Transformation #2—Glorious Transformation

With unveiled faces, we who are beholding the glory of the Lord in the gospel of the glory of Christ—who is the image of God—are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory. 2 Corinthians 3:18

It seems to be a natural law that we become like those we admire. After all, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery; and we humans are very good imitators. So, we say of children who look, sound and act just like one (or both) of their parents: The fruit doesn’t fall very far from the tree. And, mentors in on-the-job training programs, operate under the “see one, do one, teach one” paradigm. Jesus understands this, for he tells us that he does what he sees the Father doing, the way he sees the Father doing it. In this way he becomes the image of God for us. So, when we model ourselves after Jesus by watching him closely, we will be transformed into the images of God we were created to be. But how? Jesus isn’t here physically, but we can see him, in all of his glory, in the stories of the gospel. We see him trust the Father to plan and provide for him so that he was able to succeed when tried by Satan, respond to needs when pressed, speak out against injustice, patiently teach his followers, pray when he needed guidance and strength, love his enemies, keep a civil tongue when reviled, stay true to his purpose when rejected, and lay down his life for his friends.

Lord Christ, you are the author and perfecter of faith, enable me to keep my eyes on you as I run my race and fight my fight.