The supreme profession is that of becoming one with the Lord Jesus. This union or oneness with God takes place by the process of transformation. The transformation is that of “metamorphosis” or the same progression that takes place when a butterfly emerges from a caterpillar, which emerged from a cocoon.
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.
Greek: But we all with our face uncovered (Though our faces have been uncovered at our conversion.
A believer that has an “open” face is who is yielded to the Lord and gladly obeys Him. They welcome all that God has for them; their faces are opened to His dealings.
The person who has a “closed face” is one who secretly does not receive another, and is in opposition or disagreement with that other, judging them in their heart.
The glory of the Lord beholding as in a mirror (Quite the opposite to Moses who did not have a spiritual mirror to capture and behold the glory of the Lord that would thoroughly transform him!
The Old Covenant was transient and not permanent as the New Covenant inaugurated in the blood of Jesus Christ was.
Thus Moses covered his face, which had the passing glory of God on it. Christ is our spiritual mirror allowing us permanently capture and behold the glory of God that will thoroughly transform us, as long as our faces remain opened towards Him.
To that very same image which Jesus has are we being metamorphosed out of glory and into (the next level) glory, even as from the Spirit of the Lord.
The transformation that God calls us to is the progressive and complete extinction of our carnal self-life which has been our image, to be replaced by, as it is transformed into, the image of Christ, the self- life of God.
The person who is conformed to the image of Christ has become a participant of the very life of God, and a channel for God to flow into the world.
Romans 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed( Greek: To assume the same form) to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Rom 6:6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
That the body of sin might be destroyed.
That the body which is made up of sin (Our self-life) might break down and become useless and nonfunctional.
That henceforth we should not serve sin. In the breaking down and the non-functioning of the carnal self-life we become released from the slavery or dominance of sin.
God has made every one to be an individual.
Every one of us has been created with a unique self-life that makes you, you, and me, me. As people, we have been created into the image of God. Because the image of God is the self-life of God, we were all created as individuals to participate in God’s life.
Our self-life rooted and one with God’s self-life, is for us to take part to very extent that God does Himself in the liberty, wholeness, love, joy, and wisdom that God enjoys, and makes Him God.
When sin came into the world our self-life was thoroughly infected by it. The first assault on humanity by sin was to sever our self-life from that of God, because God cannot entertain sin. The life, which Adam and Eve had lived in utter dependency rooted in God’s self-life, was in one instance cut off. Man and woman became alienated from the life of God.
Ephesians 4:18 Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:
Greek: On account of the hardness of their hearts (towards God) there is a void of knowledge in them which has permanently separated them from intimacy and fellowship with the Lord and has permanently darkened their thoughts that concern God.
Man and woman, now live out of a self-life which is laden with uncontrolled lusts, devastating bondages, paralyzing fears and the deception.
As God lives out of His self-life, every individual life’s is the product of the self-life that defines them.
Because our self-lives have been corrupted by sin, our daily lives receive a never-ending flow of rejection, fear, lusts, and bondage from the root system of the self.
This is why people whom have not become born again are slaves to sin.
Romans 6:20 For when ye were the servants ( Slaves) of sin, ye were free from righteousness.
The purpose of the coming of Jesus Christ was to restore people to the exact condition which Adam and Eve had before the fall. When we are conformed to the image of Christ we are transformed to live out of God’s self-life once again.
To be fully conformed to the image of God we must love nothing else than God Himself and love only the things which God wills for us to love. Our lives must devote to minister solely to God and wish with the strongest of love to become one with Him. Any ministry that we do is the sole outcome of our ministry to Jesus and what the Lord speaks to us out of those times with Him.
We must forget all things in this life that do not pertain to our union with the Lord and those things, which He wants to love through us.
The smallest love that we entertain outside of loving God and wanting to die completely to self to become one with Him, will impede our complete transformation into His image. This is because any love that we harbor outside of God is rooted in our corrupt self-life. Our self-life has no other sentence placed upon it than to die.
Any other love that we hold on outside of loving God and working out what He loves, feeds our self-life and prevents it from dying, keeping us in bondage.
Romans 7:18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
Union with God will never be attained by our knowledge of God. It is impossible to know God through our mental or spiritual understanding of the scriptures. Only through the simple love of God that I have described above can we become one with the Lord and know and understand Him as we take part in His very life and bear witness to it.
If we place our ministry, and our church agendas before our ministry to the Lord and our simple love to be conformed into His image, we feed our carnal self-life and will remain in bondage no matter how noble our intentions.
Our apostleship and ministry is simply the fruit of our union with the Lord, not the other way around.
