Every year in New England, something remarkable happens. Trees transform from green into fiery shades of amber, auburn, and crimson. This transformation is by God’s design.
Back in Genesis 1:14, God set the sun and moon in the heavens for the purpose of making day and night, days and years, signs and seasons. Daniel 2:20-21 says, “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, to whom belong wisdom and might. He changes times and seasons.”
He changes times and seasons. The transformation seen every thirteen weeks as one season gives way to the next has purpose. Transformation is God’s design. And just like the fall foliage, every believer was designed to be transformed.
Read 2 Corinthians 3:1-18 (ESV)
Transformation by the Spirit Reflects God’s Glory
In his second letter to the church at Corinth, Paul’s tone is more reassuring than in his first letter. 1 Corinthians was a rebuke to churchgoers who mistreated each other in several ways. They failed in the principles of love. But by the time Paul wrote his second letter, they had changed.
While 1 Corinthians encouraged them to unify with each other in godly love, 2 Corinthians invited them to unify with Paul in gospel ministry. Paul had detractors. Critics. Self-described spiritual “authorities” who claimed Paul was not a true apostle because of his suffering.
In chapter 3, Paul makes a stunning contrast between the old covenant and the new. The Corinthian believers themselves are a letter of recommendation, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God. Not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.
The old covenant, carved in letters on stone, came with its own glory. A glory so intense that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses’ face. But Paul calls it “the ministry of death” in verse 7. That season had purpose. The Law was designed to show shortcomings, to reveal the need for redemption and restoration and transformation.
Like the fall foliage. First the leaves change color. Then they fall. Then comes winter. In agricultural societies, winter is a form of death. And after winter? Spring. Resurrection. Transformation again.
Without death, without Fall and Winter, there is no Spring. No transformation. No rebirth.
But now, under the new covenant, the veil is removed. Verse 17: “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” And verse 18: “We all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”
The Greek word for “transformed” here is metamorphoo. Transfigure. Change into another form. This same word describes what happened to Jesus on the mountain of transfiguration with Peter, James, and John.
Read Matthew 17:2 (ESV) | Mark 9:2-3 | Luke 9:29
His face shone like the sun. His clothes became white as light. Radiant. Intensely white. And in each account, the Father spoke audibly: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”
The transformation in the life of a believer is evidence of God’s presence, his power to change, and his good favor. When the gaze is fixed on his glory, a metamorphosis takes place. The countenance changes. Others can see it. It is remarkable and unmistakable.
The Greek word metamorphoo is actually two words joined together. Meta means “accompanied, amid, among, with.” It indicates proximity. Morphoo means “form, fashion, shape.” Being near to God changes form. His presence transforms.
Discussion
- Where have you seen genuine spiritual transformation in someone’s life? What did it look like?
- What does it mean that transformation comes “from one degree of glory to another”?
Key Takeaways
- Transformation reflects God’s glory. When believers gaze upon the Lord with unveiled faces, a metamorphosis takes place. The change is visible to others.
- Proximity produces transformation. The Greek word metamorphoo combines “with” and “form.” Being near to God changes who we are.
- The old covenant had its season. The Law was the ministry of death, designed to reveal the need for Christ. The new covenant brings freedom and transformation by the Spirit.
Transformation in Christ Makes Us New and Different
“For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.”
Read 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 (ESV)
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.”
God wants to make people new. Not improved. New. But this renewal is just the beginning. It is not the end.
A business consultant helps companies transform their operations. Reconstruct systems so they can grow sustainably. If all goes as planned, the DNA of the business changes. A rebirth of sorts.
But that is nothing compared to what the Holy Spirit does in a person who is reconciled to God in Christ. God does not just want to change conduct. He wants to change the essence of who someone is, to reflect the glory of who he is.
After the resurrection, Jesus appeared in a different form. Mark 16:12 says he appeared “in another form” to two disciples. Some disciples actually needed a few moments to recognize him. He had changed.
Just as Jesus changed in his resurrection, the Spirit of God wants to change his people. Not just behavior. Identity. From whatever they were, to whatever he has intended them to become.
