A reflection of the glory of God

Good morning, everyone,

Our theme for this month: “You are not alone”

Our Bible verse for today: “We all, with unveiled faces, are reflecting the glory of the Lord and are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory; this is from the Lord who is the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3:18 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “A reflection of the glory of God”

Our theme this month has focused on the great truth found in Hebrews 13:5 that God never forsakes us, He never abandons us. He has promised to be with us always, watch over us, protect and provide for us and to comfort and care for us. This morning I want to return to the topic I wrote about yesterday of how God manifests His presence and care through the church family.

In 2 Corinthians 3:18 Paul wrote about how we, as individual Christians, are being slowly transformed into the image of the Lord Jesus Himself. If we are growing in knowledge and grace, and if we are developing spiritual maturity, then as individuals we will more-and-more become a reflection of the glory and the very image of Jesus Himself. One writer expressed it this way, “It is often said that a couple that has been married for years begins to look like one another in the way they dress and present themselves. They don’t try to make these changes, but they are transformed by the presence of the other. That is not unlike what is happening to believers who live in God’s presence. Paul describes us as “reflecting the glory of the Lord” and “being transformed into the same image from glory to glory.”

Saint Irenaeus was the Bishop of Lyons in A.D. 185. He was a great theologian and wrote extensively about the Christian faith. His most famous statement was “The glory of God is man fully alive.” What he meant was that when a person is fully alive in Christ not only does that person give glory to God, but he or she reflects the glory of God. That’s the truth Paul was conveying in 2 Corinthians 3:18.

If that’s true of individual Christians how much more must it be true of entire congregations? If a church family is filled with spiritually mature individuals all reflecting and displaying to varying degrees the image of Jesus Himself, then a Sunday morning gathering becomes a tremendous display of the glory and image of Jesus. That then, provides us with visual and concrete assurance of the presence of God among us.

It’s true that He never forsakes us and He never abandons us, and one of the most powerful and frequent ways in which He manifests His presence is by means of the reflection of His glory through the followers of Jesus.

Being present at the gatherings of the church family can be something akin to being in a house of mirrors. At every turn you see multiple reflections of Jesus looking back at you. This is true because Christians reflect the glory of God, and that is often how He assures us that He is with us.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

(If you like what you are reading in these daily devotionals and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00 – in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

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