God wants to make me new?

God wants to make me new. “And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory,” That sounds pretty crazy. I want to laugh, like Sarah laughed. My mediocrity is way too tall and imposing. A solid wall rising up to heaven, like the wall of Jericho, like the Berlin wall. But those walls came down. Can I live in hope that this wall will come down?

After writing this, I still feel the unnerving sense of uncertainty between two worlds, what I know and what might be. Who am I? Reluctant to change because I’m afraid?

Scripture talks about transformation as though it is finished, a done deal. But it also says over and over again that newness is an attitude we have to take up, a calculation we have to make, something we need faith for (and faith implies something we don’t see yet). And this seeming paradox makes sense, it is how God’s promises often work. He makes a promise, so we can be assured that He will do it, that is the finished aspect. But he makes a promise because the time has not yet come to do what he promised. That is the waiting in faith without seeing aspect.

Some of the promises of newness

Jeremiah 31:31-34: God will write the law on our hearts, we will all know him, and won’t need to be taught to know him. (Jeremiah wrote this as a future promise, but Jesus brought the New Covenant).

Romans 6:2-4: In Christ’s death we died to sin, and rose again to new life.

2 Corinthians 5:17: Anyone in Christ is a new creation

2 Corinthians 3:18: We all reflect the Lord’s glory and are being transformed into his likeness.

Gal 2:20: I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live but Christ lives in me.

Some of the reminders that newness takes time.

Rom 12:1-3: present yourselves as living sacrifices, do not conform but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

Romans 6:11: Consider (calculate) yourselves as dead to sin and alive to God.

2 Corinthians 5:2: We groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling

Gal 2:20b: “The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God,” If it is by faith, it is not by sight.