Genesis 1:26-27, New Living Translation

“Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.” So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”

“Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him.” (Colossians 3:10 NLT)

Just like the experiment with the celery stalk, we have to be so immersed in God to take on His nature and appearance. We are to be so immersed in God that we take on His image. This is known in Christianity as sanctification and conformation to the image of Christ.

Human identity is grounded in our creation. God created humanity “in His own image … male and female He created them” (Genesis 1:27, see also 5:1).

It is written in 2 Corinthians 3:18 that when you look at the glory of the Lord with an open heart, you are gradually transformed into His exact likeness from one degree of glory to another.

This change does not come from human effort alone; it is an inward work performed by the Holy Spirit.

In Romans 8:29 it says that God's goal is to predestine believers to be conformed to the image of His Son, restoring the moral and spiritual likeness that sin had distorted. Before we were ever created, God wanted us to be conformed to His image.

What does this look like to you and me in our everyday lives?

• Renewal of the Mind: Spending time in prayer and reading Scripture shifts your thoughts, values, and worldview to align with God's character.

• Fruit of the Spirit: As you stay close to God, your daily actions begin to reflect His love, patience, kindness, holiness, and righteousness. (Just as the celery changes the color of the dye).

What happens if you take the celery out of the dyed water? It eventually will lose the coloring. The same is with you and me. If we remove ourselves from being immersed in Jesus, we will start to look more and more like the world.

Remember, this is an ongoing journey: The transformation is a lifelong process of growth ("from glory to glory") rather than an overnight perfection, finding its complete fulfillment when you finally see Him face-to-face!