Things are Always Changing
Over the last year so much has changed.
Our world has changed. The way we do life has changed. And the way we “do church” has changed.
And I think we understand this, even if we don’t like it, that things are always changing. As someone once said, “The only thing that doesn’t change is that things are always changing.”
But here’s the question I want us to lean into today…
Can people change?
There’s an old story I was reminded about this past week. Do you remember this one?
Once upon a time there was a frog and a scorpion. They were standing on the edge of the riverbank. The scorpion wanted to cross the river, but of course, scorpions can’t swim. So the scorpion asked the frog for a ride on his back across the river.
The frog said to the scorpion, “No way! Why would I do that? I know what scorpions are like. If I let you on my back you’ll sting me and I’ll die.”
Then the scorpion said to the frog, “Why would I do that? If I sting you while we’re crossing the river and you die, then I’ll drown and we’ll both die. You have nothing to fear.”
Finally, the frog agreed and allowed the scorpion to get on his back and they began their journey across the river. When they got about halfway across the river, the scorpion stung the frog.
As the frog draws his last breath before going under the water, he asks the scorpion, “Why did you sting me?” The scorpion looked at the frog and said, “It’s in my nature.”
If, How, Why?
I told that story to my youngest daughter this past week and she said that was a horrible story! And you know what, I think she’s right!
The truth is we like stories of personal transformation. Stories of how people who were one way changed and became something different, something better.
But, are people actually able to change? Can a zebra change its stripes? Can a leopard change its spots? Is change possible? Or do people simply reveal their true nature over time?
And IF people can change HOW can people change? WHY is it that at the end of the day it seems like most people would rather stay the way they are than change?
Why do we so often opt for the status quo and resist change?
What if God wants you to change?
What if God loves you too much to leave you where you are as you are?
The good news is that God can and will change us, individually and collectively, if we will allow Him.
In 2 Corinthians 3.18, the Apostle Paul wrote these words to the church in the ancient city of Corinth…
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.
Through every battle, through every heartbreak, through every circumstance Paul understood that God was working in His life to transform him more and more and more into the image of Jesus.
But how does transformation take place for us?
3 Ways We Are Changed
Today I want to suggest there are at least three ways we are transformed into the image of Christ.
1 // BEHOLDING
First, Transforming begins with BEHOLDING. Paul says…
And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate/BEHOLD the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory…
If you just read that verse, you might wonder, What in the world is Paul talking about? Unveiled faces?
I don’t know much about wearing a veil, but we do live in a world where we know something about wearing a mask! You may not think much about having an unveiled face, but you’re looking forward to a day when we can walk around with unmasked faces!
Paul is reaching back to a story from the history books about the time when Moses went on the mountain to meet with God. The first time Moses went to the mountaintop to receive the word of God for the people of God, the Ten Commandments, Moses returned from the mountain to find the people of Israel worshiping a golden calf. In his anger, Moses smashed the tablets of stone upon which God had written!
After leading the people into repentance, Moses returned to the mountain to meet with God again.
Moses remained there on the mountain with the Lord forty days and forty nights. In all that time he ate no bread and drank no water. And the Lord wrote the terms of the covenant—the Ten Commandments—on the stone tablets.
When Moses came down Mount Sinai carrying the two stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant, he wasn’t aware that his face had become radiant because he had spoken to the Lord. So when Aaron and the people of Israel saw the radiance of Moses’ face, they were afraid to come near him.
Radiant
Moses comes down from the mountain and His face is RADIANT. Literally, his face was TRANSFORMED, shining rays of light from being in the light of the presence of God on the mountaintop for 40 days and 40 nights.
So much so, that Moses had to put a veil over his face. The only time he would remove the veil was when he went into the Tent of Meeting to meet with God or when He spoke the words & instructions God had given him to the people.
Moses isn’t wearing a mask here. He’s wearing a veil. He’s wearing a veil because when the people see his face radiating the light of the glory of God, they are afraid.
But now, Paul is saying everything has changed because of Jesus. If you back up a few verses Paul writes..
…this veil can be removed only by believing in Christ. – 2 Corinthians 3.14
When we BELIEVE in Jesus, the veil is removed. Anything and everything that separates us from the presence of God is removed. And now, because the veil is removed, we can both SEE and REFLECT the glory of God.
Believing in Jesus Christ as the Son of the Living God, making that confession of faith REMOVES the VEIL so we, like Moses, can contemplate, can BEHOLD, the glory of God.
Transformation into the image of Jesus begins with BEHOLDING Jesus. It’s spending time in his presence. It’s retreating to the mountaintop, it’s spending 40 days and 40 nights with Jesus, it’s spending time over time with Jesus that changes us into the image of Jesus.
But it’s not just BEHOLDING.
Next, Transforming continues with FASTING.
2 // FASTING
Moses remained there on the mountain with the Lord forty days and forty nights. In all that time he ate no bread and drank no water.
Moses was able to behold the presence of God by withdrawing from the world to be with God and by fasting from the things of this world to focus on God. And that experience changed Him in a very literal way.
As far as I can tell, everyone changes. Everyone is being transformed into something by something or someone. And transformation is not always positive.
Attachments
And as far as I can tell, transformation is always tied to attachment. You are transformed BY what you are attached TO.
What are you attached TO? That’s what you’re being transformed BY.
Unless your primary attachment is GOD, then FASTING from your attachments, those things that you don’t want to be transforming you or you don’t want to have power over you, is the only practical way to turn from that and turn towards Christ.
We don’t talk much about fasting but when you fast from your attachments you realize how attached you are to those things and you’re reminded of how much more you need to rely on God.
Fasting from Food
When you fast from food… you realize how attached you are to food, to snacks, to the availability of food, of how you meet that need in healthy and unhealthy ways, of how blessed you are to have access to food, and how depending on God, hungering and thirsting for God the same way you hunger and thirst for food, craving God the same way you crave food provides an unparalleled opportunity for you to rely on God and be transformed by God.
Fasting from Technology
Or how about this, go to the screen time report on your phone and find the top 3 apps you spend time with on your phone. Now, delete those apps for the next 2 weeks. Every time you reach for that app, reach for the word of God instead. Every time you want to click that app, confess your need for God and pray.
A Surefire Test
After fasting for 40 days and 40 nights and depending only on God for everything He needed, Moses was transformed. His face was radiant in a literal way.
Scot McKnight once said it this way, “The surefire test to know the Spirit is at work in your life is observable change as you grow toward Christlikeness.” – Open to the Spirit
If you want to move past believing to transformation, It starts with BEHOLDING, it continues with FASTING, but it all depends on your…
SURRENDERING to the HOLY SPIRIT.
2 // SURRENDERING
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.
Can a zebra change his stripes? No. Can a leopard change its spots? No. Can people change?
The only we can change to become who God ultimately intended us to become is if we surrender wholly and completely to the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
We cannot change ourselves.
We’re Always Changing
The reality is, we’re always changing. People do change over time. The question really isn’t, Can people change? Or, Do people change? The question is, How do we change? And, What are we changing into?
If you spend time in his presence BEHOLDING, if you learn through FASTING to depend on God instead of the things of this world, and if you SURRENDER your life to His Holy Spirit, you will be transformed!
Maybe a zebra can’t change its stripes, maybe a leopard can’t change its spots, but people CAN change.
Next Step: Ask These 3 Questions:
- When can you spend time beholding?
- What do you need to detach from?
- What do you want to ask the Spirit to do in you?
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