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June 6, 2005
The Daily Bread reading for today spoke of being transformed from “glory to glory”. It reminded me of a note I had put beside another verse in my Bible – Romans 1:17. That verse speaks of the righteousness of God being revealed from “faith to faith”. And the note I had beside it reads – “from strength to strength, from victory to victory, from love to love”.
I read and reread both verses for a few minutes as my mind went back to yesterday morning in Sunday School when I had once more pointed out the verse in Romans to my class – and then back to the many times that verse and those notes had come up in various lessons and studies over the years. But until today I hadn’t linked the one in Corinthians – “from glory to glory” - with the verse in Romans. But as I did so now, I also began to think of so many other verses I’ve thought about, studied, taught and connected. I realized there is a devotional study to be written – something more to share from the Lord.
So I would ask you to think with me about a few of these verses, and the meaning I have found in them. Romans 1:17; Romans 12:1,2; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Ephesians 4:23; Romans 8:18 ---
In
Romans 12:1,2 we have Paul appealing to us to “present our bodies as a
living sacrifice”. The first thing I think of here is that it is a
voluntary sacrifice; it is something we do. And that reminds me that it
is equated with an Old Testament sacrifice- “the burnt offering”. In
Leviticus 6:8-13 we have a picture of this offering. It was a voluntary
offering, given wholly to God, - signifying total surrender to God, with
nothing held back or eaten. And it was a daily sacrifice. In Romans
Paul urges us to present our bodies “wholly” to God. These verses are
both written in the present continuous tense – ongoing.
In Leviticus
this offering was burning on the altar all night, and the fire was never
allowed to go out. This offering was renewed each morning as more wood
was laid, and then the burnt offering. On top of this was put the fat
of the peace offering. (The fat was the best and most precious part of
the offering, and was a holy savour to God) What a beautiful picture of
the peace we receive when we yield ourselves and our will fully to God.
Also Paul tells us in these two verses that it is only reasonable that we should offer ourselves in this way, because of all the mercies God has showered upon us. Then in verse 2 Paul tells us to prove for ourselves how good and perfect God’s will for us is by refusing to be conformed and shaped by the superficial customs of this world, but rather we are to be transformed by the entire renewal of our minds, with new ideals and attitudes. How do we do this?
Ephesians 4:23 tells us to be (present tense) constantly renewed in the spirit of our mind – having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude. Again this is a daily thing. How? By filling our minds, on a daily basis, with the Word of God. It, only has the power to renew us in this way. Hebrews 4:12 tells us that the Word of God is sharper than any two-edged sword, and can divide between soul and spirit, between joints and marrow, and even between the thoughts and intents of the heart. Only His Word can transform us. What we fill our minds with is what we become.
As we go
back to Romans, this time to chapter 1:17, we read that the gospel tells
us the kind of righteousness God wants for us- one which springs from
faith to faith, and goes on to more faith, which arouses to more faith.
In my Bible I have this note – “from faith to faith, from strength to
strength, from victory to victory”. As we exercise what faith we have
it grows to more faith, and as we use what strength we have, the Lord
gives more strength – and so one victory leads to another.
Then we have 2 Corinthians 3:18 describing how as we continue in the
Word and see more and more of the glory of the Lord, we will be
transformed more and more into His image, and we will go from one degree
of glory to another.
Then we have a warning in 2 Corinthians 4:4. We are reminded that we have an enemy who will try to blind our minds and keep us from seeing these truths. He will try to keep us in the dark, away from the Light of the Gospel – if we let him. Our only defence against him is found in our surrender to our Lord (James 4:7,8a), and our constant daily yielding of our bodies, minds, and wills to Him.
Then in Romans 8:18 we find Paul reminding us of how small are the sufferings of this present time in light of the glory that will one day be revealed to us, and in us, and given to us. What a wonderful salvation we have – and what a glorious future awaits us with our Wonderful Lord. How much we should praise Him.
about the author
Esther Swyer was born in Yarmouth County, Nova Scotia. The eldest of eight children she married at twenty-one and promptly had six children. She became a Christian in October of 1958 at the age of twenty-five and was baptised in December of that year. She began teaching a Sunday School class of a dozen nine to ten year olds in 1961 or 1962 and has been teaching various age groups ever since.
Esther began teaching adults and leading Bible studies sometime in the seventies. She became involved in WMS in the late sixties and held various positions over the years, then in the early to mid-seventies she started serving on the Association Council. On top of all that she was involved for many years in ladies retreats serving as small groups director for around twenty years. Currently Esther is president of the WMS on the Association level, treasurer of her church, adult ladies class teacher, and is completing her third year as a church deacon.
Her first marriage ended after twenty-two years. She re-married thirteen years later in December 1988 and was widowed in June of 2000. She has eighteen grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Esther has just published a book about her spiritual journey.