Transformed into the Image of Christ

By Roger Shiflet

In 2 Corinthians 3:17-18, the Bible says, “Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

When a person becomes a Christian, he is cleansed from every past sin. Therefore to Christians the Bible says, “Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:11). What a wonderful thing it is to be freed of sin and to know the freedom of which Jesus spoke when He said, “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32). We should thank God for the liberty that is ours in Jesus Christ.

But does this freedom in Christ mean that one can do whatever pleases himself? Does this freedom mean that we have no laws and no restrictions? Let us remember that “We all...beholding...the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory.” This means that when one is truly converted to Christ, he will do his best to live like Christ lived. And how did Christ live? The Bible answers in Philippians 2:5-8, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”

May we all be humble, obedient servants of God. For in this way we are transformed into the image of Christ.