The Spiritual Law of Reflection

Book 2.
Chapter 7. The Laws of Reflection
There is a principle common in the physical realm used to describe the
relationship between the properties of light and other objects. We will look closely at the
behavior of this principle and its guiding laws in order to draw particular spiritual
significance to parallel concepts for our spiritual life with regard to reflecting the nature,
or glory, of God in our life and the world around us.
The Laws of Reflection…
Here are a few statements I have gleaned from the Wikipedia Encyclopedia
concerning this aspect of physical science:
1) Most objects in our world can only be viewed by the light that is reflected by
or through them and the clarity with which that light is reflected.
2) Reflected light is compliant with the laws of reflection; specifically, if a
surface is smooth, reflective, and free of obstructions and irregularities, it will
reflect the ray of light it receives with exactly the same angle of incidence
with which it was received.
3) If irregularities on the surface of the object are larger than the wavelength of
light, then the light will be reflected in all directions.
4) Light is reflected, scattered, or absorbed.
5) Objects that reflect or transmit light are transparent, translucent, or opaque.
6) The speed of all light is affected negatively by the mass of the medium
through which it passes unless it is being transmitted through a vacuum.
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Man is the reflection of God…
In 1 Corinthians, chapter11 and verse 7, the Apostle Paul leaves these instructions
to the Church: “For man ought not to wear anything on his head (in church), for
he is the image and (reflected) glory of God; (his function of government reflects
the majesty of the divine Ruler); but woman is (the expression of) man’s glory
(majesty, preeminence).” (The Amplified Bible). The New Living Translation
says it this way: “A man should not wear anything on his head when worshiping
for man is made in God’s image and reflects God’s glory. And woman reflects
man’s glory.”
In 1 Corinthians, chapter 13 and verse 12, the New International Version
record declares; “Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall
see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully
known.” The Amplified Bible expands the idea in this manner, “For now we are
looking in a mirror that gives only a dim (blurred) reflection (of reality as in a
riddle or enigma), but then (when perfection comes) we shall see in reality face to
face! Now I know in part (imperfectly), even in the same manner as I have been
fully clearly known and understood (by God).”
Man is to reflect God’s glory…
Then in 2 Corinthians, chapter3 and verse 18, we read further from New
International Version, “And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s
glory, are being transformed into His likeness, with ever–increasing glory, which
comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” The Amplified Bible offers these
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distinctions to this verse, “And all of us, as with unveiled face, (because we)
continue to behold (in the Word of God) as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are
constantly being transfigured into His very own image in ever increasing splendor
and from one degree of glory to another; (for this comes) from the Lord (who is)
the Spirit.” Also, the New Living Translation adds this, “So all of us who have
had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord,
who is the Spirit, makes us more and more like Him as we are changed into His
glorious image.”
I hope that by now it is abundantly clear that there is a principle involved
in the way God deals with man that involves the principle of the reflection of His
Light. In the spiritual world, as is in the physical world, there is an interaction in
the nature of things that involves this principle of reflection. There is a verse of
Scripture from Proverbs 27:19 that describes this interaction clearly and precisely.
“As in water, face answereth to face; so the heart of man to man.” The American
Standard Version, The Amplified Bible, New International Version, New Living
Translation all agree with King James Version as to the reflective laws of nature
and how it also is active in the invisible realm involving spiritual matters.
God watches to see how we reflect His glory…
There is a process of change that is intended by our Heavenly Father. He
looks for this change in us to occur, and looks intently for the first signs of life to
appear as buds on a fruit tree in spring. He then continues to send nourishment
and paternal care to us so that the bud will flower and begin to develop fruit. He
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knows all along what He is expecting to pluck from this tree eventually, so He
watches and waits for the change, the transformation, to take place. The mature
fruit will look just like the fruit from which seed was extracted long ago. There
will be many events occur in close proximity to this tree such as wind storms, rain,
freezing temperatures, fire, smoke, hail and sometimes even a threatening action
of another object striking its limbs or trunk and causing damage. But always, the
Father-Husbandman returns to the location of the tree and lovingly inspects the
new growth; always looking for signs of maturity. This process of change is
referred to often throughout the Gospels and was used by our Savior to illustrate
the work of the Father in the life of His children.
