Amen, Richard! Each of us may come to Christ and be transformed in character by beholding His infinite love and grace! I love who Jesus is to us!
"In Christ is the tenderness of the shepherd, the affection of the parent, and the matchless grace of the compassionate Saviour. His blessings He presents in the most alluring terms. He is not content merely to announce these blessings; He presents them in the most attractive way, to excite a desire to possess them. So His servants are to present the riches of the glory of the unspeakable Gift. The wonderful love of Christ will melt and subdue hearts, when the mere reiteration of doctrines would accomplish nothing. 'Comfort ye, comfort ye My people, saith your God.' 'O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God! . . . He shall feed His flock like a shepherd: He shall gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom.' Isaiah 40:1, 9-11. Tell the people of Him who is 'the Chiefest among ten thousand,' and the One 'altogether lovely.' The Song of Solomon 5:10, 16. Words alone cannot tell it. Let it be reflected in the character and manifested in the life. Christ is sitting for His portrait in every disciple. Every one God has predestinated to be 'conformed to the image of His Son.' Romans 8:29. In every one Christ's long-suffering love, His holiness, meekness, mercy, and truth are to be manifested to the world." {The Desire of Ages, page 826, paragraph 3}
I love this thought of how Christ is sitting for His portrait in every disciple--and in order for His character to be reproduced in us, we must look to Him and live, learn of Him, and unlearn the ways of this world that contradict the selfless character of Christ. When we surrender fully to Christ, He forgives our sins and imparts to us His Spirit. As long as we abide in Christ, His Spirit is transforming us to be ever more like Him, while all of the fruits of the Spirit will be seen in our lives, not one will be missing, but these precious graces can become richer and more abundant!