INTROSPECTION: GOD’S YARDSTICK

Before one answers the call of the Father scripture states “a veil lies on their heart”, they are separated from the love and promises of God. “Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we (the saints of God) all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image (nature) from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” (2 Cor. 3:15-18)

Whenever a person turns to the Lord the veil of separation is removed and we are granted the liberty to behold the glory of the Lord. When we behold God’s glory with an unveiled face, something amazing happens; we begin to become like that which we behold. This is the sanctifying process of spiritual transformation, the metamorphosis of sin stained spiritual cripples into beacons of radiant light reflecting the holy nature of Christ to a world drowning in sin’s darkness.

The Holy Spirit is “willing and working” in us on the soul level, encouraging our submission to the Lordship of Christ, encouraging our death to Self’s control and Self’s interests,  renewing our mind to reflect Christ’s mind, transforming those who are willing so that we become more like Christ. Glory is the true apprehension of God, His unchanging essence, His holiness on display. When we become more like Christ, we bring God glory (which is our highest purpose in life) because God’s glory is displayed through us. And, We are called not only to experience the Christ-Life but to measure our progress into it:

“Examine and test and evaluate your own selves to see whether you are holding to your faith and showing the proper fruits of it. Test and prove yourselves (not Christ). Do you not yourselves realize and know thoroughly by an ever-increasing experience that Jesus Christ is in you—unless you are counterfeits, disapproved on trial and rejected”? (2 Cor. 13:5, Amp. Bible)

Reflections on our Self and its battle for control of our life are necessary and scriptural. It is through comparing how we were to how we are that we can know our spiritual progression into Christlikeness. The Fruit of the Spirit is the benchmark, not spiritual gifts real or imagined, not titles rightly or wrongly conferred, not how many people we can get into a building, not what other people think, and certainly not any humanly devised critique. How much have we been transformed... how much is our heart aligned with our Savior’s heart... how much do our thoughts, words and actions re-present Christ... How much of Christ do people see when they look at us? These are the questions that should burn out the dross in our heart driving us to cry “More of you Lord, and less of me...” 

It cost Jesus everything for us to experience gazing with an unveiled face on the glory of God. The number one passion of both Christ and the Father is to see every saint transformed, allowing the Holy Spirit to conform them into the character, virtues, values and attitudes -- into the very nature of Christ – to make them Chrikelike! In order to behold His glory, we have to let go of our own glory the cheap earth bound glory of Self-Life which is the sworn enemy of the Christ-Life, and  willfully embrace the Christ-Life.

CHRISTLIKENESS: 
THE ULTIMATE MEASUREMENT 
OF A SAINT’S SPIRITUAL MATURITY