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FROM GLORY TO GLORY
Part Two: Becoming Transformed by God's Glory*

And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
(2 Corinthians 3:18, NIV)

Last week we took a look at experiencing the glory of God. We saw that experiencing the glory of God can be as awesome as the shepherds near Bethlehem, or as private and personal as being overcome by the joy of the Lord, or the peace of the Lord. This week we want to focus on becoming transformed by the glory of God.

Becoming transformed by the glory of God may be a new thought to some. But, in fact, it is central to the Christian life. The reason is simple. The character and ways of God were exhibited through Jesus as He walked the earth. Jesus was the incarnation of God’s glory, weighed heavily with divine attributes.

Second Corinthians 4 says, “They don't understand the message we preach about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God . . . For God, who said, "Let there be light in the darkness," has made us understand that this light is the brightness of the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ” (vv. 4,6, New Living Translation).

Christ is our hope of glory (see Col. 1:27). Through Him we are being made into carriers of the glory of God. As followers of Christ, we should be moving toward Christ-likeness in our lives—and that means mirroring the glory, or characteristics of God. As we allow the Holy Spirit to do His work of purification in our lives, we become holy reflectors of God’s glory. Second Corinthians 3:18 in the New Living Translation says, “And all of us have had that veil removed so that we can be mirrors that brightly reflect the glory of the Lord. And as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him and reflect his glory even more.”

This, of course, does not mean we will have the divine attributes that belong only to God (such as omniscience or omnipresence), but it does include such things as love, joy, peace, wisdom, mercy, justice, selflessness, patience, self-control, holiness and so forth. We not only reflect those qualities outwardly, they also become part of who we are inwardly. Wouldn’t it be great to live with more joy and peace and wisdom? As we become transformed by the glory of God, we can! In fact, we are not just to reflect God’s glory—we are to be moving from glory to glory!

Why Do We Move From Glory to Glory?

What does it mean to move from glory to glory? Isn’t one level of God’s glory much like the next? The answer is no. Every season of glory we experience brings a new and different aspect of God’s character into our lives. One season may be a season of learning to reflect God’s joy. Another season may be one of learning to reflect selflessness, and so forth. As we move from glory to glory, we are learning to mirror God’s image to a greater extent.

Furthermore, as the seasons of our lives change, what we need to make it through that season changes. If we are stuck in one level of glory and do not allow the Lord to move us on when He is ready, we will not be learning what we need to in order to get through our next season successfully. If we do not allow God to move us from glory to glory, we will get caught up in living in an old season. As the Holy Spirit moves us toward becoming more Christ-like, we need to be willing to let Him propel us into the future. For that we often need something new and fresh. We need a new glory.

Praise and Worship Produce Glory

Praise and worship are essential elements to being transformed by God’s glory for two specific reasons.

First, all throughout God’s Word we see that God is enthroned in praise. We glorify Him through our worship. The more we glorify God, the more we experience God’s glory. And the more we experience God’s glory, the more it becomes a part of who we are. Praise is that element of celebration that can transport us into the throne room of God. Once we are in the throne room at His feet, we need to worship and adore Him. As we worship Him in that intimate place, He begins to reveal His glory to us. As we saw last week, no one who has really experienced the glory of God is ever the same. We catch a glimpse of who He is, and the more we experience God’s glory, the more we are going to reflect His image in our own lives.

The second reason why praise and worship are essential to being transformed is because as we come into His presence, we not only see His glory, we hear His voice. It is in that place of true worship that we can hear and understand what it is that we need for the season of life we are in. Do you need more faith for your situation? Do you need wisdom from God? These things can only be gained from hearing Him speak directly into your situation, and the place to hear His voice is through the intimacy of praise and worship as you practice it in your daily life. That is where we will hear His voice, and that is where we will encounter His glory in ways that will truly transform us in reflectors of His glory!

With many blessings,
Jack and Rebecca Sytsema

© 2008 Children of Destiny

*For Part One of this article, click here.

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FROM GLORY TO GLORY
Part Two: Becoming Transformed by God's Glory

SCRIPTURE GUIDE

Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.
(Isa 58:8, NIV)

This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
(John 15:8, NIV)

But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.
(Acts 7:55, NIV)

through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.
(Rom 5:2, NIV)

And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
(2 Cor 3:18, NIV)

For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.
(2 Cor 4:6, NIV)

To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
(Col 1:27, NIV)

He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
(II Thess. 2:14, NIV)

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