Discussion
- What does it mean to be a “new creation” rather than just a better version of the old self?
- Where in your life do you sense God working to change not just your behavior, but who you are?
Key Takeaways
- God makes new, not improved. Transformation in Christ is not renovation. It is creation. The old passes away. The new comes.
- Reconciliation is the foundation. All of this comes from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ. He also gave us the ministry of reconciliation.
- Jesus himself was transformed. After his resurrection, even his closest followers needed time to recognize him. He changed form. And he wants to do the same in his people.
Transformation Is a Patient, Gradual Process. Perfection We’ll Attain Later.
Read Philippians 3:12-21 (ESV)
Paul says it plainly: “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.”
The transformation is not instant. It is ongoing. Forget what lies behind. Strain forward to what lies ahead. Press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
And Paul points to the future: “We await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.”
The whole creation groans together in the pains of childbirth. Believers groan inwardly too, waiting eagerly for the redemption of bodies. For now, the Spirit is a downpayment, the firstfruits. The full harvest is coming.
Verse 26 says the Spirit helps in weakness. He intercedes with groanings too deep for words. And verse 28: “For those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Verse 29: “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son.”
Every believer has been predestined to be conformed to the image of Jesus. For now, the Spirit is a downpayment in the heart. The physical transformation awaits the resurrection, when mortal bodies put on immortality.
Read 1 Corinthians 15:50-53 (ESV)
“We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.”
This will be the physical metamorphosis. The dead will rise imperishable. The living will be transformed bodily. Mortal bodies will put on immortality.
“He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”
He began the transformation. But he is not finished yet. For now, the transformation is spiritual and gradual.
Discussion
- How does knowing that transformation is gradual change the way you view your own spiritual progress?
- What does it mean to “press on” when perfection feels far away?
Key Takeaways
- Transformation is gradual, not instant. Paul had not arrived. He pressed on. The process is ongoing, and patience is part of the design.
- The Spirit is a downpayment. The firstfruits are here now. The full harvest, including the transformation of physical bodies, comes at the resurrection.
- God finishes what he starts. Philippians 1:6 is the assurance. The one who began the work will bring it to completion.
Something to Sit With
Transformation is God’s design. From the changing seasons to the changing of hearts, he is always at work making things new. The Spirit transforms believers from one degree of glory to another. Not all at once. Not by human effort. But by proximity to the living God.
How does it begin? Paul gave the answer in Romans 12:1-2. Present your body as a living sacrifice. Do not be conformed to this world. Be transformed by the renewal of your mind.
As Jesus said to Nicodemus: “You must be born again.”
Place faith in him and in his resurrection. Give yourself to him. Follow him. Abide in him. Commit to that, and he will do the rest.
“And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” (2 Corinthians 3:18, ESV)
Frequently Asked Questions
What does metamorphoo mean in the Bible?
Metamorphoo is a Greek word meaning “to transfigure” or “to change into another form.” It is used in 2 Corinthians 3:18 to describe how believers are transformed into the image of Christ, and in the Gospels to describe Jesus’ transfiguration on the mountain.
What is the difference between the old covenant and the new covenant in 2 Corinthians 3?
Paul calls the old covenant “the ministry of death,” carved in stone, that came with a glory Israel could not gaze upon. The new covenant, written on hearts by the Spirit, brings freedom and a surpassing glory. Under the new covenant, the veil is removed and believers can behold God’s glory directly.
What does “new creation” mean in 2 Corinthians 5:17?
It means that anyone who is in Christ is not simply improved, but fundamentally made new. The old has passed away. The new has come. This is not self-improvement. It is divine creation, the same kind of work God did when he created the heavens and the earth.
When will the physical transformation happen?
Paul describes it in 1 Corinthians 15:51-53. At the last trumpet, the dead will be raised imperishable and the living will be changed. Mortal bodies will put on immortality. This physical metamorphosis is the completion of the spiritual transformation that begins now.
Scripture quotations are from the ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version), copyright 2001 by Crossway.