "The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind..." (7:21).

· Offering the Perfect Sacrifice: He sacrificed Himself once for all (7:27).

e) Jesus – The High Priest in the True Tabernacle (Hebrews 8:1-3; 9:11)

"Now the main point of what we are saying is this: We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, and who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by a mere human." (8:1-2, NIV).

Jesus's ministry takes place not in an earthly temple, but in the heavenly reality, making it absolutely effective.

3. The Climax of the Ministry: Intercessor and Source of Salvation (Hebrews 10:21)

"...and since we have a great priest over the house of God..."

This verse sums it up and calls us to use the open access to God that we have received through the ministry of our High Priest.

What Does It Mean for Us Today That Jesus Is the Great High Priest?

1. Full Access to God: The temple veil was torn (Matt. 27:51). Now every believer can approach God's throne of grace with confidence (Heb. 4:16).

2. Understanding Intercession: Jesus lived as a man, so He intercedes for us before the Father, fully understanding our struggle (Heb. 7:25; Rom. 8:34).

3. Final Forgiveness: His sacrifice is perfect and sufficient for all time. We do not need to bring new sacrifices for sin (Heb. 10:10-14).

4. An Enduring Hope: Our salvation rests on the eternal and unchangeable priesthood of Christ, not on our changeable feelings (Heb. 6:19-20).

Conclusion: Our Response to the Ministry of the Great High Priest

The biblical revelation of Jesus as the Great High Priest is not just a theological doctrine. It is the foundation for confidence, peace, and boldness in the Christian life. The author of Hebrews draws a practical call from this truth:

"Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess... let us draw near to God with a sincere heart... let us consider how we may spur one another on..." (Heb. 10:23-24, paraphrased).

Because we have such a High Priest, we can live with assurance, stand firm in faith, and boldly approach God, finding mercy and grace to help us in our time of need.

Call to Action: Thank Jesus Christ, your Great High Priest, today for His ministry of intercession and His perfect sacrifice. Use the access to God given to you in prayer, knowing that you are heard by One who fully understands you and loves you immeasurably.

The Principle of Biblical Typology: How the Old Testament Points to the New

 

The Bible clearly establishes a principle according to which the events of the Old Testament are prototypes and lessons for New Testament believers. God spoke in the language of imagery to show through these images what would happen in the future and how people should behave to please God and fulfill His will. God often used the language of imagery; for example, when conveying information to His prophets, He spoke to them in dreams and visions. They watched these "movies" and subsequently received from God the interpretation of what each shown image meant and what it pointed to in the future. For instance, the prophet Daniel saw beasts in visions, but these beasts were images of the Babylonian, Greek, and Medo-Persian empires.

This method of interpretation—seeing in Old Testament stories, personalities, and institutions prototypes (types) of future New Testament events or spiritual truths—is key to the Christian understanding of the unity of the Bible.

Here are Scripture passages that directly or indirectly confirm this same idea:

1. Direct Statements that the Old Testament Serves as an Example for Us

1 Corinthians 10:6: "Now these things occurred as examples for us, so that we might not desire evil as they did."

Here,Paul begins to explain specific examples (the story of the golden calf, the immorality at Shittim, etc.) and directly calls them "examples" (Greek: typoi — types, prototypes) for us.

Romans 15:4: "For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, so that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope."

This is one of the clearest and most direct statements:all Old Testament Scripture was given for our instruction and teaching.

2 Timothy 3:16-17: "All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work."

Although this speaks of"all scripture," in the context of the letter to Timothy, who from childhood had known "the sacred writings" (v. 15), it primarily refers to the Old Testament. Its enduring usefulness is affirmed.

2. Indications that the Law and Historical Events are a Shadow of What is to Come

Colossians 2:16-17: "Therefore do not let anyone condemn you in matters of food and drink or of observing festivals, new moons, or sabbaths. These are only a shadow of what is to come, but the substance belongs to Christ."

The apostle Paul directly calls the Old Testament institutions(festivals, food prohibitions, Sabbath) "a shadow of what is to come," the reality of which is in Christ.

Hebrews 8:5 (concerning the service in the tabernacle): "[The priests] offer worship in a sanctuary that is a sketch and shadow of the heavenly one; for Moses, when he was about to erect the tent, was warned, 'See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain.'"

Here,the earthly tabernacle and its service are presented as a "shadow" and "sketch" of the heavenly reality.

Hebrews 10:1: "Since the law has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered year after year, make perfect those who approach."

A very important verse.The law (and its sacrificial system) is the "shadow of the good things to come," not the reality itself, which is in Christ.

