Beholding is Becoming... again

I know this is a favorite idea amongst us, but I wanted to refresh us on a new passage of Scripture and how I've been challenged by it lately. I think we are family with Paul in 2 Corinthians 3:18: "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." What a beautiful sanctifying process this sets forth that focuses us on our precious Christ!

But listen to how the Apostle John addresses this same principle in relation to glorification! 1 John 3:2b: "But we know that when he appears we shall be like him, BECAUSE we shall see him as he is." While our present transformation into holiness generates from a gaze on Jesus, even our final glorification will come by the same means only in a purer and greater degree. Familiar passages like Hebrews 12:2 carry more weight when we understand how serious the author was about us "LOOKING to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith." Yes, we are to be looking at Jesus as we progress and grow in our faith.

Moving to the lower realm of practicality ;-) I have noticed that truly what we focus on and "see" is what we are inclined toward. Was it not sight that moved Eve to pluck the fruit? Was it not sight that literally transformed Lot's wife? Was it not sight that seduced David to lie with Bathsheba? Recent days and thoughts have challenged me to set my mind on Christ by faith - which I take to be our means of seeing Him. More specifically - we read of Christ in Scripture, and as we respond to what we read by faith we see our Lord. This seems to be the difference between unbelievers and believers from 2 Corinthians 4:4-6; this seeing of Christ in the Word by faith.

And one more word about this beholding: We should press our minds and explorations of Scripture to discover the various ways that the Gospel addresses the particularities of life. We can't let Gospel-centered language become cliche. I think it was Dave Shu that warned us about this and it is good for us to remember. The depths of the riches of the Gospel need to be mined and not merely marked. In other words, to say that the answer to everything is the Gospel can be easily turned into cliche (which it probably is in a lot of places and I'm sure for ourselves). But as we prepare to preach and minister it is the particularities of the Gospel that will minister. Particularities such as the Law and it's relation to sin and righteousness, or the resurrection and its relation to validity and hope and faith, or the suffering in Gathsemane and its relation to Christ's identifying with his brothers and so on. Oh the beauties we have here to study and enjoy and preach!

How are you guys doing? I am starting seminary classes this Friday and living with my Aunt for probably the next two months. How are the wedding preparations going? I'm really excited for all you guys.

Oh, and I have 1425 pages of reading for my first class!