5. 2 Corinthians 3.18 'being transformed into his image'

Last week we talked about what the "glory of God" is. It is who He is in His being--His attributes and all His works that He has done and is doing. So there is the Glory of God's greatness; the Glory of God's goodness; the Glory of God's grace; the glory of God's mercy and God's righteousness and God's holiness and God's wisdom--and everything else about Him. There is also the Glory of His Creation--"the heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows His handiwork." And especially the Glory of Redemption accomplished by Christ on the Cross and through His resurrection and ascension and coming again. God also gave us a visible representation of His glory in the glory cloud in the Tabernacle and in the Temple. Peter, James, and John saw that brilliant physical sight of the glory of God on the Mount of Transfiguration: "And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white." Luke 9:29 ESV
Our study for tonight was 2 Corinthians chapter 3 which divides into 3 paragraphs. The first paragraph is 3:1-6 which discusses our inadequacy and God's sufficiency. "Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God. . . ." 3:5 ESV It is possible to believe in the truth of scripture and yet not realize that it is sufficient for our life and guidance through life. Some people will take what they can from scripture and still look to modern psychology or our culture for guidance, not realizing that "God's divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness." [and given us] "exceeding great and precious promises" [that enable us] "to escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires." 2 Peter 1:3-4 NIV
The second paragraph 3:7-11 tells of the greater glory of the New Covenant. The Old Covenant was glorious because it revealed God to man and revealed His will for man. It brought God into relationship with man (through the redemptive sacrifices offered in faith in the coming Messiah) and it revealed the "exceeding sinfulness of sin." But it was inadequate because it lacked the dynamic, the power, for obedience which comes in our relationship with Christ. So the New Covenant "far exceeds the old in glory" especially since it includes the greater glory of Christ. "For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory." 3:9 ESV
The third paragraph 3:12-18 culminates in one of the greatest verses in the entire Bible: "And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit." 3:18 ESV
Notice that it is "we all"--all of us who know the Lord as Savior are being transformed gradually into Christ's image from one degree of glory to another.
And when is God doing this? As we "behold the glory of the Lord" and how do we do that? 4:6 gives the answer: "For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." Where can we see "the glory of God"? "in the face of Jesus Christ" as we study the scriptures which are all about Him. "And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, [Jesus] interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself." Luke 24:27 We cannot see the glory of Christ in its fullness until we see Him and are made like Him (1 John 3:1-3) but we can still see Him as we fellowship with Him in His Word. God meets with us in the pages of the scriptures which He wrote for us--that "through patience and comfort of the scriptures we might have hope" as we "wait for the Blessed Hope" which is the return of our Lord. Romans 15:4