We find out how we look by using God's word as a standard. The law was given so that we would understand where we fall short of His image. The law is external, written on tablets of stone and required atonement. Atonement in the Old Testament was through blood sacrifice on behalf of sinful people. These standards and sacrifices did not have the power to transform. It wasn't until the ultimate blood sacrifice, Jesus Christ, came that our lives were able to be transformed into His image. When the ministry of grace came, salvation meant that God's word is now written on the heart; it is internal and able to transform lives from the inside out. When Moses came down off of Mount Sinai, his face glowed because he had been face to face with the Lord. He had to wear a veil because his face frightened the people. But when he went back up the Mount, he took off the veil because he was face to face with God. Under the Old Covenant, Moses was the only one who had fellowship with God. Through Jesus Christ, we now have access to fellowship with God and the mirror of God's word which shows us His Son and transforms us into His Son's image. Moses reflected the glory of God, but we can now radiate the glory of God. Moses' reflection of glory was external, ours is internal.
"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 from the Lord, the Spirit." 2 Corinthians 3:18 (NASB)
We must not only hear the word, we must do it. We must not only see how we fall short, we must do something about it. Many people think that hearing a good sermon or Bible study is what makes them grow. Acting upon God's word is what brings transformation and this comes only through self examination. The purpose of the mirror of God's word is self examination. We must look at ourselves in light of His word and we must see ourselves for who we really are.
There are several mistakes we make as we look into the mirror of God's word. The first mistake is that we only glance at ourselves. We do not carefully study to show ourselves approved. We quickly read and unless we spend concerted time understanding and meditating on the word, we will not see our deepest needs. And we will not be transformed. Our reading of God's word cannot be an obligation fulfilled. It must be a discipline pursued. We must hunger and thirst after His righteousness.
Another common mistake is that once we have looked in the mirror, we forget what we have seen. If we have truly looked into our own hearts, we would cry out as Isaiah did in Isaiah 6:5, "Woe to me! I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty", and as Peter did in Luke 5:8, "Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man!"
The third mistake that we often make is that we think that hearing the word is the same as doing the word, and it is not. We must be doers of the word and not merely hearers who are deluding ourselves. So we must see ourselves for who we really are, we must not forget what we have seen, and we must actively seek to do what we have been taught in God's word. This requires time, commitment, and devotion to the word of God.
"But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was." James 1:22-24 (NASB)
"Don't fool yourself into thinking that you are a listener when you are anything but, letting the Word go in one ear and out the other. Act on what you hear! Those who hear and don't act are like those who glance in the mirror, walk away, and two minutes later have no idea who they are, what they look like." James 1:22 (The Message)
"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified." Romans 8:28-30 (ESV)
Dear Lord, Please help us to look at ourselves in the light of Your word. Help us to be doers and not merely hearers. Help us to study Your word and to meditate on it so that we might be transformed into your mirror image...
Photography courtesy of Sean Zellmer.
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