The beauty of the Christians

“He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to” (Isaiah 53:2).

                What is the beauty of the Christians?

                Nowadays, watching church ads seems to be no different from TV commercials.  Where can we feel this?  We can feel this when we watch TV commercials and church ads in which pretty-looking women come out as advertising models.  Of course, in the world outside the church, when companies make the advertisements, it is understandable that they companies use good-looking women who can make people attractive.  But when we see the churches are also using good-looking women as church ads, I think that the world is affecting our churches.  This is because we Christians see as the world sees and we think as they think.  In other words, just as people in the world see and think that 'that person is so attractive', we Christians see and think the same way.  But the question is, does God see and think that way as well?

                What the world sees is appearance.  And even we Christians see appearance too.  Even in the Bible, Samuel saw the appearance of Jesse's son Eliab and his height and said in his heart, “Surely the LORD's anointed stands here before the LORD” (1 Sam. 16:6-7).  Although God looks at the heart, we look at the outward appearance.  All of us are seeing and are attracted to outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes (1 Pet. 3:3).  Especially when people look at the women’s beauty who walk with expensive luxury clothes, luxury jewelry, luxury bags, etc. in times of where many people do plastic surgery to make themselves look pretty, they think they are pretty and are attracted to them.  But the problem is that even we Christians are deceived by this worldly beauty.  Although as Apostle Peter said that of great worth in God’s sight is our inner self, “the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit (v. 4), we don’t understanding what is great worth in God’s sight.  And so, like the people of the world, we are more focused on outer appearance than inner beauty, and we are not pursuing the beauty that is valuable to God.  Worse yet, just as the people of the world have seen no beauty in Christ Jesus that they should be attracted to Him (Isa. 53:2), we Christians don’t see the beauty in Him as well.  The prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilling.  Jesus Christ, the Messiah, “in our sight,” has no stately form or majesty (v. 2).  In other words, Jesus Christ has no appearance that we should be attracted to Him (v. 2).  If we are seeing the beauty of Jesus, then we will never live a life of focusing on outward appearance.  But if we are not pursuing a priceless inner beauty in God's eyes, but rather like an appearance-oriented life, an appearance-oriented relationship, and even an appearance-oriented ministry, we never see the beauty of Christ Jesus.  We won't be able to say that we look upon Him and are being attracted to Him.  What is the beauty of a Christian in God's sight?

                The only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, is beautiful in God's sight.  Although there is no appearance in Him that we should be attracted to Him, but Heavenly Father God sees beauty in His Son Jesus Christ.  This is because Jesus was obedient to His Heavenly Father to the point of death, even death on a cross (Phil. 2:8).  In other words, in God’s sight, Jesus was beautiful because He was obedient to His Father God to the point of death on the cross.  Therefore, the beauty of Christians lies in obeying the word of the Lord.  Although in the eyes of the world, we Christians may look weak and have no fine appearance, but in the eyes of God, our beauty lies in obeying the word of the Lord.  Even when we live in a world that is like the parched ground, we may be persecuted like “a tender shoot” like Jesus (v. 2) we should live in obedience to the will of God through the help of God from above.  Then we will be beautiful children of God in the sight of God.  Although in appearance, there is nothing that we can be attracted to the people in this world, we the disciples of Jesus Christ should be children of God who are attractive in God's eyes because we obey His word.  We should no longer to live a life that is so demanding and appealing to the needs of the world, but to seek an inner beauty that is valuable and attractive in the sight of God.  I hope and pray that we be the disciples of Jesus who are beautiful in God's sight by cultivating our valuable inner man before God and be obedience to Him.