For me to speak of being conformed into the image of Christ and move on to the transformation that occurs as our minds are renewed may open me up to the accusation that I'm being triumphalistic or that I'm a theologian of glory when I should be a theologian of the cross. And I understand those arguments. I understand those concerns. And they're real. I respect that. There's always the danger in theology of going to extremes. And so I want to just assure you today that if you listen to my recent broadcast about being transformed and not just reformed, in other words, my argument was that we need to move into the fullness of the gospel, into the whole counsel of God. and not stop short of what God has set forth as a gospel, meaning that we are predestined, we are called, we are justified in order that we might be united with Jesus Christ and begin the process of being conformed into his image. an ever-increasing glory, that we are called to fulfill God's paramount purpose for us to the degree that we can, and it's possible in this lifetime, and that is to walk like Jesus. In fact, I said that the ground of our assurance, as we know it in 1 John 4, 17, is that we have not only come to walk like Jesus, we bear his image that's working out in us, but that we love like Jesus. As he is, as he was, so are we in this world. And nothing is more characteristic of the Lord Jesus than how he loved. meaning that he loved the Father and so obeyed him in unconditional service, even to the point of the cross. Hebrews 12-2 tells us that for the joy set before him, he endured the cross. So the joy of obedience was not contrary to the work of the cross, the theology of the cross. In fact, Jesus did that obedience, committed even to death, the death of the cross, out of the joy of expressing his love for the Father in that level, that degree, the maximum degree possible for any human being of obedience. And Jesus also loved others with a sacrificial love, a selfless love. And that is what God is at work in you, beloved, to bring forth. Now, I told you out of 2 Corinthians 3, matter of fact, that it is the ministry of the new covenant of the Spirit to produce that in us. Those who are pastors and teachers and elders and other Christian leaders are charged with facilitating the work of the Spirit through the Gospel in the believer so that the believer is transformed into the image of Christ with ever-increasing glory. I read you 2 Corinthians 3. Verses 17 and 18, we summed it up with, now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 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, who is, of course, the Spirit. And I close then with reminding you that it's joy inexpressible and full of glory out of 1 Peter, that we know him and that we love him. And so all we're talking about here is embracing the whole counsel of God and being careful not to stop at justification as the outcome of the gospel, as important as that is. Now, there are some, however, who will contend that maybe I'm stretching things a little bit to believe that we can have actually some share in Christ's glory even in this present age. But that's not what the Bible teaches. The Bible teaches clearly that there is some aspect of the glory of Christ that we experience in ourselves, in our realizing that we are being conformed into his image and very experiential, existential ways, how we love God and how we love our neighbor. And there cannot be anything but glory in that. I mean, it's a glorious reality. That you and I can become like Jesus is nothing short of a glorious reality. It is the essence. If you are, say, in your recovery from drugs and alcohol and a life of moral decadence, you're suffering from unresolved trauma and codependence and active addiction, the promise of moral transformation into the image of Jesus and out of the moral decadence and corruption and wickedness of Adam is the promise of the gospel. So when Paul concludes with, but we 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, he means it. The word glory there is used three times. And we understand in biblical interpretation that when something's repeated, it's for emphasis. And I've already told you about 1 Peter 1.8, that we love Him and we have joy inexpressible and full of glory even in this life. So, the hope of glory, we're told in Colossians chapter 1, is Christ in you, the hope of glory. And yet, I don't want to be misunderstood as being into some kind of over-realized eschatology, some kind of over-triumphalistic, where it's just happy, clappy, health, prosperity, and wealth all the time. There's already the charismatics have already taken that to a point of heresy, and I don't want to be named among them. So I want to assure you that that's not where I'm encouraging that you go. In fact, as we continue to read, 2nd Corinthians We go on with this chapter 4 therefore Therefore what's the therefore therefore? Therefore because we are being transformed in the same image from glory to glory just as from the Lord the Spirit Therefore since we have this ministry as we received mercy, we do not lose heart See it's the promise of glory. I promise of one day being fully like Jesus, perfected in his image, and the progressive, ever-increasing reality of that, even in this age, in this lifetime, that causes us not to lose heart. Well, why would we lose heart? Because we're still living in this present evil age. We're still living in bodies that are not fully redeemed. We're still living in the old Adamic body. And so in verse 2, but by the manifestation of truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the God of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ who is the image of God. See, that's the gospel. The gospel is the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. The light of the gospel is Christ himself, who is the image of God. And again, that's the image that we're being conformed to. "'For we do not preach ourselves,' Paul goes on to say, "'but Christ Jesus as Lord, "'and ourselves as your bondservants for Jesus' sake.'" Paul didn't make this up. The apostles didn't make this up. This isn't some kind of human speculation. This is revealed theology. This is revealed, this is revelation incarnated in Jesus and illuminated by the Spirit. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed, perplexed. but not despairing, persecuted but not forsaken, struck down but not destroyed, always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that purpose, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So there's the balance. We are in a now and not yet state. We are now children of God. And it is also true that it has not yet been revealed fully what we shall be. But we do know that when we see him, we shall be like him. And anyone who has this hope fixed on him, this is 1 John 3, verses 3, anyone who has their hope fixed on him purifies themselves even as he is pure. Listen, there is nothing more motivating. No amount of Lenten season observances, disciplines, and deprivations. No terrors of the law and threatening of the law. Not even the threats of hell. are worthy to be compared to the motivation that the Spirit gives his people when they begin to realize that they can become like Jesus. Not just some silly imitation. but some genuine participation in his life, so that, as Paul says, I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, I live. Yet not I, but Christ lives in me. And the life that I now live, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. There's a participation in the very life of Jesus that's within us that is transformational. And that, beloved, is the message of the Gospel. Yet, we are in this not