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2 Corinthians 3:18 - More and More Like Jesus!

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. 

INTRODUCTION

Becoming Christlike is a progressive 
experience (see Romans 8:29; Galatians 4:19; Philip. 
3:21; 1 John 3:2). The more closely we follow 
Christ, the more we will be like him. [Life 
Application SB] 

COMMENTARY PEARL

   You need more power than just willpower 
in your life. You need Gods power.  
   The fruit of the Spirit is the qualities 
that God puts in your life when the Holy Spirit 
lives in you: love, joy, peace, patience, 
kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and 
self-control (Galatians 5:22-23 NLT). 
   How does God produce the fruit in your 
life? Not by willpower. You could go out and say, 
Im going to be a more patient person! but 
that doesnt mean its going to work.  
   The Holy Spirit has to grow it on the 
inside. You try to say, Im going to be more 
patient. Im going to be more loving. Its 
like tying some oranges on a eucalyptus tree and 
calling it an orange tree. It doesnt work that 
way. The fruit of the Spirit can only come from 
the inside - Gods Spirit living through you. 
   How does the Holy Spirit work in your 
life? The answer is gradually: And the Lord - 
who is the Spirit - makes us more and more like 
him as we are changed into his glorious image 
(2 Corinthians 3:18 NLT). 
   When God wants to make a mushroom, he 
takes six hours. When God wants to make an oak 
tree, he takes 60 years. The question is: Do you 
want your life to be a mushroom or an oak tree?  
   You didnt collect your hurts, habits, 
and hang-ups overnight. The things we most want 
to change usually developed in us over years. 
Someone approached me once and said, Pastor Rick, 
I need you to solve my marriage problem. I 
said, How long have you been married? 
Fifteen years. How long have you had this 
problem? Ten years.  
   And you want a five-second answer? It 
isnt going to happen! Youve got to peel that 
onion one layer at a time. 
   The Holy Spirit works within us to make 
us gradually more and more like him. Our 
character is the sum total of our habits. Our 
responsibility is to develop new habits that reflect his 
work in us. [Daily Devotional by Rick Warren: 
https://pastorrick.com/devotional/] 

LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY 

2 Corinthians 3:18 - What We Behold - - - We 
Become! 

https://www.abible.com/devotions/2008/20080925-2315.html 

2 Corinthians 3:18 - More and More Like 
Jesus! 

https://www.abible.com/devotions/2023/20230609-0854.html 

LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT

https://abible.com/links/