Wonderful Transformation

Wonderful Transformation!
2 Corinthians 3:18 "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".  This verse has been a source of comfort to me for many years; it bespeaks of the expectation of the saint to be changed from our vile state to the glorious representation of the Lord Jesus Christ through the revelation of His glory.  
The Conversion Of The Sinner
Let me state that this is an experience that is much different that the one experienced at our conversion.  There is, of course, an immediate change that takes place in the heart of the believer when he or she is born again of the Spirit of God; the scriptures in Colossians 1:13 tells us that when we are converted we have been translated from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of His dear Son. I can still remember the first time I witnessed this glorious conversion on the face of a young man; he came to the altar with a desperate look of despair and longing, yet while at the altar, in humility and repentance, he met with the Lord.  When he returned to his seat he was literally a changed man; his face shone with the wonderful peace and joy of Jesus, I will never forget that sight.  
We also see this conversion illustrated in the life of the apostle Paul on the road to Damascus; Acts 9:3-5 "And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:  and he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?  And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks".  Upon this conversion the apostle Paul immediately changed his direction and occupation.  Acts 9:6a  "And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?. . ." While riding on the way the Lord shone from heaven and the bright light knocked him from his horse and in a moment of time this hardened heart was changed.  Paul had been kicking against the conviction of the Holy Spirit who was dealing with him about the road he had chosen. This is our conversion experience where we repent and in a moment of time we are changed and given new desires to please God.
The Transformation Of The Believer
Conversion is a beautiful experience indeed; however, there is something even better; it is the glorious hope of the believer to have their vile bodies changed to be like His glorious body.  Phil 3:20-21  "For our conversation [citizenship] is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself."   This bodily sanctification brings us into alignment with 1 Thessalonians 4:4  "That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;" God wants to enable us to fight the good fight of faith in the realm of our bodies, keeping them pure; meeting with the Lord enables us to do this.  I think His purity is one of the virtues I most admire about the Lord; He is so worthy and altogether lovely because He is so pure.  Today there is a bigger challenge than ever before for a saint to remain pure, therefore we need to seek the Lord for a fresh revelation of His purity, remember we are changed into the image we behold!
This hope is of course not confined to the realm of our bodies but the apostle Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:23 applies it to every aspect of our being; "And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."  This is the glorious hope of the believer.  
The Keys To Meeting With The Lord
Some have tried to convince me in the past that it is impossible to get the victory in every area of life; 1 Thessalonians 5:23 clearly does not agree with that mindset.  God's desire for the believer is to transform us from the creature we are to a worthy representation of Himself in body, soul and spirit.  How is this going to take place?  As with anything else there are keys to meeting with God and having His transforming power working in our lives; I would like to list several for you here.  
Firstly, one of the keys to meeting with the Lord is to walk in loving obedience to His will.  One can never overstress the importance of walking in obedience to the Lord.  I can remember the entreaty of a dear saint who has now gone on to be with the Lord, she would entreat her students to walk "in loving obedience to the Lord".  This is a very important point since one who walks contrary to the will of God for their lives will not experience His transforming power.  Consider with me the prayer of Paul in Colossians 1:9, 10 - "For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;".  Two points to ponder; "That ye might be filled with the knowledge of His will" & "That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing".  I think we can sum this up by saying that ye might walk in loving obedience to the will of God.  In addition to this, 1 Peter 1:22 tells us that we purify our souls in obeying the truth.  Additionally, we have this promise in the book of John 14:23 23  "Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him."  Here we see the Lord expressly promise us that He will reveal Himself to us and we will be changed into that image we behold, if we walk in "Loving obedience".
Secondly, that we might seek His face.  If there is one thing I have learned of the Lord, it is that He takes great delight in those who seek His face.  As humans those who continually need our help and attention stress us; however the Lord takes pleasure in those who continually seek Him.  Consider Jer 29:12, 13 - "Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.  And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart."  The Lord expressly promises to those who seek His face, that He will be found of them.
Thirdly, those who meet with the Lord need humility.  There is a boldness which is good, such as what Peter prayed for when he wanted to preach the word of God in the book of Acts.  However when approaching to the Lord there needs to be in the heart of the believer almost a sense of desperation; "Lord if you do not meet with me nothing will change", there is this sense of deep need in ones heart.  This type of humility comes from no other means other than by suffering.  Psalm 34:18  "The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit."  At times the Lord allows His people to suffer to work out this beautiful character of humility.  If you find yourself in this pit today, take courage the Lord is preparing you to approach to Him in humility and He promises He will be near to you and He will save you.
In conclusion let me summarize for you, the scriptures are clear that our glorious hope is to be changed into His image; not just saved but transformed into the image of our loving God.  The first step in that journey is to walk in loving obedience to the will of God; the Lord is very impressed with obedience.  The next step is to invest time into seeking Him; our God is worthy and takes great delight in those who seek His face.  Finally, we have the beautiful gift of humility and desperate need.  One who is approaching must not come as the Laodiceans; "we have need of nothing"; but rather certain desperation of spirit acknowledging His ability to meet the need.  My dear friends we are told that the church will be without spot or wrinkle at His appearing; the only way for that to take place is for there to be a tremendous revelation fo the Lord Himself and the transformation fo the Bride into His image.  Let's make our private time with Him effective lets approach in obedience and humility as we seek His face.  And let's believe that the Lord will meet with us and reveal Himself to us.

God Bless You,
Reverend Frank R Anderson