The fruit is consistent with the seed…
Just as the seed has no inherent power to effect its own growth, so it is
with us. The best of our capabilities and wisdom and experience is not able to
produce even one degree of growth. The work is done as the seed lies in a place
designed for its death. As it is with the process of change relative to natural fruit
production, so it is with the change relative to the reflection of spiritual Light
within us. The quality of the fruit produced is expected to be consistent with the
quality of the fruit from which the seed was extracted. So, the quality of the
reflected image that is accurately reflected from a life free of obstructions and
irregularities is true to the incident, or transmitted, light that came to the object in
the first place. The desire of the One who looks for the “fruit” is that the fruit is
consistent with His expectations.
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Continuing briefly with the link between the natural process of fruit
production and the clarity of the reflected light, please allow me to discuss some
of the hazards associated with these events; not to awaken old emotional wounds
or hurtful memories, but to place firmly before our mind’s eye the importance of
the quality of our connection to the Source of life and light.
Things that effect fruit production…
Disease and free radical agents, which are air or water-borne, are some of
the greatest hazards involved in natural fruit production. Some of these have been
alluded to earlier in this book. But there is another source of environmental
hazard that is of significance when we contemplate the “real” world around us. In
nature, birds, insects, and bees will affect the health of the tree or plant both
negatively and positively. We can observe, when we are diligent, the outside
effects of “natural” influences on our surface is thus effecting either negatively or
positively our ability to reflect the same image of God’s nature that has been
transmitted to us.
Years ago, a “hot” topic among those concerned with protecting our
environment referred to the incidence of “acid rain” as the single environmental
hazard that destroyed much of clear air and water around us. There was concern
as to its effect on our soils and our water supply. The responsibility for this
problem was assigned to the emissions of factories and smoke stacks of
industrialized areas of the world. (As a side note; isn’t it interesting that the
“green house gas” issue and “global warming” are still targeting the same part of
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our society, specifically, the industrialized nations and their regions of economic
development?) Part of the negative effect of this acid rain included the
destruction of the tempered surfaces of our buildings, automobiles, roads as well
as the air and land and water. A glass surface had to be washed often to diminish
the long-term effect of these free radical agents in the air. Can you remember the
effect on shiny mirrored surfaces like the Sears Tower in Chicago? Eventually,
this “problem” lead to the development of protective coatings and films to cover
the surfaces that would reduce the long term negative effects on them.
The point is that we need to be diligent in our search for the true
righteousness and real holiness that is inherent in Jesus Christ and not allow the
shadowy types of man’s traditions and self-improvement or self-discipline tactics
to destroy the reflective surface that God has intended that we have. We need to
be sealed with the power of the Holy Spirit of God to protect our surface from the
effects of the free radicals around us.
The Old Covenant of God is not the real image of God’s glory…
In Hebrews 10:1, we read concerning the law of the Old Covenant and its
effect on bringing the “fruit” to completion or perfection. Here the writer uses the
word “shadow”, concerning the description of the nature of the law and its effect
on the search for a right standing with a Holy and Just God. Once again I turn to
the internet version of Wikipedia for information on what a shadow is. What I
found astounded me with the spiritual implications involved in this principle of
reflected light. The definition of “shadow”, according to the producers of
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Wilipedia is … “the region of darkness where light is blocked.” When you
consider the truth of this statement in light of the spiritual application of the law
of reflection, we see a better description develop concerning the Law, customs,
and commandments and the effect of these on our spiritual life. Here, in Hebrews
chapter10, the Law is shown and declared to be a shadow as far as its
representation of the “good things to come”, namely, our eternal inheritance.
Throughout the next few verses the attention is focused on the offering of the
sacrifice by the priests. Specifically, the writer refers to the once-a-year sacrifice
the High Priest made on the Day Atonement, when he carried the blood from the
specially selected innocent Lamb behind the veil and there he made atonement for
the sins of the people which were committed during the previous year.
Continual sacrifices revive the bad memories…
In this chapter, there is a specific link established between the yearly
annual sacrifice and the reactivation of the memory of the sin. The conscience of
the people was stirred again as if it was never forgotten. In this a clear distinction
is made between the annual sacrifice offered by the High Priest and the once-forall
and forever sacrifice our Savior made that day approximately 2000 years ago.
So, the Law is declared a shadow of the eternal peace of God’s forgiveness.
