Week 1 | Day 4 | Being Transformed

Command:

Beware of the Pharisees 

Read:

But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, continually seeing as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are progressively being transformed into His image from one degree of glory to even more glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. 2Cor 3:16-18 (NIV, AMP)

Reflect:

I discovered these words several decades ago. What Paul lays out here became, for me, the core principles of the journey toward becoming more like Christ. Learning to consistently practice the principle of unveiling my mind so I can gaze intently at the dazzling goodness of Christ. It has provided a process of progressively changing me from a self-centered way of life, into the divine ways of living that display the Glory of God. 

The Greek word in the New Testament for transformation is metamorphous. It means to transition from one form to another. This process includes turning my attention toward the Lord and removing any idea or bias that veils a vivid view of his pure goodness and wisdom. Since Christ is never far from any of us, (Acts 17:27) we can do this in any waking moment. His Spirit, with the flow of the energy of his essence, breathes around us continuously. The practice is to notice, and then fix the focus of our attention on the trait of Christ’s goodness that we need to deal with.  

Doing so over time transforms us into his goodness, so that “in this world we are like Jesus”. 1 John 4:17 (NIV) It also sets us free from stifling religious attitudes and habitual deficits of character. 

React:

Notice Christ’s presence. Gaze upon his bright goodness as in a mirror, then reflect his goodness.

Pray:

Lord, free me from my offensive ways and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 139:24 (NIV)