HeadStart - The Image of Christ
2 Cor. 3:18 '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.'
BACKGROUND
The Image of Christ is God’s plan, purpose and solution for mankind in our dispensation and through the ages to come.
Romans 8:29 KJV “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be “conformed to the image of his Son”, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.”
Ephesians 3:10-11 NLT “God’s purpose in all this was to use the church to display his wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was his eternal plan, which he carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Ephesians 2:7 NLT “So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.”
The whole purpose of the initial creation of Mankind is for Man to operate in the image of God by having “dominance of the natural world”.
Genesis 1:26 KJV “And God said, let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.”
Yet we see a part of this plan that was concealed and was not revealed until the unveiling of the new creation realities, the mystery of Christ. This is what Jesus came to fulfil and accomplished for you and me.
Colossians 1:26-27 KJV “Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:”
The new creation realities (Being Born Again), unveiled this mystery for Man to be in the image of God and have dominion of both the current and spiritual world all through the ages (generations) to come.
1 Corinthians 15:47-49 KJV “The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.”
When a Man is born again by believing on Jesus Christ and accepting “HIM” as Lord of his life, his inward man is recreated in the image of God for both the natural and supernatural dominance.
Ephesians 4:24 AMPC “And put on the new nature (the regenerate self) created in God's image, [Godlike] in true righteousness and holiness.”
This recreated Man would have to work in the consciousness of this “Present Truth” to manifest the new creation realities.
Colossians 3:10 AMPC “And have clothed yourselves with the new [spiritual self], which is [ever in the process of being] renewed and remolded into [fuller and more perfect knowledge upon] knowledge after the image (the likeness) of Him Who created it. [Gen. 1:26.]”
There is a progression for your renewed Man based on renewed and working knowledge.
This is where many fail and are not manifesting the truth of the new creation realities and yet this is Gods intended way for Christians to operate.
2 Corinthians 3:3 KJV “Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.”
SUBJECT VERSE
2 Cor. 3:18 '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.'
To better understand our subject verse, it's worth breaking it into six subject areas
- Open Face (Unveiling)
- Beholding as in Glass
- The Glory of the Lord
- Changed (Transformation)
- The Image of Christ
- The Spirit of the Lord
- Open Face (Unveiling)
A man requires the revelation of the glory of the Son of God to both be recreated inwardly and outwardly and this revelation comes only by the Spirt of God.
The recreation of the inward man happens at the new creation (Being Born Again), but the manifestation or the evidence of it, is progressive through continuous revelation and working knowledge of Christ.
John 6:40, 48, 50 KJV “And this is the will of him that sent me, that everyone which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.” “I am that bread of life. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.”
Every Man that comes into this World is blind by default through the fall of Adam unless the Spirit of God open his eyes to the revelation of the Son of God.
John 12:39-41 KJV “Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again, He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them. These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake of him.”
2 Corinthians 3:16-17 KJV “Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the veil shall be taken away. Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.”
The recreation of the inward man happens at the new creation (Being Born Again), but the manifestation or the evidence of the new creation realities ( the outward man), is progressive through continuous revelation and working knowledge of Christ. - “Beholding As In A Glass”
The manifestation and transformation into the image of Christ from Glory to Glory”, is a function of your undistracted and consistent working knowledge (Walk in the Spirit) and leading of the Spirit, guiding you into all truths in Gods’ Word and in life.
The phrase “Beholding as in a glass” is just one word in the Greek (Katoptrizomai) meaning “To mirror-oneself”.
When a Man becomes a Christian, he his required to continuously devote himself to the “ministry and practice” of the word of God and the Spirt-life for him to have dominance of both the natural and spiritual world.
Notice: Devotion to the ministry and practice of the word of God and the Spirt-life.
James helps us to understand this concept better in the Word of God.
James 1:22-24 KJV “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man “beholding his natural face in a glass”: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.”
Basically, the word requires both our full attention and doing, for the rewarding Glory to follow.
