God's glory
within us increases incrementally as we cooperate with His Spirit's discipline
and direction. We reflect this glory to the world around us and draw people to
Him who want more of Him in their life as well.
His sanctifying
work starts with the rebirth of our spirit and continues throughout our
lifetime, as the imperfect in us is transformed into the perfected (Romans
8:29; 1 John 3:2).
As God's
Spirit transforms us with the mind, likeness and divine character of Christ, we
change from one stage of glory to the next (2 Corinthians 3:18). This is not a
matter of Him changing us from one stage of sinner to the next.
We are no
longer a worm, but a butterfly soaring in the spiritual realm of life. Our
inner man is drawn by the Spirit of God into ascending realms of spiritual
maturity, rather than Him dragging us out of our penchant toward one sin and
then another (Ephesians 4:13).
This
sanctifying work starts with the rebirth of our spirit and continues throughout
our lifetime, as the imperfect in us is transformed into the perfected (Romans
8:29; 1 John 3:2).
Our
cooperation with God's Spirit insures that our perfection continues without
disruption until we are completely conformed into the image of Christ (Romans
8:18; 1 Corinthians 13:12).
Christ, who
is the image of God and abides within us (John 1:14, 14:9), gives us both the
desire and power to work out our salvation in cooperation with God's Spirit
(Colossians 1:15; Philippians 2:12-13; Hebrews 1:3).
As we focus
on Christ, as if looking in a mirror at His image in us, we reflect increasing
stages of His glory. We realize that our carnal nature is all but dead, and
that Christ is our whole life (Ephesians 3:3-4).
Prayer:
Father God, reveal
to us that only the veil of sin, which so easily hinders us if we take our mind
off Christ, will thwart our personal journey into perfection. Help us to allow
Your Spirit to cut away the dead skin of the flesh, so that we walk in unity
with Your Spirit and in the likeness of Christ in us.
Remind us to
continually focus on Your glory reflected on the face of Christ within us. Fill
us daily with Your Spirit and allow us to totally submit until He takes full
possession of our body, spirit and soul - our thoughts, choices and feelings.
Our whole desire in our life is to reflect Your glory to the world around us
and to draw everyone in our sphere of influence to a closer walk with You.
Thought for
the Day:
Our dark and sinful soul is transformed into the image of Christ as we consistently walk in His marvelous light.
Our dark and sinful soul is transformed into the image of Christ as we consistently walk in His marvelous light.
- 1 Peter 2:9