3. Specific Examples of Prototypes (Typology) Given in the New Testament

The New Testament itself shows how to read the Old Testament in this way, finding in it prototypes of Christ and the Church:

 Jonah as a Prototype of Christ:

  Matthew 12:40: "For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so for three days and three nights the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth."

  Jesus directly indicates that the story of Jonah was a prototype (a sign) of His death and resurrection.

· The Bronze Serpent as a Prototype of Christ:

  John 3:14-15: "And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life."

  The event from Numbers 21:9 is presented as a prototype of Christ's redemptive sacrifice on the cross.

· Adam as a Prototype of Christ:

  Romans 5:14: "Yet death exercised dominion from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sins were not like the transgression of Adam, who is a type of the one who was to come."

  Adam is directly called "a type of the one who was to come," that is, Christ, who is the "second Adam."

· Melchizedek as a Prototype of Christ:

  Hebrews 7:1-17

  An entire section is devoted to how Melchizedek, an Old Testament king and priest, was a prototype of the eternal priesthood of Jesus Christ according to the order of Melchizedek.

· The Events of the Exodus as a Prototype of Baptism and the Lord's Supper:

  1 Corinthians 10:1-4: "I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink..."

  Paul interprets the crossing of the Red Sea as a prototype of baptism, and the manna and water from the rock as a prototype of spiritual food and drink (the Eucharist) or God's revelatory word and the action of the Holy Spirit upon a person.

Conclusion

Thus, this is a central principle of New Testament interpretation of the Old Testament. The apostles and Christ Himself taught that:

1. The stories of the Old Testament are given as examples for teaching and warning.

2. The personalities of the Old Testament are often prototypes (types) of Christ or spiritual conditions.

3. The institutions and rituals (sacrifices, festivals, tabernacle) are a shadow or sketch of the spiritual reality that was fully manifested in Christ.

This shows the unity of the Bible as one book, written under the inspiration of one Author (God), where the Old Testament prepares and points to the New, and the New Testament reveals and fulfills what was laid down or encoded in images in the Old.

1 Corinthians 10:11: "These things happened to them to serve as an example, and they were written down to instruct us, on whom the ends of the ages have come."

The Bible constantly urges readers to learn from the experience of previous generations and to apply the acquired knowledge in their own spiritual lives. It is very important that God Himself reveals to us the meaning of each image and shows what it signifies for the future.

How to Tell a Flesh-Led Ministry from a Spirit-Led One

 In our time, there are two types of ministry in the Christian church.

The first type of ministry is ministry according to the flesh. That is, a person carries out their service as a priest, counselor, evangelist, pastor, etc., using only their own abilities and human wisdom, without the participation of God and the Holy Spirit. People can undergo special training in educational institutions, seminaries, Bible schools, and universities and acquire extensive knowledge of the Bible, church history, and everything related to Christianity. And it is on the basis of this knowledge that people carry out their ministry, also guided in their service by the rules established in the church they belong to. For example, the sermon topic may be chosen according to a schedule set by that organization.

The second type of ministry in the church and in society is ministry in the Holy Spirit and in the power of God, with wisdom given by God. In this case, both the sermon topic and what will happen during the service are determined by God. He inspires the minister and acts through him by His Holy Spirit.

The Apostle Paul understood the difference between ministry that a person carries out by the efforts of their flesh and ministry that is inspired by the Holy Spirit, where the Holy Spirit Himself speaks through the minister, gives him God's wisdom, and performs signs and wonders through him, such as healings and the casting out of demons.

1 Corinthians 2:4-7, 12-13 (ESV likely, but spirit matches RV1960/KJV):

4 and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,

5 so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

6 Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away.

7 But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory.

...

12 Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.

13 And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.

The apostle clearly distinguishes human wisdom (which can be learned and known from people of this world, who are influenced by the spirit of this sinful world—it is even called demonic wisdom, since the spirit of this world is the spirit of Satan; demons and all fallen beings operate in this spirit) from the wisdom that is given by the Holy Spirit of God.

During the ministry of Jesus Christ, a clash of interests occurred between these two types of ministry—that is, carnal ministry and ministry led by the Spirit of God acting through Christ.

The religious leaders of Christ's time were confident that they served God and that their teaching was the only correct and true one. But as it turned out, they were blind and deaf and did not hear what the Holy Spirit of God was saying to them. Moreover, representatives of carnal ministry opposed what God was doing; that is, they began to hinder the ministry of Jesus Christ and ultimately betrayed Him to death on the cross of Golgotha. In other words, people who thought they were serving God became enemies of God.

Clergy in the religious system who have no relationship with God, do not hear Him, and do not act according to His will will destroy both themselves and their followers because they are led by the wisdom of this world and act by the strength of their flesh.

Matthew 15:14 (ESV):

Let them alone; they are blind guides. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.