yet state. We are still living in these old bodies, these unredeemed bodies. And if you're like mine, I'm 68 years old, it's beginning to fail me a little bit. I'm beginning to experience my mortality. And I don't know how it is and how much longer I have and how it is I will die. but it's certain that this body will fail me at some point. But I have the hope and I have the promise of a fully redeemed glorified body that awaits me upon the return of my Lord or in the future after death when He returns. Either way, I have the promise of a glorified body awaiting me. But even now we have this treasure. What is this treasure? We have the treasure of the gospel in earthen vessels. The reality of the life of Christ is presently within you and me. But we do have it in this earthen vessel and God has designed it that way. Please listen carefully now. God has designed it that way so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves. God has designed it so that we live in this now and not yet state with the hope that we are going to be fully realized in our redemption in the future but that we are now presently being conformed, being transformed daily Even though we are still carrying around these old bodies, still living in this present evil age with all its corruption and wickedness, evil and demonic forces, in order that we might continue to understand that the power within us is of God, not ourselves. That's why he can say we are afflicted in every way. but not crushed, perplexed, but not despairing. See, the fact that we are in Christ and that the life of Christ is being worked out in our character so that people see the image of his glory in us as we love them like Jesus loved them. We go about living our lives in a way that we experience similar afflictions as people around us who do not believe. We are even persecuted, but not forsaken. We get struck down, but we're never destroyed. We're always caring about in the body the dying of Jesus. We share in his cross. So the theology of the cross and the theology of glory are not dichotomies. It's not one or the other. It's including and. And I know there's some who say that it should be one or the other, but that's just a false dichotomy. That's that extreme again. So do not be ashamed that God has chosen for you to participate in and share in some respect to some degree in the glory of his son. Even in this life, the hope of glory is Christ in you. And as you contemplate Him, as you focus on Him, as you anticipate being fully like Him in every way, let that motivate you to purify yourself of anything that's not Him. And remember, the great evidence, the great assurance that we have in the Gospel, that we are in fact saved. We are in fact saved from the wrath to come, and adopted into the Father's household. Here again, there's another. We're saved from the wrath, and we're saved into the Father's house. It's both. It's not either or, it's both. We are now children of God, and we're told that by this love is perfected, 1 John 4, 17, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment. Because as he is, so also are we in this world. The NIV reads something like, because in this world, we are like Jesus. That's the ground of our comfort. That's the ground of our assurance. And that's what the world desperately needs to see from us, isn't it? The evangelical church in America is in crises right now. It's in crises because we believe we can be saved and still be politically violent people. We believe we can still be, whether on the left or the right of the political spectrum, especially in an election year, we can be foul-mouthed, we can hate others, we can take action to protest and become just as vile as the people in the world, as if some politician's gonna save us. We are not called to that. We're called to peace. We're called to be peacemakers, not threateners, not protesters on either the left or the right. And many unbelievers today question the sanity of the evangelical. They don't understand how you can profess to be in Christ and still behave in such violent verbal violence and such endorsing of this politician, or that politician, or this movement, or that movement, or some other clearly morally decadent, depraved behavior, and call yourself a Christian. The truth is, you can't. I heard a seminary professor one time, a couple years ago, say that he had chosen, he was gonna support a certain politician. And he realized that this politician was very vile and very decadent and even a little crazy. But he liked his policies. So he's going to vote for this person. Now, this is not a political statement, folks, so don't get me wrong. I'm just trying to help you understand that this seminary professor was the problem. He was saying to his students, character in a leader doesn't matter. And folks, when we go there, it's all downhill from there. It's all downhill from there, and we end up being just what Paul said, in the last days, difficult times will come. Why will they come? because men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossipers, gossips without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. In other words, they are going to be the antithesis of the image and character of Jesus Christ. But here's the kicker, verse five, all the time holding to a form of godliness. In the last days, the church will look and talk and behave and sound just like the world, at the same time maintaining an appearance of religion and godliness. Although they deny its power the power to do what the power to transform This is what I said in my last episode We are not to be conformed to this world But to be transformed by the renewing of our mind And if we stop short In our gospel understanding of going on to transformation into the image of christ We can have all of our doctrinal points checked and still come short of the glory of God. We are missing the gospel. So that's what the church is going to look like in the last days. Don't be part of them. We say, Rick, what right have you to say that? Well, it says right in the text, 2 Timothy 3, 5, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied his power, listen carefully now, avoid such men as these. Period. That's an apostolic command. Avoid becoming part of this evangelical movement on the left. I know it. I know the evangelical left. I was there. I attended a seminary that was liberal. I understand the heresy. I understand the blatant disregard for the truth of the gospel. And I've been in conservative circles, too, where they really believe that they can make the United States a Christian nation. And so they do all kinds of verbal and harsh, cruel things to accomplish that end. Folks, both extremes have nothing to do with Jesus. Nothing to do whatsoever. So we're in 2024. It's an election year. Avoid hysteria. Don't get caught up in it. Put all that energy back into working out your own salvation with fear and trembling because I'm telling you God is at work in you to produce in you the image of his son. He loves you. He saved you for that purpose and he will discipline you so that it happens. Isn't it better to walk in obedience, loving obedience after the model of Jesus. The great thing that I've called you to in this past two episodes, transformed but not just reformed, transformed not just reformed, is the power of knowing Jesus at this intimate level where you are becoming more like him. and that you can learn to love like Him. You can learn to love God and neighbor like Jesus did. And so bear the image of your Savior into the world so that this lost, dying, broken, twisted world on its way to eternal hell can catch a glimpse of Jesus Christ in you, the hope of glory. Amen.