“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
The new life we enjoy in Jesus Christ is meant to be a life of ongoing transformation. Once we believe in Jesus, we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit Who guarantees our salvation. The Spirit, in turn, desires to work a wondrous transformation within us from whatever we once were into being like Jesus Himself.
This is a process, a journey of a thousand miles. With each step, we are to grow in God’s glory. With each step, we are to “put off” a bit more of our old nature and “put on” more of Jesus. With each passing day, week, month, and year, we should more fully speak the words of Jesus, think the thoughts of Jesus, and do the actions of Jesus as we demonstrate yet more of the Fruit of the Spirit which is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
If that describes your life, praise God! If that doesn’t describe your life, then realize this is neither a passive process nor an automatic one. Though salvation is guaranteed through faith in Christ, we must actively cooperate with the Spirit to grow in Christlikeness, experience transformation, and more richly see God’s glory in our lives. We have work to do in pursuing the holiness, character, and person of Christ each day.
We must be people of frequent worship (public and private) and of life in the Word (reading, studying, meditating on, and memorizing Scripture). We must be people of prayer, walking and talking with God. We must be people in deep community with others who are walking the path of transformation. We must be people who serve the Lord diligently. We must be people who share our hope in Christ. What God desires and does in us is glorious. Please, please, please don’t let anything hold you back from experiencing that!!!