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In a couple of recent posts, we’ve looked at Gospel transformation that comes by beholding and putting on the beautiful wardrobe of Jesus Christ. To me, the end goal of Gospel transformation can be intimidating and at times disheartening. God doesn’t water down His expectations: “Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy.” (Leviticus 19:2) “But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’” (1 Peter 1:15–16) Ultimately, we are aiming to manifest Christ likeness.

When I was going through a time of personal spiritual reformation as an adult, the Holy Spirit was intensely teaching me out of the Word and through the sermons and writings of many spiritual ancestors. My eyes were opening more and more with each turn of the page. It was coming so fast, at times, I was scared I was losing track of His teaching.

True Gospel transformation always, 100% of the time, comes from beholding the beauty of Jesus Christ as revealed by the Word and the Holy Spirit. There are many other kinds of transient, temporal, humanistically driven transformation that can resemble a gospel transformation, but each variant ultimately shows itself a very weak substitute for the real thing – putting on the Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 13:14; Galatians 3:27.

There is such unbelievably great transformational power in the simple act of beholding Jesus, and yet I often take so little time to simply meditate on Him. 2 Corinthians 3:18 describes this transformational power plainly: “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.” There is a divine cause and effect, a heavenly means to a perfect end. Beholding the self-emptying, sacrificial love of Christ transforms us, by the Spirit, into loving people, reflecting His glory.

A connection that has become more and more clear to me is the link between humility and peace, or alternatively, between pride and anxiety. It’s not a necessarily intuitive link. Often, we think of anxiety as a weakness and pride as accompanied by self-confidence, and so we view them as opposites. However, it is the pride of self-sufficiency that leads to anxiety.