Beholding His Glory (2 Cor 3:18)

And 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. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit - 2 Cor 3:18

Man was created in God's image.

In other words, man was created to reflect the glory of God on earth. Man was originally intended to live in perfect union and harmony with the divine.

When man fell, he did not altogether lose his status as divine image bearer, but the image became distorted - like a cracked mirror.

Jesus came fundamentally not to get us to heaven after we die, but to restore the image of God in man.

This He did through His incarnation, His sinless life, His death on the Cross, and finally His resurrection from the dead.

Our salvation is not merely a legal agreement, a process, or a human decision. Our salvation is a Person and His name is Jesus Christ. This is the reason that there is no salvation outside of Christ - Christ literally is our salvation.

Everything that abides in Him remains for eternity. Everything that remains outside of Him withers and dies because life originates and emanates from Him.

While our eternal salvation is secure in Christ, the degree to which we experience this salvation during this temporal life will depend upon the degree to which we allow Him to transform us into His image.

According to the early church fathers (such as Athanasius and Irenaeus) God became man so that man could become divine. Jesus did not come to save us from hell or to change the Father's mind about us, He came to save us from ourselves and to restore us back to union with God - where we are supposed to have been all along.

We know what God's will is for us: endless peace, joy, and love in the Holy Spirit.

But God will not force His will upon us. We must come into agreement with Him through our own free will.

We do not need to work our way into God's perfect peace. We never possibly could. If such a thing were possible then Christ came and died for no reason. This divine peace is a gift of pure grace.

All we must do is let go and behold the One who came down from heaven - the One whose love for us took Him to the Cross.

If we keep our eyes fixed on Him for long enough, anxiety, depression, addiction and loneliness have no choice but to become distant memories.

You will not need to fight in this battle.

Stand firm, hold your position,

and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.’

Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed.

Tomorrow go out against them, and the LORD will be with you.

2 Chronicles 20:17