The Full Restoration
The restoration of man back into the image of God

There is no greater news than learning we can be restored into the image of God. Wherever we go, the presence of God is with us because we are living temples with the Spirit of God dwelling in us. We learn to live without fear, worry and guilt because we are forgiven and Jehovah is our God. We can know we will live forever in a glorified body transformed to be like the body of the Son of God, the Creator and Upholder of the universe Himself. There is no greater news than this. 

The Bible proclaims the great news that sinful men can be restored back into the image of God. In America, the Restoration Movement rose in the early 1800's with the goal of restoring the church back to the pattern in the New Testament, without all the denominational changes introduced through the centuries. Whether we are restoring ourselves or the church, it requires searching to learn the truth. As one who has been involved in the Restoration Movement, I have become convinced we have been focused on the wrong restoration. What happens if we get the church organized right, and we get the worship right with the right kind of music, and we get the work of the church right, and we spend all the Lord's money the right way, but we miss the whole point of the church? 

The greatest restoration is the restoration of the image of God in you and me. Yes, absolutely, we should want to restore the church from corruption as Hezekiah and Josiah cleansed the Temple in their time. While restoring the church, we must never forget what is most important. Each one of us are to be restored into a temple of God through the Holy Spirit (1Co. 3:16. 6:19). The only way we can be temples of the Holy Spirit is if we are learning to live holy, separate and dedicated to God. 

The Full Restoration is simply a return to Scripture and emphasizes what God emphasizes. If we do not have Christ in us we have missed the point of being a Christian (Col. 1:27). We can search the Scripture (Joh. 5:39), we can travel land and sea to teach one person ( Mat. 23:15) and we can look godly to others (2Ti 3:5), but it makes no difference if we are children of the devil instead of children of God  (Joh 8:41, 44, Eph. 5:1). 

I have heard too many churches called "sound" and "faithful" because the members hold certain doctrinal positions, but their behavior is anything but sound or faithful. Sound Christianity involves much more than holding the correct position on whatever doctrinal controversy is hot at the moment. The correct doctrine is "the doctrine which accords with godliness" (1Ti. 6:3). If our doctrine is not producing godly members, we are promoting the wrong doctrine. Having a form of godliness is worthless when the power of godliness to produce holy lives is denied (2Ti. 3:5).

How do we treat each other? Are we learning to love one another with the love of God? Do we rejoice always? Do we give thanks in all things? Do we live without fear or anxiety because we are walking in trusting faith? Is our hope resting fully on God's grace? Do we have the peace of God in us? Are we patient and longsuffering towards all? Are we as merciful and forgiving towards others as we want God to be merciful and forgiving with us? Are we seeking ways to do good towards all? Are we zealous for good works? Do we seek God's will and glory in all that we do? We are called to be obedient to all of God's commands, not just selected favorites.  

Christians being restored back into the image of God will radiate God in their lives as they grow into His image. We renew our minds daily with help from the Holy Spirit (2Co. 4:16, Rom. 12:2, Eph. 4:23, Titus 3:5). Each day we are to be growing more into the image of God until the day comes when we shall be like Him (1Jo. 3:2-3, Prov. 4:18). Is this what is seen in local congregations? If it is, wonderful! Keep it up and do more! (Php. 1:9, 1Th. 4:1, 10). If this is not what we see, then we need to repent and change our lives. ac

Forgiveness is just the beginning of our walk with God (Mic. 6:8). We are all damaged by sin and need to be healed. After we are cleansed of our sins, then the Holy Spirt begins to dwell in us (Act. 2:38, Rom. 8:9, 1Co. 6:19). Once we are born again (regenerated), we begin the life-long process of the renewing of the Holy Spirit (Jn. 3:5, Ti. 3:5). 

We are called by the good news "for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ" (2Th. 2:14). If we want to obtain the glory of Jesus in the future we must be teaching the "doctrine that accords with godliness" now (1Ti. 6:3). This is the doctrine that edifies the church to grow into the fullness of God (Eph. 3:19). We have the real hope of our bodies being transformed to be like His glorious body (Phil. 3:20-21) and are waiting anxiously for the revealing of the sons of God (Rom. 8:19), when we are transformed to be like God's Son (1Jo. 3:2), and we begin to "shine forth like the sun" (Mat. 13:43). 

Like Paul, we need to be pray for God to enlighten our eyes so we can begin to comprehend how great the hope of our calling really is (Eph. 1:18). Are we rejoicing in hope of the glory of God? (Rom. 5:2). How can we not be rejoicing if the glory of God is our hope? 

With all that the world has to offer available to them, the Rolling Stones still sang "I can't get no satisfaction." Compare that to the living hope of all children of God as expressed by David in Psalm 17:15:

     "As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness;
     I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness."

Do we have a living hope that we will have a glorious body like Jesus? (Phi. 3:21)  Do we believe we will someday bear the image of the heavenly man? (1Co. 15:49) Do we striving to be a partaker of the divine nature? (2Pe 1:4) Do we believe we will shine like the sun? (Mat. 13:43) Are we seeking eternal life in glory and power? (1Co. 15:43)  Do we want to be more like Jesus every day? (2Co 3:18)  Are we confident and well pleased at the thought of dying and being with the Lord? (2Co. 5:8), Do we want to be like Jesus (1Jo. 3:2) If so, we will spend the rest of our lives trying to be pure, just as He is pure (1Jo. 3:3).

Why? 

• We love God and want to be close to Him. 
• Because we love Jesus, the God/man who showed us how to live.  
• Because we want to be restored back into God's image 
• We want to live forever with the full privileges of being a child of God. 

Anything less has missed the point of Christianity.