A Time for Reflection
The leaves are beginning to change colors, with some having already falling to the ground. The summer business is slowing down, and even now, you can sense that the arrival of flannel shirts will usher in a more relaxed pace to life. As the seasons change and life slows down, now is a good time to begin to reflect on your spiritual journey over the past year. I want to encourage you to ask yourself a few probing questions: How have I grown spiritually this past year? What is something new I have learned about Jesus? How have I seen God transforming me into the image of Christ? I hope you didn’t think this would be an easy assignment!
In Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians, he speaks of the glory of the New Covenant and the effect it should have on every believer. He uses the shining face of Moses as an example. Paul says that if the Law came at Mount Sinai with such glory in the Old Covenant, even though God knew its glory would pass away when Christ arrived, how much more glorious should the effect of the Gospel be on believers in the New Covenant when Christ ushers in a glory that will never end.
The Law brought condemnation on those subject to the Law. The Gospel frees us from the Law’s condemnation by freeing us from its demand. Moses needed to veil his face because the Israelites couldn’t bear to look at the glory reflected by his face. But the believer, now freed from the demands of the Law, can boldly proclaim the gospel freedom offered in the promise of forgiveness for sins.
Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 3:17-18, “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 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.”
Every believer can now behold the glory of the Lord in Jesus Christ! In beholding that glory, each believer is being transformed into the image of Christ, one degree at a time. You aren’t accomplishing this. It’s being worked out in you by the Holy Spirit. Like a child who grows slowly over time, it may be that you haven’t noticed how much you’ve grown this past year. I encourage you to look closer. When Grandparents visit only once or twice a year, they immediately notice how much a child has grown. When you take time to see where you were ten months ago and where you are now, you may not be as far as you like, but you should see growth.
Fall will turn to Winter, and soon, another year will be gone. The changing seasons of the yearly cycle remind us of God’s faithfulness to bring about change, not only in creation but also in His people. As the days get cooler and quieter, may you be able to assess how far you’ve come and praise God for His faithfulness.
– Pastor Mike
