And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into His image with intensifying glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.But we all, with unveiled face seeing the glory of the Lord as in a mirror, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord, the Spirit.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.But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord the Spirit.
10 sermons cite this verse
… Does it make you more like Jesus? 2 Corinthians 3.18 tells us, and the Lord makes us more and more like Jesus. As we're changed into his glorious image, the Lord makes us more and more like Jesus. So that's really the goal, to become more like him. And so ask yourself, I'm thinking about doing something. Is this leading me toward humility like Jesus Is it about me or is it about him or others? Is this leading me toward generosity or toward selfishness? Is this leading me toward forgiveness like Jesus or making me bitter and angry? Is this leading me toward holiness, lining up with the word of God? Or is it leading me toward sinfulness? Because the Holy Spirit always leads you toward Jesus. And if something is leading you away from Jesus, then that's not God's voice. And this is really, really good news. It's our God is a relational God. In the beginning, God spoke. I mean, the very beginning he spoke. He is a relational God who speaks. …
… oh, I'm taking that land too. He says, 2 Corinthians 3, verse 18, we all with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image, the image of Christ, from one degree of glory to another. We shall do valiantly, friends, For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. In other words, pride is my wash basin. Envy and bitterness, I cast my shoe on them. Over lust, I shout in triumph. The salvation of man is vain. You can't beat that sin alone. But with God, you shall and you can, even now, do valiantly. David, he saw God tread down his foes by the tens of thousands, Moab, Edom, Philistia, but he didn't see God tread down all his foes, not yet. And that brings us to the table. You see that King David, he knew that God would one day have his full and his final victory, but he also knew that God's people needed another king. They needed a divine king who would take on flesh, sympathizing with us in our groaning. …
… You and I continue to fall short of the glory of God. Now, we can be, 2 Corinthians 3.18, transformed from one degree of glory to the next. That's the good news. but we fall short. What is meant by falling short of the glory of God? Let's look at what Paul means by doxa, by glory. So, turn back to chapter 121. For although they knew God, talking about what can be known by the things that are made, although they knew God, they did not, and here's the doxa word, they did not honor Him. Same word. Could translate it, they did not glorify Him. Honor is a fine translation too, but that's the same Greek word. So this is the first one. Although they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks. They did not glorify Him as God. So, the proper response to God's self-revelation, because that's what the previous verses are about, you'll recall, that the things of God's eternal power and His divine nature can be clearly perceived in the things that have been made, that God has revealed Himself through His created world. And as God reveals Himself, what is the proper response when God reveals His glory? Here we have the two most fundamental responses that we ought to have as human beings, honor and thanksgiving, or you can say gratitude and glory. When God reveals to us His glory, we ought to respond by giving Him glory and giving thanks. I was trying to think about where we experience the unveiling, the revealing …
… there's always more. 2 Corinthians 3, verse 18. And read two more verses, then we're done. and we all who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's glory. are being transformed into his image with ever increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the spirit. so our times with God, a lot of times we call them quiet times, and it's quiet because, it's called quiet because we need less distractions, less algorithms, less things in the world, but the actual time shouldn't be quiet, God talking to us, God's spirit moving in our hearts, us talking to God, this communion, not endless content, but endless communion. And when we're doing that, it's not like, well, I won't talk about you for a minute. I'll talk about me. If it's me, I'm gonna do it because I'm a pastor and I probably should. That's when I'm in the flesh. My job requires it. I wanna be able to tell people I did, I spent time with Jesus. Or it's more like, man, this is a duty. …
… The Lord is 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. Which means there's a process happening. I came to Christ at 19 years old. and I have over the years become more like him. I should say I look more like him now than I did at 19 years old. But there might be some time in my life or on any given day you might say, well, you don't look as much today as you look like him the other day. But you could not say on that day that you didn't look as much like him. You definitely looked more like him than you did on the day that you came to Christ. You see, there's a progression happening. And as we're walking and living in this world and understanding his scripture, it's like we're going through this, we're seeing in a mirror dimly. …
… Doesn't mean justified, he glorified. It is as good as done, even though it is happening incrementally, according to 2 Corinthians 3.18. Beholding the glory of the Lord, we are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory, the same glory to another. Your people and you are already undergoing glorification. and its completion is absolutely certain. as certain as predestination is real. We are being made glorious with the very glory of Christ. If we suffer with him, we will be glorified with him. Romans 8, 17. He disciplines us for our good that we may share his holiness. whatever beauty there is in us it is the beauty of his holiness his holiness his holiness and the day will come when our likeness to Christ will be perfected morally and physically when he appears we will be like him because we will see him as he is 1 John 3, 2. He will transform the lowly body, these lowly bodies, to be like his glorious body by the power that enables him to subject all things to himself. …
… It says, We who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. So we're being transformed into his likeness so that we reflect his glory. With ever-increasing glory, we become more like Christ day in and day out. turn over a couple of books to Philippians. You'll come to Galatians and Ephesians and Philippians chapter 3. Look at Philippians chapter 3 verse 20 and 21. you might underline these showing us the purpose of God in the Bible our citizenship is in heaven Philippians chapter 3 verse 20 and we eagerly await a savior from there the Lord Jesus Christ who by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control will transform our lowly bodies so they will be like his glorious body we can continue on Colossians chapter 3 verse 10 talks about how we're putting on the image of Christ, the new man, day in and day out. …
… the lord is the spirit where the spirit of lord is there is freedom and we all with unveiled faces beholding the glory of the Lord are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. This comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. Don't miss what the Bible's saying here. We become like what we behold. We are being transformed into what we spend our time looking at. And for so many of us, the reality is we're beholding the world all day long and our lives are being conformed to the gods of this world. The only way to be remade in the image of God is to behold God all day long. To Psalm 27, gaze upon his beauty. Don't be content with a glance at God. To gaze upon God. To set aside time to seek intimacy with him. as the one thing, that's what Psalm 27 says, one thing above everything else that I ask, I just want to behold you in all your glory and inquire in your temple. …
And it goes like this. It's in 2 Corinthians 3, verse 18. And it says, but we all, and I'm gonna stop right there. So this is an all play. In other words, I think all of us have something like that. I think if we had time to talk to every one of you, you could tell us what name, what person, what experience, what thing is there that has become your filter that you are now making decisions that's affecting relationships. And you think she's the problem, and it's not. You think he's the problem, and he's not. It's this thing. And that's why it says, so we all need to play this. We all, and the next line says, with unveiled face. That's a fancy Bible way to say you have access to God. The veil was the thing that kept people and God separated because we had sin. But then Jesus came, the Bible says, and when he breathed his last breath on the cross, the veil was torn, and we no longer had to earn our way back to God. …
… you to see. That's 2 Corinthians 3.18. As you look at the glory of the Lord, the Spirit changes you into His image from one level of glory to the next. The Spirit conforms you to Christ. The Spirit-filled life simply is a life dominated by the revelation of Scripture concerning Christ which the Holy Spirit uses to take total control of a person, accomplishing His will and increasingly making that person like the Savior Himself. This is stunning, amazing. You just need to understand that being filled with the Holy Spirit is just being completely, richly dominated by things that concern Jesus Christ. The idea of being richly indwelt by the revelation concerning Christ is exactly what it means to be filled, dominated by the Holy Spirit. The Spirit's work is to take you to the Scripture, point you to Christ, and as you see the revelation of Christ change you from one level of glory to the next to the next increasingly more like Christ. So, how do you know when this is happening? …