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 from the Lord, the
Spirit.
There
are verses in the Bible that are so packed with layers and layers of meaning,
that we need to read and re-read them to find the treasures they contain. This
is one of them!
But we all – We are ALL invited to have glorious
fellowship with God. All of us. Not just the privileged few. Paul’s sweeping statement
includes us with him in what he is saying here, despite the fact that many of
us tend to think that he represents a super-elite type of Christian, one with
whom most of us certainly feel we cannot compare!
with unveiled face – Paul writes elsewhere that the gospel is
covered with a veil to those who are perishing, for Satan has blinded the
unbelievers’ minds so that they cannot see the truth and Light of the gospel.
But the moment we turn to Christ, that veil is removed. We now no longer need
to cover our faces as in ancient days the slaves had to do before appearing in the
presence of a king; there is no need to hide who we are or what we have done.
There is no barrier between us and God anymore.
Beholding … the glory of the Lord – this is more
than a casual glance, it is to make a careful study. It surely means a daily looking, searching,
sensing, being aware of Jesus. Being conscious of His presence; perceiving His
truth in my mind; feeling Him in His love in my heart; being in contact with
Him in my spirit. And then seeing, as John says, His glory when He lived among
us, as manifested in His grace and truth, His loving heartfelt words,
His perfect deeds, how His will was completely subjected to God, how He
displayed what a faultless and complete human being looks like.
as in a mirror – we behold God’s glory as mirrored in the
person of Jesus Christ and the Word. We must now mirror our Saviour to the
outside world, displaying His characteristics.
are being transformed into the same image – In Rom 8:29
Paul repeats this “…He also predestined (us) to be conformed to the image of
His son.” Being transformed means the work is not yet complete. This is
a progressive sanctification. As we keep on beholding the 100% and start making
adjustments to our behaviour, we are transforming, bit by bit.
from glory to glory – Peter wrote in 1 Pet 2:9 “…. that you may
display the virtues and perfections of Him Who called you…” The beauty of Jesus starts to grow and grow
in us, reaching further and further, and can be seen more and more in us. The
result is glorious!
just as from the Lord, the Spirit – we cannot do
this by following rules and religious practices. We need the help of the Holy
Spirit. And this we have, as Paul writes in Phil 2:13 “because God is always at
work in you to make you willing and able to obey His own purpose”. Hallelujah!
It is His working in us that leads to our transformation!
Point to ponder: Are you
looking into the true mirror of God’s Word frequently, or are you using flawed
mirrors of other people’s opinions of the Word of God?
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