Let’s continue staring into His face through 2 Corinthians 3:18.
The first portion says,“But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord…” (in case you missed that post, read here).
And then we continue:
“…are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.”
“are being transformed” – (Greek verb: metamorphoo) – to transform; from two root words “accompaniment, amid” + “to fashion”; where we get the English word metamorphosis. Verb is used in the present tense, occurring in actual present time; verb is also spoken in passive voice meaning the subject is the recipient of the action, not the doer of the action; set in the indicative mood its a simple statement of fact.
“image” – (Greek noun: eikon) – often denotes not only mere similarity, but likeness; a visible conformity to its object. (More about this word in Chapter 19 of Hungry For More).
“from” – (Greek preposition: apo) – origin from where something comes from.
“glory” – (Greek noun: doxa) – view of splendor, brightness, majesty, perfect excellency.
“to” – (Greek preposition: eis) – into, unto, towards; denoting entrance into.
“glory” – (Greek noun: doxa) – view of splendor, brightness, majesty, perfect excellency. (Andrew Murray defines glory as manifesting “the hidden excellence and worth of an object”).
“just as” – (Greek conjunction: kathaper) – according as, just as, even as.
“from” – (Greek preposition: apo) – origin from where something comes from.
“Lord” – (Greek noun: kyrios) – he to whom a person belongs, about which the lord has the power of deciding; master.
“Spirit” – (Greek noun: pneuma) – the vital breath, the simple essence, possessing the power of knowing, desiring, deciding and acting, the disposition with the source of power, affection, emotion, and desire.
We are in the process of a metamorphosis. Our physical bodies serve as the cocoon in which the change is taking place.
Yet unlike the larvae inside its cocoon that is busy with the process of becoming a butterfly, we are just the recipient of the transformation, not the worker worm accomplishing it.
“The Lord will accomplish what concerns me” (Psalm 138:8).
We aren’t in charge of our spiritual lives. He is.
Our only action toward this goal of metamorphosis is faith.
And as we turn again to stare at Him with wide-open eyes, we get caught up into the daily, on-going process of looking more and more like Him. We become what we look at intently.
It doesn’t happen instantly, but as long as we remain in this life’s cocoon, the alteration continues.
Right now, maybe our likeness only faintly resembles Him. But as we continue to gaze and believe, He removes more and more of our past to fashion us into His very own image. Chiseling away that which is unlike Him. Restoring that which is.
Look where this life originated! It started as His life, before the beginning. His glory. His brilliance. His splendor. His light.
Look where we are going! Into His same glory. His same brilliance. His same splendor. His same light.
As our physical eyes dim, our spiritual ones gain clarity and discernment.
When we give Him the authority to make our decisions, we find that our emotions, affections and desires change as well. From brilliant glory into the hope of more glory.
So be it, Lord. Do Your work of metamorphosis within each of us.
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