A Conversation with God

"But we all with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord." II Corinthians 3:18

Beholding as in a mirror...transformed into the same image...why, Lord,do I read no words here of struggling and straining? Is that what You really see? But just look at me! I fail constantly. How can God's Word possibly be true?" Thoughts like these barrage me daily. "You are not making any progress, what's the use?"

Discouragement, wanting to just say forget it, shame.

God is answering through His Word that is not who I am! He says just the opposite:

II Corinthians 5: 17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, behold, all things have become new."

"That is who you really are!" the Spirit reminds me through His Word.

"Yes, Lord, but..."

"But nothing..."For we walk by faith, not by sight." II Cor. 5: 7

But I have so many weaknesses, Lord...

"Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God." He replies in II Corinthians 3:5

"Everything within me is screaming that I am not who You say I am Lord!"

"And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom we also all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others." Ephesians 2: 1-3

That was who you were, He speaks through His Word. There is a big "but" coming now...

"But God, who is rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses and sins,made us alive together with Christ... (Eph. 2:4a)

It all comes down to being dead, then, one way or another. Either we are dead in our trespasses and sins, or we are dead to that old person we once were.

Romans 6:5-6: "For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin."

Our transformation into Christ's image doesn't have anything to do with a self-help program. It comes from beholding the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world! (John 1:29) In learning of His total ability, and recognizing our complete and total inability, we can rest in the assurance He is making us into the image of His Son. He doesn't look at us as we look at ourselves.

Isaiah 38:16-17
O Lord, by these things men live;
And in all these things is the life of my spirit;
So You will restore me and make me live

Indeed it was for my own peace
That I had great bitterness;
But You have lovingly delivered my soul from the pit of corruption,
For You have cast all my sins behind Your back.


Thank you, Lord, I will agree with You, and have peace in my soul. Amen.