The Ohio Independent Baptist, March 1961

• I~ ur ·111 r )T t l() 1 1) 1 1} 1 1 T 1 N 1· 111\J>'T I~ f ~f .1r<.: h, 19<'il - • _p1r1tua • rans orm.at1on t ).\\11, ,, t> tc.l, i11 11 C)r. '3. 18 ll}.\\ 1 t l ' l)ll ,t c.l l 'l t'<.I :\ lll,\\lt'l l)lCCl' {) ll tl1<:'•• l1l Jc.'t't c.)f , ' 1111 itttal l,1.111sfor111 ,1- tic. ll . ] l l' ~.,, ~ ...l~\lt \\ t' .. 111 \\ itl1 0 11 11 t .tt t" l t'l1 )l l111g .1s 111 ,l gl,lss tl1 glor) t t tl1..:· l "'tlttl .• ttL' ·l1~111g )cl 111tc) tl1c · <l111 1111.tgt' f r<.)111 glc11, l <.) gltlr) , c, 11 a · l ~ t l1t 1111 it f t l1t' Lord... \ \ · c111der– f l 1l \\ (.)I<.l .' ,lll' tll , l 111(1C Cl, for l}l ) r ~1re tl1t' lt~, ,, l1icl1 op 11. ,1 clc)or of ,11iritt1,ll trt1tl1. ·1·11 re i. r , , ,11 d t l1rot1gl1 tl11, op 11 (loor f i , ·e i111porta11t 1 ': ' <.)ll • IT I i\. , . IL BLE TO LL Fir. t. piritt1al, b·,111 for1nation i a, ,1il.1ble to clll . Ollf te ~t a) 1 S ' ,ve all.. e11ter tl1i gloriou experience. ....ote~ it doe 11ot U}' ",,,e apo tle " or ··,, e teacl1er ," bt1t ",,,e all"- ALL .HRI TIAi\ alike. Oh thi glorious go pel ,,~hich open hea\·en t o all ,vho are k110,,n of Him! "I am the good l1epherd, and kno,\' ID)' beep , and an1 kno,vn of mine' (John 10: 14 ). Let tl ne\·er forget tha t pi.rituality i not li1nited to ome eccle ia tical elect , but to all "vho lo,,e and are called b}· His Name. IT I PROGRES IVE In the econd place let us observe that spiritual tran formation is p ro– gres i,·e in nature. Paul describes it a being "changed into the same image from glof)' to glory." This certainly pre- uppo es a step upon tep de,:elopment in our Christian gro\,-th. A ,ve ,,,aJk dail y \x.,ith the Lord, that is ",\ 1 ell pleasing," we are bound to become more like him; for contact ,,11th Christ, communion ,,·ith Chri t , tran figures a life every ti1ne. By perceiving \i\:e become like Him. b)' piritual kr10,vledge of Him • ,,·e gro,,~1n grace. "It is a peculiar thi11g," said an em– balmer as he tood b\' a \\ 1 oman's cas- ,, ket, but it i n't neces ary to tell me he ,, as a Christian. I al\\.·ays kno,v as soon as I see a body: the glor)' lea\ e its tamp on the face." IT I . l 'fE I_'f CHRI T-LIKENES Thirdl} 1 • pirih1al b·an formation i ues i11 an t1ltimate Chri t-likenes . Our dail) 1 \\ 1 alk \\·ith the Lord Jesus Christ lead to the ame image a the Lord. Christian, \\'e are no\\ tread– ing on hol}· ground; but belie,·e it, our final destinv is to be like the Lord " J e us Christ "Beloved, now are \\·e the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear \vhat \Ve shall be: 11\tt ,, k11c>,, tl1.1t , ,, 11<.· 11 }1e sl1all ,l l)l)C,l t". ,, ' sl1all 1 ik<." 11 im; for ,, c sl1~1ll . cc l1i111 ,1 1 i " ( I J 01111 ·3: 2 ) . e l tis r 111e1n bcr tl1at tn1 .hris ti ,111 gro\,,tl1 is 11(> t co11c rn cl ,, itl1 tl1 l}'l) of Xl) ri 11c th .1t co111 s. It is l1cs i11 co11for1nity to tl1e ,1 \·iot1r-c1 pr cl b)' tl1e p o t: • ' 'O Master it i good to be Entranced, enwrapt, alone with Thee Till we, too , change from grace to grace, Gazing on that b·ansfigured face." IT IS THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT Fourthly, spiritual transformation is the work of the Holy Spirit. Won– derful thought is it 11ot that the change "into the same image from glory to glory" is wrought by the Spirit, ,vho is himself Deity, i God? ttFor it is God ,vhich worketh in you both to vvill and to do of his good pleasure (Phil. 2: 13 ) . - Ju t remember belo ed, that this is not only a p ast act of faith , but is a promise of God for the present , and for the future; for "God worketh in you," changing you from "glory to glory, eve11 a by the Spirit of the Lord. ' ' In chapter one, ver e six, Paul make this doubly sure, for h e says to the Philippian Christian , "being confident of this very thing, that h e \vhich ha th begun a good ,vork in you ,vill perform it until the day of Jesus Christ." IT COMES FROM HO EST LOOK! G Finally, spiritual transformation c·c)1t1es fro1n a11 l1c>11 ·s t lc)c)ki11g j11 l<> L}1 • \Vc)r<l c>f (;ocl . II lh,1 l 1>,1111 s >( s tt11 c.l cle c· rilJes comes ,t~ tl1 1( !-tt1lt c>f look– ing i11to the mirror c>f (;ocl's hol>' Word, ,111d tl1at looki11g is \\ itl1 "~111 op n face:· or ~1 l)elievi11g 11ea rt-( h art , hich 1nakes no atte1npt a t d ception, a heart that "b lie e th ,111tc> righ teousn ss." The Apo tie Paul is thinki11g of the life that maintains ho11esty before God. Such was the life of this saint of God for he dared to say: "I have fought a good fight , I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Hence– £ orth there is laid up for me a crowi1 of righteousness , which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his ap– pearing" ( II Tim. 4: 7, 8 ) . My brothers and sisters, we all need this five point spiritual trans– formation; and God's Spirit alone is able to bring it about in ow~ lives– and will, if we faithfully gaze into the Word and appropriate that Word in our daily walk with Him. "Be– holding in a mirror the glory of the Lord," we are being transfigured ' 'into the same image." This is the will of God for each of you. "My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you" (Gal. 4: 19 ) . "Show me Thy face my faith and love Shall henceforth fixed be, And nothing here have po,ver t0- move My soul's serenity. My life shall seem a trance, a dream, And all I feel and see Illusive, visionary-Thou The one reality!" ·----------------------------· THE CHILDREN'S GOSPEL HOUR ow on WEWS-TV, ch. 5, Cleveland, Ohio 9: 30 A .M. on aturdays Junior Choirs-Bible Quiz Bible rories Station WSPD-TV, Ch. 13, Toledo, 8 :00 a.m., undays WATCH and PRAY and TELL YOUR FRIENDS THE CHILDREN'S GOSPEL HOUR, INC. Henry C. Geiger, Director Livingston, Tenn. ·-----------------------------· •