Real forgiveness…
Within this specific example lies the real distinction between two kinds of
repentance that we can observe in our day. There is the “real” repentance that
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occurs when the Holy Spirit has convicted a person of sin in his life, and he
responds by turning away from his sin and goes the opposite way. Then, there is
another less permanent kind of repentance where a man seeks to discipline
himself in an effort to be able to present to God a better picture of himself and his
capabilities. The latter type of repentance produces a putrid form of selfrighteousness
that causes God to turn away from the one seeking to change. It
produces a predictable form of pride in the heart of the seeker of God which God
can never tolerate. The writers commissioned by God Himself throughout the
pages of the Scripture clearly reveal that the search for human knowledge and the
study of The Law of the Old Covenant will produce the exact “puffing up” effect
that our Savior most vehemently opposed in the life of the religious leaders of His
day. James declares, “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
The sacrifice of Jesus Christ was the real sacrifice…
The sacrifice of the body of our Lord and Savior was declared the real or
exact expression of God’s favor and forgiveness. David, Isaiah, and Micah all
described it this way: “their sins and iniquities are forgotten; forever banished
from the memory of God.” The difference is in the distinction between the
shadowy realms of a guilty conscience where light is obstructed, and the real
image, where even the memory is renewed and the Light is accurately reflected
for all to see.
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The Body of Christ is the exact reflection of God’s glory…
In Colossians, chapter 2 and verse 17, Paul specifically targets certain
parts of the Law that provided instruction for responsible social behavior and
lifestyle. We all have heard modern medical science refer to some of these
ancient customs as being beneficial to the health and vitality of the observer. The
problem was, though, that the practicing of these customs, as well as observing
certain holy days and seasons and various Sabbath had become methods whereby
well-intentioned believers would attempt to judge or accuse one another of evil
intentions or rebellion. Paul declared, “These things are simply shadows
(obstructions to light) and not the real (reflection).” Then he says, “The body (is)
of Christ.” The “body of Christ” is the real representation, the true reflection, of
the eternal inheritance provided for all of mankind (Heb 10:5). So, in the very
next chapter in his letter to the Colossians, chapter 3, verse 10 to the end of the
chapter, Paul refers to the way we are to live in this world reflecting the true, or
exact, image of Christ. In verse 14, he refers to agape, God’s brand of love, as
being the principle which brings about this change in our nature and unites us in
the area of maturity as a true child of God. In the famous love chapter, 1
Corinthians 13, is the description of the effect of real agape love on the Body of
Christ. In verse 5, American Standard Version, New International Version,
Amplified Bible and New Living Translation all agree and refer to the keeping of
records of wrong as being opposite to the nature and function of real love.
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In Christ there is no shadow… only the real image of God
In James 1:17 we read, “Every good and perfect gift is from above and
cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither
shadow of turning.” What an amazing declaration concerning the Source of the
Light that we are to perfectly reflect. Here James states, that our Heavenly Father
shines His Light on us, and this Light is a light without obstructions. Nothing can
resist its rays from shining into our hearts and upon the world around us (Romans
8:38, 39). Let us receive clear admonishment from Scriptures; the Source of Light
is our kind and loving, gracious and merciful, patient and forgiving Heavenly
Father. The source of all obstructions which blocks this light from my view, or
from the view of others, belongs to the old nature of my own life. In other words,
my glory obstructs His glory from shining on me and those around me.
Oh, dear reader, please understand me clearly. I intend in no way to try to
get you to think that I have come to the place in my own spiritual life where these
truths that I speak concerning are my own possession. I struggle intensely with
these truths in my own life. I see these truths and I reach out to “grab” them and
appropriate their principles in my life, but in the next moment I can become the
most grumpy, impatient, spiteful, pitiful excuse of a child of God that ever walked
on God’s green earth.
On the other hand, God has given me a wife by the name of Ruth, who
lives more in tune with these truths than I do. Her influence on our only son has
impacted his life powerfully. I thank God for the power of His own nature to
overpower my own nature. My prayer is that He will continue to work in my life
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to bring about this total displacement of my glory with His own greater glory.
“Shine Your heavenly Light upon my humble “mirror”, Father, and may there be
no shadow or distortion of your image whatsoever as Your Light reflects Your
own glory to the world around me. Amen!”