August 23, 2017 LASTING CHANGE
2 Corinthians 3:18 “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as form the Lord, the Spirit.”
We all have at times decided to change something about our life, but found that all too often, the change is not permanent. The amazing truth of this verse is that the change, or the transformation, that this verse is referring to is a lasting change and it happens without our conscience effort! The transformation we see in this verse is not just an improvement, but a total transformation at the core of our being. The necessary ingredient to the transformation process is that we behold the glory of the Lord. To ‘behold the glory of the Lord’ starts with a desire in our heart to know Him, and if that is our desire, we will find ourselves becoming familiar with His word and meditating on the wonder and majesty of who He is. There is a basic hunger or need in the heart of man, and what we see as we behold the Lord is what satisfies the longings of the heart. It is amazing, but because we were created by God, there is something in us, part of our design, that desires to be like Him. After all, God is our Father, and it’s only natural to want to be like Him. Apart from the redemptive work of the Lord, man is in darkness and could never come to know God and be like Him. But, because we have been redeemed by the mercy and grace of God, we are now able to behold Him, and as we behold Him, we are transformed into His image! Genesis 1:26 tells us that we were made in the image of God. (Because of sin, that image was marred.) Can we grasp the truth that God wants us to be like Him? The wonderful news for us is that our being transformed into His image is not dependent on our own effort, but it happens as we look at Him. No longer let us listen to the lies of the enemy-that we are sinners, that we are not worthy, that we are failures, that we disappoint God, and etc. Replace the lies with the truth-that we have been redeemed, that we are sons and daughters of God, that we were created in His image, and that we have been made new, that we can now enjoy God! Sure, we are not yet made perfect, but the transformation process is well underway! Let us keep beholding the glory of the Lord, knowing that as we do, we are being transformed. It is not our destiny to live as mere human beings; it is our destiny to live as children of God who are becoming more and more like Him!
Colossians 1:21-22: “And although you were formally alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach.”
Blessings,
Buddy
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