2 Corinthians 3:15-18 (KJV) But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the veil is upon their heart.
Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.
Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
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.
Moses in this passage is used figuratively. It connotes “the law” or “the old covenant”. We get the “unveiled faces” when we turn to the Lord; the veil is removed. The mirror there means the word of God.
Romans 12 vs 2 (Amp) Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you].
The emphasis from these scriptures is that there is a possibility for a man to be transformed. Whenever you turn to the Lord the veil is taken off. When you keep beholding, as in a mirror, you are being transformed.
Romans 12 says we should not be conformed but transformed.
There is a possibility for a man to be conformed to the world and not transformed. We are to be transformed by going through the renewal of our mind. This comes by you consistently beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, being changed.
Christianity has no meaning or rather the evidence that a man has encountered God, or has been touched by God and the life of God is in him is transformation. Our testimony as believers or as a church goes beyond the things we have or received from the Lord. Our testimony is majorly our transformed lives.
The major testimony of the church, the people of God is transformed lives. That is the core of our testimony. The proof that a man has met God and learned the word of God is transformation.
Prayer primarily is not to help you get something, it is to transform you. The most important aspect of prayer is that you get transformed. God wants to change you before he gives you.
What God is more interested in is to build in you patience, character, perseverance than that thing you are praying for or eager to get. He is much more interested in our transformation.
In the scriptures, one unique thing about the lives of people that encountered God was a transformation. You can not claim to have met or known God without an evidence of transformation in your life.
Christianity is beautiful and glorious when lives are changed and transformed. When people that know you before you got born again can attest to the fact that you are truly transformed. Transformation is critical and fundamental in our Christian faith. The reason why we come to church is beyond what we can get from God but primarily that we are changed.
This transformation does not negate the salvation we have received. Salvation precedes transformation. The reason why you are transformed is because you are saved. The basis for transformation is salvation.
Salvation precedes transformation. The reason for a man to be saved brings him transformation. Also, on the other hand a man can be saved and is not being transformed.
He is still stuck with the bad character. Transformation is a product of a continuous renewal of the mind (and the beholding) of a man
2 Corinthians 3:12-18 Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech:
And not as Moses, which put a veil over his face, that the children of Israel could not steadfastly look to the end of that which is abolished:
But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same veil untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which veil is done away in Christ.
But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the veil is upon their heart.
Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the veil shall be taken away.
Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
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.
In Christ we are men with unveiled faces.
The fact that we are with unveiled faces we continue to behold the word of God. The man that continuously takes the word of God is the man that is transformed. So we can say the transformed man is the man in the mirror. The man that consistently stays glued to the word of God. Beholding the word of God is that we are making the word standard and rule over our lives . It is not by writing notes while listening to preachings.
We are making the word of God the Lord over heart. It means we are conditioning our hearts to the word of God. He is intentional about what he hears.
The Bible talks about two kinds of men in this respect.
The first is the one that beholds himself in the mirror and quickly leaves.
The second is the one that continuously beholds in a mirror.
This is why Apostle Paul says the veil is being taken off in Christ. It is a journey. It is not a destination. Constantly we are hearing, meditating and studying the word of God.
The word of God must be seen conquering us. The way of our reasoning is dependent on the prevalence of the word of God over our lives. Our mode of reasoning and thoughts are being sharpened on this.
Acts 19:20 So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed.
The word of God can mightily grow over lives and conquer us. When there is an issue we need the work of God to be exposed to, the word of God has the ability to conquer it. We would see one day that it has been dealt with.
Beholding is a change of life. It is a change of mindset. There is no time that a believer who keeps beholding the word of God as in a mirror will not have a testimony of transformation.
This is THE TRANSFORMATION house. The idea is that we are becoming as we keep coming and beholding in a mirror. Transformation is not by mouth. Our keys and testimonies are that the lives of men are changed and transformed. We cannot claim we are hearing the word of God and the word of God is not making us get changed. We still have the same old mindset, thinking and old attitudes.
We say that naturally we are tough and we take pride in it. Even though we should not be without boundaries, yet we should come to the word of God which has the ability to touch an area of our lives, that God will put his finger and teach us not to continue in our old ways. It may be anger problems. We have to come to that point where God’s word prevails over our lives.
The form of Christianity that people only come to church, dance, jump and walk away without taking stock of their lives is not genuine. It is not genuine not to track and take stock of how far God has taken us. We should be able to ask ourselves what the level of our forgiveness is. We should be able to track our capacity of love walk.
How much capacity do we have to let go of things and offence. How quick are we to deal with offence. These are pointers to transformation. These are pointers that truly the word of God prevails over our lives.
How patient are we? It is not Christianity to be irritable to other people. Even to our children, we must not be touchy. When we act against the word and live irritably in our attitudes to others, everyone will know.
To everyone holding a reputable position in the place of work, we must not be found irritable to our subordinates. Despite their finding of us studying God’s word in the office, singing praises to Him, we must not be found irritable to interact with.
The word of God must also reflect in the way we behave and not only by our speaking of it. The church is not only a gathering. We bring into a place for people to keep on beholding the word of God as in a mirror. We become evident of what we behold as we keep coming. The evidence that we are beholding is that we are becoming. We are becoming patient. We are becoming understanding. The fact that salvation precedes transformation does not mean we should not talk about the transformation it brings. We cannot be placing a demand on transformation over a man that has not experienced salvation. The next thing after salvation is to keep beholding the glory of God as in a mirror- that brings the transformation.