1 John 1:6 KJV “If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:”
Notice: The requirement to "Do the Truth".
- The Glory of the Lord
When you look at the Word of God by the revelation of the Spirit, you have got to see yourself in the glory of the Lord.
This is the will of God for all “HIS” children, and this is what Jesus accomplished when he said it’s finished.
- Heb. 2:10 'bringing many sons unto glory'.
- 1 Pet. 5:10 hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus
- 2 Pet. 1:3 hath called us to Glory and virtue
- John. 17:22 The glory which thou gavest me I have given them
- 2 The. 2:14 to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
- 1 The. 2:12 who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory
- Col. 1:27 Christ in you, the hope of glory etc.
What does “Glory” really mean.
2 Corinthians 3:18 KJV “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.”
The manifestation of the new creation realities or truths is the reason for the requirement for “Beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord”
It’s evident from the above verses but please see the summarisation below:
- All that God is.
- All that God is has.
- All that God can do.
Being brought into glory simply means: .
- Being made fellowheirs.
- Being of the same body.
- Being made partakers of his promise in Christ.
Eph. 3:6 'That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel: '
All of these only point towards the activity of the Holy Spirit being the Glory of the Father that raised us “together with Christ” from the dead.
- Fellowheirs: Holy Spirit is the earnest of our Inheritance to guarantee our inheritance in Christ Eph. 1:13-14, Rom 8:16-17
- Same body: we were baptized into one body by the Spirt and being made to drink into the Spirit 1 Cor 12:13 (and of the same body)
- Partakers of his promise in Christ: Holy Spirit of promise Eph. 1:13.
The Holy Spirit is the Glory of the Father that raised us up together Jesus from the dead Roman 6:4
But this is only an information unless you can mirror yourself in this truth...
One is transformed into the image of Christ by the Spirit when you can mirror yourself in the Glory of the Lord.
“Beholding as in a glass” is one word (Greek: katoptrizomai) meaning “To mirror oneself
The bible tells us exactly what to continuously behold when we mirror-ourselves in the glory of God.
Romans 6:3-4 KJV “Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore, we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead “by the glory of the Father”, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”
The mirroring-oneself in the “the glory of the Father” is our conscious association and working knowledge with the death, resurrection, ascension and sitting with Christ at the right of hand authority, power and life of Christ in God
Romans 6:9-11 KJV “Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Notice: The four Wonderful components of the above verse.
- Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more.
- Death hath no more dominion over him.
- For in that he died, he died unto sin once.
- But in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
Likewise (in the same manner) reckon (conclude) yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
This are exactly the implication and expected lifestyle for the new creation.
We are expected to continuously behold and practice this present truth by faith and through the fellowship and power of the Spirit for the transformation and manifestation of the progressive Glory to follow (from Glory to Glory.
Colossians 2:12 KJV “Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.”
Notice: We were buried and risen with him.
Your “Inward Man” has already experienced the realities of the new creation protocol (Christians), but your “Outward Man” would only benefit through continuous beholding and practicing of this truth by faith and through the fellowship and power of the Spirit for the transformation and manifestation of the progressive Glory to follow (from Glory to Glory).
Apostle Paul challenged the Colossians on the implication of being dead with Christ and their association with this concept.
Colossians 2:20, “Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances?
Furthermore, he challenged the implication and their association with the practical concept of being risen with Christ.
Colossians 3:1-3 KJV “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.”
Many journeys through Christianity looking for short cuts and quick fixes from one deliverance to another or healing requirement to another or habitual sinfulness to another but Jesus already accomplished all these through his death and resurrection and gave you the glory.
Dare to believe and practice this present truth of the new creation realities and help others to do the same through the ministry of the Spirit and word of life.
Jude 1:20, 22-23 NLT “But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit
And you must show mercy to those whose faith is wavering. Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. Show mercy to others, but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives.”
Please Look out for part two of this series.