Transformation - This is The Way
2 Corinthians 3:16–18 (NLT)
16 But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil (of unbelief) is taken away. 17 For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.
All of God’s love toward us, all of his thoughts toward us, all of his plans and purpose for us – all revolve around the Lord transforming us more and more into his image. In the ESV, verse 18 says, 18 And we all . . . are being transformed into the same image (as the Lord) from one degree of glory to another . . .
This Greek word for “transformed” means “to change the nature of a thing.” When you were saved, you were immediately adopted into God’s family – just as you are – you didn’t have to change one thing. But now that you are his son or daughter, God loves you enough to transform the very nature of your life. From the old life, to the new life. God wants to transform us out of the destruction of sin and into true, abundant life in Him.
The agent of all transformation in our lives is the Person of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the Power of God and the Life of God in us, to transform us into his image. But, here's a question; what are the Holy Spirit's primary tools to transform us? In what areas of our lives do we need to be alert and aware of how the Holy Spirit is transforming us into the image of the Lord? Here are the top three areas the Holy Spirit has used in my life. These may be the top three areas in your life as well.
1) God's Word and our daily communion with him, (this one is for everyone)
2) Our circumstances and trials,
3) Other people – both positive and negative.
#1) God's Word and our daily communion with him
This is, hands down, God’s most powerful tool for transformation, and it is the one least likely to be used by most Christians. I promise you, your spiritual enemy will do everything possible to keep you too busy or too preoccupied to be transformed by you spending daily devotional time with your Bible and your Heavenly Father. But, if we will do this, we will be transformed into what God has called us to be. But this isn’t just rote repetition of Bible reading. And it isn’t just acquiring Bible knowledge. It’s developing an intimate, transforming daily communion with your Abba Father.
Our daily communion time with the Lord involves daily prayer, where you purposely align your heart with God’s will. And it involves daily worship, where you consciously focus on God instead of yourself. And it involves communion time with the Lord in His Word (daily Word), where you meditate on and apply God’s Word to your life. That is daily communion time, and it is the most powerful tool God uses in transforming our lives from the destruction of sin to the true abundant life in Jesus Christ.
We have specifically designed the Alone With God journal to help you create this intimate relationship with God, your Abba Father. You can order one online at wordbymail.com or on the Word By Mail phone app.
#2) Our circumstances and our trials
The best translation (in my opinion) of Romans 8:28 is in the NIV: 28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him . . . We’ve got to know that God is at work, for our good, right in the midst of the circumstance or trial we are currently in. And many of us would say, “If God is at work for my good, then why doesn’t he fix my circumstance?” The answer is, “Because that circumstance is God’s tool to fix you.”
Why? Because (here's my second favorite saying) God is not as interested in fixing your circumstances as he is in using your circumstances to fix you. And we have got to believe that! God uses our circumstances and trials to mold and shape us, mature, strengthen, and transform us, in order to bring us into the true, abundant life – which comes from unbroken fellowship (communion) with God. So often, God uses our circumstances and trials to bring us into that deep communion with Him. (See James 1:2-4)
#3) Other people – both positive and negative
Positive and negative people come into our lives. I am talking specifically about those who positively or negatively impact us. The people who impact us positively encourage us, strengthen us, counsel us, and, most importantly – they point us to God. We see these “encouragers” throughout the Bible. Every strong man or woman of God we see in the Bible has around them those who encourage and strengthen them. Thank God for these people in your life, and please be this person in someone else’s life.
But then, there also are the people that God allows in our lives who impact us negatively. And just like God is at work for our good in our circumstances, either positive or negative, in the very same way, God is at work for our good using the people in our lives – either positive or negative.
The Psalms are full of King David crying out to God to save him from the people who were his enemies. But in the end, those very people caused King David to cling all the more to God as his Savior. And that is exactly what they should do in our lives! One of the best examples in the Bible of seeing good from bad people is from the incredible story of Joseph in the Book of Genesis. At the end of his life, when his brothers feared retaliation from Joseph for what they had done to him, Joseph says to them, what you meant for evil, God meant it for good. . . (Genesis 50:19-20)
God will allow both encouragers and enemies into your life. But please remember, he is at work through both of them for your good. He is using those positive and negative people as tools to mold and shape you, to purge the bad out of you, and to transform you into the image of the Lord.
So, these are God’s three primary tools for transformation. Remember: God loves you just as you are, but he also loves you enough to not leave you just as you are. You can always trust your Heavenly Father to do what is truly best for you. Commit yourself to being transformed by him from glory to glory, and your relationship with him will grow ever deeper.
Journal: I hope you can take some time and go through the three steps of the Alone With God journal using this verses, 2 Cor 3:16-18. These are powerful verses, and if you will take the time to go through the steps in the Alone with God journal of, meditate, apply, and respond, I am certain God will speak to you during your time alone with Him.
Questions: Here are just two questions that may help you with the apply and respond sections of the journal;
1) What is one way you can create this crucial daily communion time with God?
2) What circumstance is God using right now in your life to draw you closer to him?
Prayer: Lord, we acknowledge that we can be transformed only by the work of your Holy Spirit. We know that being in your Word draws us close to you. Please help us get to where we can be alone with you and allow your Word to transform our lives. Help us to see the circumstances and people in our lives that you are using to transform us into your image. Please continue to transform us and draw us closer to you each day. In your mighty name, Jesus, we pray, amen.
