2 Corinthians 3:18 - What We Behold - - - We Become!
2 Corinthians 3:18 - What We Behold - - - We Become!
2 Corinthians 3:18 (KJV) But we all, with open face beholding as
in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image
from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
2 Corinthians 3:18 (ESV) And we all, with unveiled face,
beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image
from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who
is the Spirit.
2 Corinthians 3:18 (CWR) Our faces are no longer covered, and as
we look at the glory of the Lord, we're changed. We reflect more
and more of His image by the power of the Spirit working on our
hearts.
2 Corinthians 3:18 (MSG) All of us! Nothing between us and God,
our faces shining with the brightness of his face. And so we are
transfigured much like the Messiah, our lives gradually becoming brighter and
more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like him.
Am I in tune with God's Spirit? Am I exercising His gifts
appropriately? Are my desires in line with His? Am I praying according to His
will? Am I hearing His voice? If we can't answer these questions with
a high degree of certainty, we will walk out our relationship with
God tentatively. We will make decisions, offer prayers, and listen
for His guidance without much conviction, and our uncertain faith
will waver. There's a lot of humility in this walk, but not a lot of
holy boldness. And we can't accomplish much in God's Kingdom without
both.
The most significant variable in answering these questions is
whether or not we are gazing at Jesus. When He is front and center in
our minds and hearts - when He is bigger and better than our deepest
desires, getting our prayers answered, and discovering God's will - He
will align us with His heartbeat. When we contemplate His glory and
pursue Him above all else, we are transformed into His image without
even being aware of it. We become like whatever we love, so if Christ
is our greatest love - not just in theory, but in daily
consciousness - we become like Him. And as we do, we hear, pray, walk, and
talk like He does. Just as He is the radiance of the Father, we
reflect God's radiance too. We don't have to worry about being misguided
when our greatest passion is knowing Jesus.
When Jesus becomes and remains the focus of our attention, a
lot of other things in life fall into place and a lot of spiritual
questions get resolved. We may not know exactly how that happens, but it
does. Our perspective changes. Even our questions change. And
uncertainties about our relationship with God begin to vanish.
Jesus, may my gaze never depart from You. Show me Your glory.
Impart Your nature to me. Implant Your heartbeat within me. Be my
truest and deepest passion. [The One Year Hearing His Voice Devotional
by Chris Tiegreen]
PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS
Let My love enfold you in the radiance of My Glory. Sit still
in the Light of My Presence, and receive My Peace. These quiet
moments with Me transcend time, accomplishing far more than you can
imagine. Bring Me the sacrifice of your time, and watch to see how
abundantly I bless you and your loved ones.
Through the intimacy of our relationship, you are being
transformed from the inside out. As you keep your focus on Me, I form you
into the one I desire you to be. Your part is to yield to My creative
work in you, neither resisting it nor trying to speed it up. Enjoy
the tempo of a God-breathed life by letting Me set the pace. Hold My
hand in childlike trust, and the way before you will open up step by
step. (Heb. 13:15; 2 Cor. 3:18; Psa. 73:23, 24) [Jesus Calling by
Sarah Young]
As you wait attentively in My Presence, the Light of the
knowledge of My Glory shines upon you. This radiant knowledge transcends
all understanding. It transforms every fiber of your being: renewing
your mind, cleansing your heart, invigorating your body. Open
yourself fully to My Presence; be awed by My glorious Being.
Try to imagine what I gave up when I came into your world as
a baby. I set aside My Glory, so that I could identify with
mankind. I accepted the limitations of infancy under the most appalling
conditions ~ a filthy stable. That was a dark night for Me, even though
angels lit up the sky proclaiming "Glory!" to awe-struck shepherds.
When you sit quietly with Me, the process I went through is
reversed in your experience. As you identify with Me, heaven's vistas
open up before you ~ granting you glimpses of My Glory. I became poor
so that you might become rich. Sing hallelujahs to My holy Name! (2
Cor. 4:6; Phi. 2:6, 7; Luke 2:13, 14; 2 Cor. 8:9) [Jesus Calling by
Sarah Young]
Bask in the luxury of being fully understood and
unconditionally loved. Dare to see yourself as I see you: radiant in My
righteousness, cleansed by My blood. I view you as the one I created you to be,
the one you will be in actuality when heaven becomes your home. It
is My Life within you that is changing you from glory to glory.
Rejoice in this mysterious miracle! Thank Me continually for the amazing
gift of My Spirit within you.
Try to depend on the help of the Spirit as you go through
this day of life. Pause briefly from time to time so you can consult
with this Holy One inside you. He will not force you to do His
bidding, but He will guide you as you give Him space in your life. Walk
along this wondrous way of collaboration with My Spirit. (Psa. 34:5;
2Co. 5:21; 3:18; Gal. 5:25) [Jesus Calling by Sarah Young]
I will fill you with joy and peace as you wait in My
Presence. Spending time with Me demonstrates that you really do trust Me.
People who trust mainly in themselves and their own abilities often
crowd Me out of their lives. As you learn to trust Me more, you
increasingly delight in time spent with Me. And the more you wait in My
Presence, the deeper your faith grows - increasing your Joy and Peace.
Because you belong to Me, My Spirit lives in you. You may
sometimes be unaware of His Presence, but He is always aware of you.
Moreover, He is continually at work within you - transforming you into My
likeness with ever-increasing Glory. You cooperate in this process by
focusing on Me. As you become more and more like Me, hope grows within
you. With the Spirit's help, this hope can well up inside you till it
overflows - spilling out and splashing into the lives of other people!
(Isa. 26:3; Rom. 8:9; 2Co. 3:18) [Jesus Today by Sarah Young]
CLOSING THOUGHTS
During a landmark interview with the great physicist and
mathematician Albert Einstein, he made this statement concerning Jesus the
Christ: "I am a Jew, but I am enthralled by the luminous figure of the
Nazarene... No one can read the Gospels without feeling the actual presence
of Jesus. His personality pulsates in every word. No myth is filled
with such life."
Each day, you can have your own personal transfiguration as you
worship the Lord and yield to the Spirit. [Chapter by Chapter Bible
Commentary by Warren Wiersbe]
LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS PASSAGE:
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2008/20080925-2315.html
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2014/20140917-2118.html
UPCOMING BIBLE STUDY SERIES BY PASTOR DOUG BATCHELOR
Heroes of Faith: http://www.theheroesoffaith.com/