Matthew 23:16, 24 (ESV):

16 Woe to you, blind guides...

24 You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!

The religious system, driven by human wisdom, tries with all its might to present itself before people as especially honoring God and as the only correct and true one. But in fact, it is at enmity with God and His messengers, does not know God, and does not hear Him.

Matthew 23:29-34 (ESV):

29 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous,

30 saying, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’

31 Thus you witness against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets.

32 Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers.

33 You serpents, you brood of vipers! How are you to escape being sentenced to hell?

34 Therefore I send you prophets and wise men and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and persecute from town to town,

The one driven by his flesh persecutes the one driven by the Holy Spirit, and the deaf persecutes the one who hears God.

"You serpents,you brood of vipers!" This means children of the devil or Satan. Jesus called children of the devil those who are led in their ministry by their flesh and human wisdom.

How can one distinguish a minister who is driven by his flesh and the spirit of this world from a minister who is led by the Spirit of God?

The Apostle Paul gives instruction on this matter.

2 Corinthians 12:12 (ESV):

The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with utmost patience, with signs and wonders and mighty works.

The word "apostle" means messenger or one sent by God. And for one who is chosen for ministry and sent by God, there will be specific signs, since it is through him that God Himself speaks and acts. Therefore, the fruits of God's Spirit will be manifested, and the power of God's Spirit will be displayed, performing signs and wonders through the minister.

The same thing happened in the ministry of Jesus Christ, who is for us the example of a true servant of God. That is, through Jesus Christ, people were shown God the Father Himself—His character—as Jesus Himself said: "Whoever has seen me has seen the Father" and also: "I and the Father are one."

John 14:8-12 (ESV):

8 Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.”

9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?

10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works.

11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.

12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.

What Jesus said and taught was God the Father Himself speaking through Him, and all the signs, wonders, and power manifested through Jesus Christ in His ministry were performed by God the Father Himself through the Holy Spirit.

And Jesus said: "Whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do." That is, through the one who believes in Christ, God the Father will also speak and act by His Holy Spirit in the ministry that this believer carries out according to God's will.

For example, God the Father acted through the Apostle Paul.

Romans 15:18-19 (ESV):

18 For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed,

19 by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ;

We see that through the true messenger of God, God acted just as in the ministry of Jesus Christ—that is, He both spoke and performed signs and wonders by the power of the Spirit of God.

To some religious leaders of Christ's time, God eventually gave insight, and they realized that Jesus Christ was the true messenger or apostle from God. This happened, for example, to Nicodemus, who understood that God was acting through Jesus Christ.

John 3:1-2 (ESV):

1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.

2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.”

For us, it is better to follow ministers through whom God Himself speaks and acts, and not those who were appointed by men and who act according to the flesh, by their own strength and wisdom, rejecting God in their self-willed ministry and renouncing His Holy Spirit.

Matthew 15:13-14 (ESV):

13 He answered, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be rooted up.

14 Let them alone; they are blind guides. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.”

There are ministers whom God did not plant and appoint for ministry, and therefore He does not speak with them, nor does He speak or act through them. They are blind and lead their followers to destruction.

Law and Grace: Why the Law Was Nailed to the Cross

 Jesus the Savior placed Himself under the law given by God through Moses, or as it is written: "He submitted to the law," in order to accomplish the redemption of people. And when He took upon Himself our sins, the curse of the law fell upon Him as punishment for those sins, as it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree." That is, Jesus was condemned according to the law and received the punishment and curse in accordance with the law, as it is written: "He was pierced for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him..." That is, the law condemned Him and sentenced Him to death for our sins, since the wages of sin is death, and Jesus died instead of us, taking our sins upon Himself. In other words, the law carried out its judgment, a verdict was issued, and it was executed.

And if the law has condemned you and the judgment has been carried out, the law cannot condemn you a second time because you have already died according to the law for sins with Christ, as the apostle wrote: "I died to the law through the law, so that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ." That is, the believer has already been crucified and died with Christ for sins, and in Christ, you have paid for your sins. The law has authority over a person as long as he lives, but if you died with Christ since Christ died on the cross, then you have been set free from the law and are not under law but under God's grace. God's grace is what God does—good and favorable things for you—accomplishing your salvation. And you were raised with Christ for a new life, as it is written: "Our old self was crucified with Him (Christ) so that the body ruled by sin might be rendered powerless, that we should no longer be slaves to sin." That is, God in Christ killed our old nature, or the old self, which was a slave to sin, and you were raised with Christ when Jesus was resurrected. You now have a new life since you possess a new essence or nature within yourself, and God has removed the sinful nature from your heart.