Friends and families can testify of our transformation.
The evidence that we are beholding is that we are becoming. We are becoming more patient, we are becoming more forgiven, more loving and more understanding.
Not that we are doubting your salvation.
Salvation precedes transformation, in fact, you can’t be demanding transformation from a man that is not saved. The only reason we will see transformation in a man’s life is that he has experienced salvation and that is not in doubt.
But after we are saved, the next thing is that we keep beholding the glory of God as in a mirror and we are transformed so that friends can testify of our transformation.
We can’t claim we are Christians; praying, speaking in tongues, learning the word of God and we still have bitterness and unforgiveness in us.
As a believer, the holy ghost should have placed his hands on your anger. The holy ghost should be able to put his finger in an area of our life and deal with it.
Moreso transformation is a journey for everybody and we must keep growing. Our journey differs but the truth is that transformation must consistently be in view. We should always desire to be transformed.
We hear God’s word always to:
Produce the life of God in us.
Produce Godly character.
Bring us to a place where we will sound like Christ.
Bring us to a place where we will actually be the light and the salt of the earth.
There are people that are actually so terrible to live with but as much as they are terrible, perhaps, God brought them to your life to practise the patience you have been praying for.
The reason is that God wants us to bring out that is to work out our salvation not work for. The concept of the scripture “Work out your salvation” means bring it out. We don’t know you are saved, bring it out. The only way people will know we are saved is the Godly virtue, the life of God and when people have interaction with us. It is called contact without contamination.
Praying is primarily to actually bring transformation.
We are in the world but not of the world. We are the light and salt of the earth.
James 1:22-23
Unveiled face is to see the glory of God, to see what others will not be seeing. What is hidden to men will no longer be hidden to us. So with unveiled faces we are to continue beholding the glory of God. As we behold, we become. The question should be “How transformed are you?”.
There is power in the word of God in such that it has the ability to prevail over lives. It can bring the burden to an end, the storms of life can be still.
You can grow in patience and in love. While you think you talk too much, the influence of God’s word can tame your mouth. You can grow to the point that your words will be seasoned with salt and filled with grace. You can be calm and patient. You can show kindness.. You can be gracious and loving. You can show honor and preference for others. It is a journey for us. Transformation is what we are talking about. That the word of the Lord has the ability to change us, that the glorious light of the gospel has the prevailing power to alter our reasoning and mindset.
It can alter our culture so that you no longer claim to have the traits associated with any tribe.
We know no man after flesh.
2 Corinthians 5:16
In the culture of Christ we serve. We honour ourselves. By our upbringing and background we might not be transformed, It will take the word of God to prevail.
We should not embrace the culture of the world or be confirmed to it because it has its own ideas, beliefs, reasoning and thinking. A man can be saved and be found practising and holding on to these things but in Christ the veil is taken away, we begin to see with the lenses of Christ.
We begin to see and interpret things from the lens of Christ. All of this is the beginning and bedrock of transformation. That’s how we get transformed.
We should have a testimony about our transformation. Our behaviour/the way we react to things after we come to Christ should change. Our testimony should be how we moved from doing what is wrong to doing what is right. Our patience/behavioural level should increase, If we are not there yet, our Christianity needs to be questioned.
While running our daily businesses, we should practise patience. We are not just in business, we are a Christian that is opportune to do business. Our transformation precedes anything we want to do for God. An agent of transformation is the salt and light of the world.
You might be the only epistle people are reading in your community, organization, area. You might be the only reason why some people desire to go to church.
Are you aware some people stopped attending church after COVID struck? In Fact you might meet some people who are feeling disappointed in God and no longer attend church and might be the person to bring them back to church. Anyone can be transformed. There is no one that God cannot touch.
Some couples claim there cannot be total love and submission in their marriage because one of the parties is not submissive or loving enough, forgetting that we will all be judged individually and not as a couple.
The instruction to love and submit in marriage is a personal decision to you. It’s not slavery. It’s an understanding. Grow up. As a woman you should bring out the kingship in your husband. Grow your capacity.
As wives you shouldn’t be a liability to any man; the Bible calls you help mates; you are helpers that’s your identity.
Change is a journey hence you must be changed cause this is not the best version of you. You are set to grow, mature. This transformation must happen to you daily.
As the word of the lord comes to you; you must keep engaging the word of the lord. It must help you reason the way Christ reasons.
Transformation does not negate your salvation but is rather a proof that you are saved; an evidence that God’s life is in us.
To be transformers we must look in first cause we can’t give what we don’t have to people.
Hence you look in first and consistently behold the mirror and as you behold the mirror you are being changed.
This life of Christ we’ve received should change our lifestyle; our network and our friends. The Truth is when you get born again and receive the life of Christ there are people you shouldn’t hang around anymore; you can be schoolmates and business partners but not friends.
Your transformation cannot be a one leg in one leg out ; it’s a 360 degrees change.
There are things you struggle with as individuals that all you need is to change your friends and it’ll stop to a large extent.