Romans 12:2 And <2532> be not <3361> conformed <4964> ) to this <5129> world <165>: but <235> be ye transformed <3339> ) by the renewing <342> of your <5216> mind <3563>, that <1519> ye <5209> may prove <1381>) what <5101> is that good <18>, and <2532> acceptable <2101>, and <2532> perfect <5046>, will <2307> of God <2316>
If you notice the numbers within the brackets< >, these are the numbers found in your Strong’s concordance that help you expound on the Greek word translations. I encourage you to use them.
“Transform” or # 3339 is our word “metamorphosis”.
Remember the example of the lowly caterpillar being transformed into the beautiful butterfly. Metamorphosis? What about the tadpole being transformed into a frog? Total and radical change! Guess what? That is exactly what the Lord desires out of our lives.
The death of ourselves on the cross and the resurrection life of our Lord within us should be so extraordinary, that we all become lovely and free butterflies for His glory.
Unrecognizable as a tadpole is from a frog because Jesus lives so big in us, should find us with no former remembrance of our “tadpolish” existence. At least that should be our goal.
Matthew 17:2 And <2532> was transfigured <3339>) before <1715> them <846>: and <2532> his <846> face <4383> did shine <2989> as <5613> the sun <2246>, and <1161> his <846> raiment <2440> was <1096> white <3022> as <5613> the light <5457
The transfiguration of the Lord Jesus before the apostles? Look at the Strong’s number. We see the same # 3339. In other words, Jesus was “metamorphosed” before his disciples. This type of spiritual transfiguration should be ours. Then all men will be drawn unto Jesus. Look at the next instance of metamorphosis.
2 Corinthians 3:18 But <1161> we <2249> all <3956>, with open <343>) face <4383> beholding as in a glass <2734> the glory <1391> of the Lord <2962>, are changed <3339> into the same <846> image <1504> from <575> glory <1391> to <1519> glory <1391>, even as <2509> by <575> the Spirit <4151> of the Lord <2962>.
The “open face” in this passage defines the believer that is totally yielded and surrendered to the Lord. Only then is his face totally open and full of light, with no lurking sin or disobedience that will cause him to hide or close his face in shame or guilt to Jesus.
Romans 12:2 And <2532> be not <3361> conformed <4964> ) to this <5129> world <165>: but <235> be ye transformed <3339> ) by the renewing <342> of your <5216> mind <3563>, that <1519> ye <5209> may prove <1381>) what <5101> is that good <18>, and <2532> acceptable <2101>, and <2532> perfect <5046>, will <2307> of God <2316>
Let me direct your attention back please to our first scripture, Roman 12:2. The word “conformed”(#4964) is defined as our word “schematic or drawing”.
Metamorphosis produces an inward change, while a drawing changes only the outward picture. Paul then admonishes us, not to follow the world that will change only the outward form of our lives and that adversely, without producing a beneficial and permanent inward change. On the other hand a life centered on God’s word will metamorphosise us from the inside out.
2 Corinthians 11:13 For <1063> such <5108> are false apostles <5570>, deceitful <1386> workers <2040> , transforming themselves <3345> <1519> the apostles <652> of Christ <5547>
2 Corinthians 11:14 And <2532> no <3756> marvel <2298>; for <1063> Satan <4567> himself <846> is transformed <3345> into <1519> an angel <32> of light <5457>.
Look at the two previous highlighted scriptures with # 3345. This Greek word is another off shoot of the word “schematic or drawing”. We can see the perils of only being changed superficially. The first scripture describes “wolves in sheep clothing” while the second one shows us one of Satan’s ploys. In both instances there is no true inward change, but only the superficial alteration of something that eventually deceives.
Matthew 10:39 He that findeth <2147> (5631) his <846> life <5590> shall lose <622> it <846>: and <2532> he that loseth <622> ) his <846> life <5590> for my <1700> sake <1752> shall find <2147> it <846>.
Look at the phrase “loseth his life”. Simply defined, it means total destruction, laid to ruin, waste, and annihilation. Wow!!
Matthew 16:24 Then <5119> said <2036> Jesus <2424> unto his <846> disciples <3101>, If any <1536> man will <2309> come <2064> (5629) after <3694> me <3450>, let him deny <533> himself <1438>, and <2532> take up <142> (5657) his <846> cross <4716>, and <2532> follow <190> me <3427>.
“Denying ourselves,” tells us that we must lose sight of ourselves, and every one of our interests that do not glorify Jesus. Only then can we be his disciples!
How few disciples are there really are according to Jesus’ stringent definition. Scary!
Jose and Mary Alvarez 