You Become What You Behold
by: Mary Lauren Hudson
September 25, 2024
“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. ”
We become like what we behold. All are invited to come and behold the glory of the Lord. The word “behold” means “to see, to view, to face, to regard, watch, consider, to observe fully, to look with attention and earnestness, to survey with accuracy, to look at purposely, to perceive, apprehend, learn, know, calling attention to what may be seen or heard.” It’s more than a casual look- it means to make a careful study. This is our responsibility as believers- “to behold the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple.” (Psalm 27:4)
However, even if we aren’t beholding Jesus, we are all beholding something. By nature, we are worshippers. Even though we were created to worship Jesus, if we don’t worship Him we won’t stop worshiping. We are called to worship God because He deserves it, but it’s also because we are called to become like Him. We are called to reflect His image and His nature to the world. It’s a beautiful calling to ALL with unveiled faces. As we behold the glory of the Lord, we will be transformed. God will change us from the inside out through His Spirit and this process of beholding is made possible through the new covenant. However, we must view Him rightly.
We all have false perceptions or views of God and therefore, ourselves. This can be very harmful. We often carry those same attributes if we view God with certain attributes or characteristics. If we view Him as a harsh, unfair, ready-to-punish kind of God, we could act harshly, and unfairly, and keep a short fuse and small amounts of grace for other people. If we view Him partly right, this could also negatively affect how we experience Him. For example, in elementary school, I viewed Him similarly to how I would someone’s grandfather- a sweet and loving man, but not necessarily the most relatable. This contradicts scriptures such as Hebrews 4:15 which says “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.”
It matters how we view God. God is so many wonderful things, but 1 John 4 says specifically “God is Love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.” He doesn’t just love, He IS love. And when we behold Him rightly- not as who we think He might be, but who He is- we are transformed into this Love with ever-increasing glory. Love will lead you to repentance, love will make you want to do what He says. (John 14:15) His love changes everything!
Nothing will transform you like the Presence of God. Nothing will bring lasting, permanent, eternal change like beholding who He is by the Spirit of God. We are incapable of transforming ourselves. There is not enough willpower, guilt, or self-motivation that will transform you into God’s image. Only by the work of the Holy Spirit through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.
The good news is that ALL are invited to be transformed into His image with ever-increasing glory. (vs 1- “we all”) You don’t have to constantly go from backsliding to backsliding. God’s work in our life can be a continual progression, from glory to glory. The kicker is that a person with a veiled face cannot behold or see the glory of the Lord. He wants to show you His glory. He desires to transform you to become like Him. But how do we get our faces unveiled?
Paul makes the answer to this question very clear. He says “When one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.” (2 Corinthians 3:16) This is incredible news. If you or I turn to the Lord, HE will take away the veil so WE can behold His glory. However, we cannot see His glory perfectly yet. I think our brains would explode and we would burst into pieces if we did! One day we will see Him face to face, and this is the day our whole beings yearn for. (Romans 8:23) 1 Corinthians 13:12 says, “Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.”
In the same way beholding this loving, all-powerful, all-knowing, gracious, righteous, perfect Prince of Peace changes us to become more loving, gracious, righteous, peaceful people. Conversely, worshipping idols causes us to become more like them. Psalm 115:4-8 speaks of this tragedy: “But their idols are silver and gold, made my human hands. They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see. They have ears, but cannot hear, noses, but cannot smell. They have hands, but cannot feel, feet, but cannot walk, nor can they utter a sound with their throats. Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them.”
It’s a scary reality to become like the person or thing you give your attention to. This is why we all need to ask the Lord to “turn our eyes away from worthless things” (Psalm 119:37) and to “fix our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.”
We become like the God we behold- and we must view Him rightly. It matters how you view God, because the way you view Him shapes how you experience Him. If there is a flaw in how you view Him, it’s not His fault. 1 John 1:5 says “God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all.” There is no imperfection, no sin, no darkness in God.
Read His Word and ask the Holy Spirit to give you a revelation of who He is.
Worship: How Beautiful - Mosaic
Prayer
Father, I come to You in Jesus’ mighty name. Help me to behold You more and more, to take the time to simply sit and observe Who You are, and why You have chosen me to carry Your name. Search me and reveal to me any ways I have wrongly viewed You. Replace my false perceptions of Your character with the Truth of Your perfection, majesty, and matchless nature. Cause my perception of You and all other sin to be corrected through the powerful work of Your Holy Spirit, and may my life be simplified and transformed through my beholding of You and Your Wonderful Word. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Further Study
2 Corinthians 3:1-18, Mark 4:3-20, John 1:29-37, Luke 10:17-24, 1 John 3:1-3
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