Transformed

Counsel for the Christian Life

"We all, with unveiled face reflecting as a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory." (2 Cor.3:18 RV)

Christians are not the only ones who would like to be better men and women. Prof. Huxley said, "I protest that if some great Power would agree to make me always think what is true and do what is right, on condition of my being turned into a sort of clock and wound up every morning, I should instantly close with the offer." "Oh, that I could only think right and do right" has been the desire of great men right down the ages.

This is our inheritance if we are the Lord’s people. This is shown in the Word of God and can be obtained under the right conditions. It is as natural for the character to become beautiful as for flowers to become beautiful: the same Creator who instituted laws for the production of beautiful flowers instituted laws for the creation of beautiful characters.

Some claim that the only way to be transformed into the likeness of the Lord is to resolve by sheer willpower to overcome sin in our bodies and minds. There is nothing wrong in resolving to overcome sin, but that is not the vital point. Suppose we were on a ship which, when in the middle of the ocean refused to go, and those on deck tried by pushing at the masts to move it. It would not move, however much pressure they used; their strength would be used in the wrong way. They need to go down to the engine room, the real seat of power, and use every effort to put right what was wrong. Effort is useless unless exercised in the right direction. A drowning man cannot pull himself out of the water by his own hair.

Some say, "Our idea is to tackle one sin at a time and thus eradicate sin from our hearts that good may work." That would be a very big task for any person, to get sins one by one out of their life. That is the wrong way; sin is only overcome by something taking its place. The evil spirit discharged from the person must be replaced by the Lord’s spirit or the last condition becomes worse than the first. The tackling of one sin at a time is therefore not the right method.

Still another method is to copy Christ’s virtues. The word "copy" suggests the thought of an artist in wax or paint trying to reproduce a beautiful flower. Many believe in Christ as the standard to be copied, but very few are able to copy him. The power that is used is a power of self—a power within themselves instead of a power from without.

Again, some say, "How about self‑examination"? Setting up a code of rules to which we must keep! A watchmaker once made a present of the parts of a watch, but when they were put together the main spring was missing. The vital thing is the power, or main‑spring.

The Scriptures give us a valuable formula for our sanctification. There are laws of science and art, and if we would produce anything correctly we must use a formula. We are told that God’s thoughts are higher than man’s, and if the wisdom of men sees the necessity for a formula, God has not left us without one.2 Cor.3:13‑18 provides this formula, and in verse eighteen reveals three laws:

reflection;
assimilation; and
influence.

Notice that it does not say we are transforming ourselves into the same image from glory to glory. No, we do not transform ourselves, we are transformed or changed. The changing power is something that does not naturally belong to ourselves, it is a power that comes from without. Throughout the New Testament we find that the verbs used in connection with our sanctification are passive verbs, so far as the power of sanctification is concerned it is a power from without. We can come under the influence of his spirit and be transformed. The barometer is made to tell us the condition of the weather, but it does not itself consciously register the condition of the weather; the weather does that. The barometer responds to changes in the weather. So, our responsibility is to bring ourselves into the attitude of susceptibility in which God can work on our minds. That is our part of the work, to get our hearts into that attitude of full consecration: take out anything and everything that would hinder the working of His Spirit. The Word of God must be received into our prepared hearts and the whole being must be yielded as members of righteousness.

That is the thought in this text. We, beholding Christ with unveiled face, in our study of the Lord’s Word and His example and teaching, see the glory of God. We see the beauty of God. He exemplifies to us the character of God, and as we set our affections on that lovely character, our love for God and our study of His Word is so close to our hearts, we cannot but be a reflection. A man is shaped and fashioned by that which he loves. We find two young people coming together; they see something they love in each other. They marry and live together for fifty years, and during that time a reflecting work is going on; one would speak as would the other; their very appearance becomes alike. If we are in love with the Lord, the things He says are the things we would say, the words He has given us are the words which express the sentiments of our hearts. We take them into our hearts and reflect them. Beholding Christ, we reflect His image, and we are changed from glory to glory. This word "glory" is rather a crude word to express the thought here. The Psalmist says, "The heavens declare the glory of God." (Psa.19:1) There is a demonstration of the glory of God, His power, His wisdom and the grandeur of His mind. In other words, God’s glory is His character. So, we, beholding Christ, reflect His image and are transformed from character to character, from one character to a better character, then on to a still better one until we are ready for our final change. We are all mirrors, we cannot help it, and we are all reflecting, whether we know it or not.

Now, what is it we reflect? We reflect what we have gained from our environment. If we choose an environment that leads to a depraved life, we shall reflect that depravity. We shall also reflect if we have been reading uplifting books and have been in uplifting company. Are we living in an environment of the Spirit? Do we read the Word of God? If so, we shall reflect it. Do we keep the company of the brethren? Then we shall reflect the spiritual effect.

This reflection is not merely a matter of mind or memory. The impressions we have gained are made on our very beings, so much so that a person is shaped and fashioned like that with which he comes into contact. Where we cannot change our circumstances, we can use them. It will either be a matter of our circumstances using us or we using them. This is important. We may find one who goes through a trial and the result is a stronger faith in God than ever before, whilst another may pass through similar circumstances in a spirit of questioning, murmuring and complaint, producing a very different result. By taking Christ’s precepts, no matter what experiences we go through, they will all work out for our good; whether painful or pleasant, they can be used for our sanctification. We not only reflect what we receive from our environment and experience, but we receive these impressions into our own beings. This we have referred to as the Law of Assimilation.

Now, influence: our study of great people’s works, or our contact with individuals, has the effect of changing our lives. David and Jonathan had a great influence on each other. How about the influence of Christ? If the influence of good people is great, and yet they are only a very small part virtuous in comparison with Christ, what would be the influence of Christ on those who make him their companion? Some may say that there is a difference, that there is something tangible in a friend. But we do not love our friend because of their virtues. So, it is with Christ. It is his life and influence that does the work of transforming. It is by the begetting of the Spirit of God that the Christian is in receipt of a power that the world cannot know or comprehend.

There are certain laws governing the Christian. "Except a man be born from above." (John 3:3 margin) We must receive a power from above before we can be transformed. There are laws governing the material world, organic and inorganic. A mineral is inorganic and must remain so, for it cannot by any power from within itself cross into even the lowest form of life. Plants are also governed by laws of growth, which are peculiar to themselves. While the mineral cannot reach up into the organic, we find that a plant can reach down its roots into the mineral and by absorbing it, transforms it to part of itself. The mineral has been "born from above" and entered the kingdom just above it. No law governing the human can make the human spiritual by effort or power from within itself, but God can take hold of us if we yield ourselves to Him, and so we can be transformed into His image. The power is the power of life and we derive that life from the Word of God, for the Word of God is living, and we have been begotten of the Word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever, and by imbibing that Word we are transformed. If we study His Word and character and take His Word into our hearts, we receive a power that changes us from glory to glory.