According to the law, you, being a sinner, were condemned and put to death, and having been raised with Christ, you became a new creation of God with a new Spirit that God placed within you, in your heart. Jesus wiped out, through His teaching, the written code that was against us, or the law that opposed us. He took that law and nailed it to the cross, thus disarming the principalities and powers, the forces of darkness and Satan (for the power of sin is the law). He made a public spectacle of all the dark powers, shaming them... For this reason, let no one judge you regarding food or drink, or with respect to a festival, a new moon, or a Sabbath, because these are a SHADOW of the things to come, but the reality is found in Christ, or we are united with Him in His death and resurrection, and the law of Moses has been nailed to the cross.

Christ submitted to the law only to redeem those who were under the law. For you, the commandments of Christ's teaching are relevant, while the law has been nailed to the cross as it fulfilled its function when Jesus Christ died according to the law. And you are not under the curse of the law because Christ redeemed you from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us according to the law, for our sins.

Study the teaching of Christ diligently and obey the commandments of His doctrine because the word that Jesus Christ spoke and commanded was spoken by God the Father through Christ, and this word will judge people on the last day. The Holy Spirit was sent by God the Father to remind you of everything Jesus Christ taught so that you may become doers of His commandments. Whoever breaks one of these least commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

God's Covenant in Christ: Righteousness by Faith, Not Law | The Role of the Law and Freedom in the Spirit

 

God established the covenant concerning Christ when He said to Abraham, “In your Seed (the Descendant, Jesus Christ) I will bless all nations.” That is, God saves all people in Christ, and Abraham received this revelation and believed in it, as it is written: “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” By faith in the One who justifies the ungodly, Abraham became righteous, not by his own works.

The Law given through Moses came later, 430 years after, and this Law did not annul God’s promise to save all people in Christ. That is, righteousness is not from the Law, and the Law was given for a different purpose. First, the Law revealed sin—that is, the sinful nature that lived in people’s hearts because Adam sold himself and all his descendants into slavery to the devil or sin, as it is written: “In Adam all die.” This is because God had already created all humanity in Adam, and all were in him when he sinned and died spiritually, being deprived of the glory of God. And it was this sinful nature living in the human heart that the Law exposed or revealed to a person.

It worked like this: sin took the commandment of the Law and, using it, deceived people because it could control a person’s behavior from within, from the heart, as the apostle wrote: “I would not have known sin except through the Law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the Law had said, ‘You shall not covet.’” That is, sin produced desires in a person that opposed the commandment of the Law and compelled them to break it. Therefore, it is written: “The strength of sin is the Law,” and without the Law, sin cannot kill, and without the Law, sin is dead—that is, it cannot act. The commandment, which was good and given for life, became death because sin from within controls the behavior of a spiritually dead person who is a slave to sin, producing desires and thoughts in them. There are many sinful addictions—for example, an alcoholic who cannot stop drinking, or a thief constantly drawn to stealing, or a maniac upon whom an evil spirit sometimes comes and compels them through their thinking to commit crimes.

And the letter of the Law cannot free a person from the slavery of sin, nor can it change the sinful nature in a person. Therefore, one who understands and recognizes themselves as a slave to sin must turn to the Savior whom God has given, because only God, by His grace, can deliver from the slavery of sin. Only God can change the inner nature, and only the Spirit of God can give life. Therefore, one who receives the Spirit of God, or is born of God, ceases to commit sins because their inner nature is changed, and the Spirit of God is in them. They are freed by God from the slavery of sin, or the law of sin and death.

All who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God, and the Spirit prompts them to do what pleases God. This is the law of the Spirit of life in Christ, or the true Law, because God’s Law is spiritual and proceeds from the Spirit. Now, God’s Spirit produces in a person both the thinking and the action, while the letter or commandments merely reflect what the Spirit of God gives. Jesus was moved by the Spirit of God, as He Himself said: “And Your law is within my heart.” That is, the Spirit gave Jesus what to say and what to do, and this comes from the Father through the Spirit.

You will be great in the Kingdom of God.

The Gospel of Matthew contains a promise made by Jesus Christ that you can become
great in the Kingdom of God if you fulfill the commandments that He gives and teach
other people to fulfill them.

Matthew 5:19 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.

Some people mistakenly think that Jesus is talking about the commandments from the
Law of Moses, but in fact He is talking about fulfilling the commandments from the
Sermon on the Mount.

Therefore, if you want God to call you great in His Kingdom, then you must delve into
this teaching that Jesus Christ gave in the Sermon on the Mount and fulfill it carefully
according to all the commandments and teach others to fulfill it.

Greatness is not simply given by God, therefore it is clear that this particular teaching is
the most important and very valuable, and God pays special attention to it.

Jesus also says that if you fulfill the commandments from the Sermon on the Mount,
then your righteousness will surpass the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees and
you will enter the Kingdom of God.