2 Cor. 3:18 But we all with unveiled face, beholding and reflecting like a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord Spirit
Rom. 8:29-30 …Those whom He foreknew, He also predestinated to be conformed to the image of His Son…those whom He justified, these He also glorified
As God-men, we also have the divine right to participate in God’s image… [“The same image” in 2 Corinthians 3:18] is the image of the resurrected and glorified Christ. In God’s creation man was made in God’s image in an outward way, but the image into which we are being transformed is something inward. To be transformed into the same image is to be conformed to the resurrected and glorified Christ, as the firstborn Son of God, to be made the same as He is (Rom. 8:29)
The metabolism involved in transformation is comparable to that which takes place in our physical body after we eat, digest, and assimilate food… We Christians, who are God-men, all have the Lord Spirit within us, and the Lord Spirit is in the process of carrying out a metabolic change in our being, transforming us into the image of Christ. To be metabolically transformed into the image of the resurrected and glorified Christ is to participate in God’s image
(CWWL, 1994-1997, vol. 4, “Incarnation, Inclusion, and Intensification,” p. 216)
Today’s Reading
Eventually, we will be brought into God’s glory to participate in His glory
Hebrews 2:10 says that God is leading many sons into glory. Paul refers to this in Romans 8:30: “Those whom He predestinated, these He also called; and those whom He called, these He also justified; and those whom He justified, these He also glorified.” Glorification is the step in God’s complete salvation in which God will completely saturate our body with the glory of His life and nature. In this way He will transfigure our body, conforming it to the resurrected, glorious body of His Son (Phil. 3:21). This is the ultimate step in God’s organic salvation, wherein God obtains a full expression, which will be manifested ultimately in the New Jerusalem. (CWWL, 1994-1997, vol
4, “Incarnation, Inclusion, and Intensification,” pp. 216-217) [A] marvelous attribute of God is glory. Acts 7:2 says, “The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham.” Acts 7:55 says, “He [Stephen] looked intently into heaven and saw the glory of God.” Glory is the expression of God, God expressed in splendor. God’s glory was a great attraction to Abraham, separating him from the world unto God. God’s glory was also a great encouragement and strength, enabling Abraham to follow God (Gen
12:1, 4)
Second Peter 1:3 says that God has called us to, or by, His own glory
Furthermore, 1 Peter 5:10 says that God has called us into His eternal glory
According to 2 Timothy 2:10, God’s salvation is with eternal glory. This indicates that eternal glory is the ultimate goal of God’s salvation (Rom. 8:21)
God’s salvation leads us into His glory (Heb. 2:10)
We have been ordained for God’s glory and called to it (1 Cor. 2:7; 1 Thes
2:12). As believers, we are being transformed into this glory (2 Cor. 3:18) and shall be brought into it (Heb. 2:10). Eventually, we shall be glorified with Christ (Rom. 8:17, 30) to bear the glory of God for God’s expression in the New Jerusalem. God created us as His vessels to contain Him and express Him [Rom. 9:23]. God makes known the riches of His glory upon us, His vessels, which He has prepared unto glory. We were predestinated by His sovereignty to be His containers, vessels of honor, to express what He is in glory. This will be fully revealed in the New Jerusalem. An outstanding feature of the New Jerusalem is that it has the glory of God (Rev. 21:11), His expression. The entire city of New Jerusalem will bear the glory of God, which is God Himself shining out through the city. (The Conclusion of the New Testament, pp. 111-112)