An apple tree bears apples. In the same way we bear the fruit of who we are. The change in our identity and person has already taken place, but the expression of the change is the outward transformation that people see. We move from faith to faith as we behold Him, and the new man breaks forth and manifests to the world to bring glory and honor to Jesus’s name.
What does it mean to behold Jesus? We know that Jesus isn’t here in flesh and blood for us to look at, so what was Paul saying when he said that we would be transformed into His image from glory to glory by beholding Him? He was talking about something very spiritual – about how inside of us we can rest, and we can behold Him in our inner man.
…while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:18)1
The visible realm is the natural realm. The invisible realm is the eternal realm. If we just look at the natural realm with our natural eyes, we will live in constant limitation based on the knowledge of good and evil. Do this and good will come. Do that and evil will come. We must “see” with the spiritual eyes and the spiritual mind that we were given in the new birth. The most important thing in walking in the Spirit is awareness of the unseen realm. For example, we could have $1,000,000 in the bank, but not be aware of it, and it does us no good.
We are not trying to BE someone. We are beholding to KNOW Someone. And when we know Him, we will find out who we are in Him. We’re not doing to be. We see that we already ARE, and we find ourselves doing.
This might seem weak to us. We might think, “What in the world is THAT going to do?” The flesh is always geared towards right and wrong. “Just give me the ten steps to reach the goal, and I’ll do it.” We need to realize we are at the goal!
(from pages 163-164 of Unveiling Jesus)
Want more from Tricia Gunn? Check out excerpts from the Unveiling Jesus 20-part series!
Unveiling Jesus, by Tricia Gunn, is a verse by verse study of the pure gospel of grace. It’s an amazing journey of love, identity, and freedom in Christ.
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1Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.
