OCTOBER 31 False Hoods 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.—2 Corinthians 3:18 THE CHILDREN who ring your doorbell on Halloween, masquerading as clowns and pirates, are not really clowns and pirates, of course. They’re only pretending to be. They’re wearing a mask or costume that makes them appear to be something much different from the person underneath. But don’t we do the same thing ourselves? Far too often? We go around masquerading as “good Christians” when the truth is, inwardly we are not like Christ at all but rather are lazy, selfish, bitter, angry. We put on our smiles and spiritualized talk, hoping everybody sees us as the person we present ourselves to be. If what we really want, however, is not just to masquerade as a godly person but to truly be like Christ, then we must start at the only place this transformation can occur—face-to-face with Jesus, gazing upon Him, exposing ourselves to the unfiltered light of His truth, the authority of His voice, and the power of His Word. Keeping our eyes steadily upon Him, enabled by the power of His indwelling Spirit, we soon begin to think as He thinks, to love as He loves, to obey as He Himself obeyed the will of His Father. To be like Him. Inside and out. Do you want to be a gracious, kind, and loving person? Do you want to be more authentic, less prone to deception and compromise, confident in times of uncertainty and change? You can be, but not by taking shortcuts and not by fixing your attention on earthly things. You will be (1 John 3:2), but not without letting “the face of Jesus Christ” burn His image into your innermost being. Are there areas of your life where you are masquerading as a godly person, masking what’s really inside? How could you more consciously and consistently fix your eyes on Christ, and how would that gaze change you into His likeness? DeMoss, Nancy Leigh The Quiet Place
Posted on: Thu, 31 Oct 2013 09:49:41 +0000