"The abnegation of reason is not the evidence of faith, but the confession of despair."
- J.B. Lightfoot
Friday, August 13, 2010
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 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 Cor 3:17-18
There is a lot of good stuff in 2 Corinthians 3 and 4. In reading this tonight, I began thinking of Paul's description of the great transformation that every believer is going through. We are progressing, from glory to glory, into the image of the Lord. That's our destiny - to be like Jesus, conformed to his image! I love the angle Guzik takes on this:
The work of transformation is a continual progression. It works from glory to glory. It doesn’t have to work from backsliding to glory to backsliding to glory.Sanctification can be wearisome. It can be a hard slog, but the end result . . . words fail. Praise be to God.
But how is one transformed? Notice how Paul puts it: . . . 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.
There are disciplines we can, and should, build into our lives as we run the race, becoming more and more like Jesus. But I'm learning that the real center of sanctification is beholding the Lord. Following Jesus isn't "learning how to be a better Christian". It's keeping our eyes on our Savior, beholding His glory, and in that beholding, becoming like Him.
Lord, help my eyes maintain their focus on You. There are so many shiny things, including my own "good" works and "progress", that distract me.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God - Hebrews 12:1-2
Beholding is becoming, so as You fill my gaze
I become more like You and my heart is changed
Beholding is becoming, so as you fill my view
Transform me into the likeness of You
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Comments on "Beholding is Becoming":
2. Bird
- 08/13/2010 7:00 pm CDT
But I'm learning that the real center of sanctification is beholding the Lord. Following Jesus isn't "learning how to be a better Christian". It's keeping our eyes on our Savior, beholding His glory, and in that beholding, becoming like Him.
Yes. Absolutely. If He's at the center of our lives, then, as Paul says in Romans 12, we can prove the perfect will of God. Our day-to-day lives become an extension of His will.
5. Jared
- 08/21/2010 7:53 pm CDT
There are disciplines we can, and should, build into our lives as we run the race, becoming more and more like Jesus. But I'm learning that the real center of sanctification is beholding the Lord.
This is the "secret knowledge" of gospel-centrality. :-)
Let's do what we can to make it the worst kept secret in the church.
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I've found 2 Corinthians to be RICH lately. Good post, brother. So true.