Spring 2005
Being Changed into the Lords Image
Penny Smith

“But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” II Corinthians 3:18

There is a vast difference between treating symptoms, and the “cause” being corrected. We must be careful to not fall into the error of dealing with symptoms, instead of experiencing a “change” at the root of the problem.

Many Christians have hang-ups that they have been treating, but have never sought to be “changed.” Years ago, a doctor visited a woman in her home to give her an injection. Her complaint was that she could not sleep at night. The injection he gave was Glucose. She had no idea what the syringe contained. It had absolutely nothing to do with causing her to sleep, but it worked. We too, can be lulled to sleep with the use of superficial measures. Our spiritual life will dissipate when it is poured out in nonessentials. It is time for us to burn our crutches and realize that all our efforts are useless, unless they bring about a change within us.

Our eyes are the windows of our soul, and should reveal the life of our Lord. Peter spoke about some of the things that veil our faces, and hinder His being seen through our lives.

“Wherefore laying aside all malice and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings.” I Peter 2:1

These belong to our old nature. If we speak evil about anyone, it will impair and taint our spirit. For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. “We all with open face.” There should be nothing between my soul and the Savior, and also, nothing between my brother and me.

Our attending a spiritual church does not in itself make us spiritual. We must seek to have an “open face.” Paul talks about the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the effulgence, the outshining of the glory of God, because in Him, all the divine perfections and beauty is revealed. As we look with an open face upon His righteousness, purity, and guilelessness, we will be changed into this image of Him.

We have been redeemed, spirit, soul, body – our total being has been cleansed by the power of the Blood of Christ. Therefore, how can we take that which now belongs to Him, which was bought with a price, and desecrate it? We are not our own, as our affections no longer belong to us, but to the living Christ. We cannot desecrate these on the altar of self-satisfaction, and expect to look into the face of Jesus. This is why some spend hours at a conference, and go away not changed.

To be changed is an exercise of the heart. We must drop our veil, and look at Jesus with an open face. As we keep looking at Him, everything will become clear. Paul tells us what the outcome will be - the Holy Spirit, while we are looking at Jesus, will change us into the image of Christ.

We are “changed from glory to glory.” That is, from one elevation of divine moral attributes to another. The more that we behold Jesus, the more we will become like Him, and the less there will be of our old, self-nature.

Know that the only cure is not a superficial shot in the arm – not another sermon, another book, or another service. The only cure is to take the mask off, and keep looking into the face of Jesus Christ. We do this by looking into His Word, and by waiting upon Him.

He will take us from glory to glory, and we will be changed.