16 But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil (of unbelief) is taken away. 17 For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.
All of God’s love toward us, all of his thoughts toward us, all of his plans and purpose for us – all revolve around the Lord transforming us more and more into his image. In the ESV, verse 18 says, 18 And we all . . . are being transformed into the same image (as the Lord) from one degree of glory to another . . .
This Greek word for “transformed” means “to change the nature of a thing.” When you were saved, you were immediately adopted into God’s family – just as you are – you didn’t have to change one thing. But now that you are his son or daughter, God loves you enough to transform the very nature of your life. From the old life, to the new life. God wants to transform us out of the destruction of sin and into true, abundant life in Him.
The agent of all transformation in our lives is the Person of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the Power of God and the Life of God in us, to transform us into his image. But, here's a question; what are the Holy Spirit's primary tools to transform us? In what areas of our lives do we need to be alert and aware of how the Holy Spirit is transforming us into the image of the Lord? Here are the top three areas the Holy Spirit has used in my life. These may be the top three areas in your life as well.
1) God's Word and our daily communion with him, (this one is for everyone)
2) Our circumstances and trials,
3) Other people – both positive and negative.
#1) God's Word and our daily communion with him
This is, hands down, God’s most powerful tool for transformation, and it is the one least likely to be used by most Christians. I promise you, your spiritual enemy will do everything possible to keep you too busy or too preoccupied to be transformed by you spending daily devotional time with your Bible and your Heavenly Father. But, if we will do this, we will be transformed into what God has called us to be. But this isn’t just rote repetition of Bible reading. And it isn’t just acquiring Bible knowledge. It’s developing an intimate, transforming daily communion with your Abba Father.
Our daily communion time with the Lord involves daily prayer, where you purposely align your heart with God’s will. And it involves daily worship, where you consciously focus on God instead of yourself. And it involves communion time with the Lord in His Word (daily Word), where you meditate on and apply God’s Word to your life. That is daily communion time, and it is the most powerful tool God uses in transforming our lives from the destruction of sin to the true abundant life in Jesus Christ.
We have specifically designed the Alone With God journal to help you create this intimate relationship with God, your Abba Father. You can order one online at wordbymail.com or on the Word By Mail phone app.
#2) Our circumstances and our trials
The best translation (in my opinion) of Romans 8:28 is in the NIV: 28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him . . . We’ve got to know that God is at work, for our good, right in the midst of the circumstance or trial we are currently in. And many of us would say, “If God is at work for my good, then why doesn’t he fix my circumstance?” The answer is, “Because that circumstance is God’s tool to fix you.”
Why? Because (here's my second favorite saying) God is not as interested in fixing your circumstances as he is in using your circumstances to fix you. And we have got to believe that! God uses our circumstances and trials to mold and shape us, mature, strengthen, and transform us, in order to bring us into the true, abundant life – which comes from unbroken fellowship (communion) with God. So often, God uses our circumstances and trials to bring us into that deep communion with Him. (See James 1:2-4)
#3) Other people – both positive and negative
Positive and negative people come into our lives. I am talking specifically about those who positively or negatively impact us. The people who impact us positively encourage us, strengthen us, counsel us, and, most importantly – they point us to God. We see these “encouragers” throughout the Bible. Every strong man or woman of God we see in the Bible has around them those who encourage and strengthen them. Thank God for these people in your life, and please be this person in someone else’s life.
But then, there also are the people that God allows in our lives who impact us negatively. And just like God is at work for our good in our circumstances, either positive or negative, in the very same way, God is at work for our good using the people in our lives – either positive or negative.
The Psalms are full of King David crying out to God to save him from the people who were his enemies. But in the end, those very people caused King David to cling all the more to God as his Savior. And that is exactly what they should do in our lives! One of the best examples in the Bible of seeing good from bad people is from the incredible story of Joseph in the Book of Genesis. At the end of his life, when his brothers feared retaliation from Joseph for what they had done to him, Joseph says to them, what you meant for evil, God meant it for good. . . (Genesis 50:19-20)
God will allow both encouragers and enemies into your life. But please remember, he is at work through both of them for your good. He is using those positive and negative people as tools to mold and shape you, to purge the bad out of you, and to transform you into the image of the Lord.
So, these are God’s three primary tools for transformation. Remember: God loves you just as you are, but he also loves you enough to not leave you just as you are. You can always trust your Heavenly Father to do what is truly best for you. Commit yourself to being transformed by him from glory to glory, and your relationship with him will grow ever deeper.
Journal: I hope you can take some time and go through the three steps of the Alone With God journal using this verses, 2 Cor 3:16-18. These are powerful verses, and if you will take the time to go through the steps in the Alone with God journal of, meditate, apply, and respond, I am certain God will speak to you during your time alone with Him.
Questions: Here are just two questions that may help you with the apply and respond sections of the journal;
1) What is one way you can create this crucial daily communion time with God?
2) What circumstance is God using right now in your life to draw you closer to him?
Prayer: Lord, we acknowledge that we can be transformed only by the work of your Holy Spirit. We know that being in your Word draws us close to you. Please help us get to where we can be alone with you and allow your Word to transform our lives. Help us to see the circumstances and people in our lives that you are using to transform us into your image. Please continue to transform us and draw us closer to you each day. In your mighty name, Jesus, we pray, amen.
2 Comments
This was awesome! God Bless you and your ministry. Thank you 🙏🏻
Glory to God! Amen. - Tricia