The Initiation and Perfection of Our Faith

"God made man because He loves stories."
-Elie Wiesel, The Gates of the Forest

Recently, I've been thinking a lot about transformation. Today, I read 2 Corinthians 3:16-18, which says, "Whenever, though, they turn to face God as Moses did, God removes the veil and there they are—face-to-face! They suddenly recognize that God is a living, personal presence, not a piece of chiseled stone. And when God is personally present, a living Spirit, that old, constricting legislation is recognized as obsolete. We're free of it! All of us! Nothing between us and God, our faces shining with the brightness of his face. And so we are transfigured much like the Messiah, our lives gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like him" (The Message). Transformation is a beautiful, beautiful thing. And it's one of the coolest things about being a Christian/watching people become Christians. Each person has a story about their relationship with the Lord. Each story is unique, yet the plot line is the same. Someone starts out with their back turned on God. He or she is a citizen of a mundane and broken world. And then God steps in and melts down walls. He "removes the veil" from his or her face. And then one recognizes that God is a living Spirit who loves loves LOVES this person more than anyone could ever imagine. And that person dies. He gets crucified with Christ and buried and raised to LIFE. Chains are broken and someone is set free and there is GREAT rejoicing in Heaven. But that's just the beginning of the story. Transformation is the next part of the book. And it can take years. But it's awesome and in it, we find life because we were created to be changed. John Ortberg says, "Transformation is not some piece of optional equipment-it is Gods desire for your life. If you miss out on it, you will miss out on what you were made for." We are wired for starting over. I read somewhere that "God loves to purge the old and make us new. He is full of forgiveness, second chances, and clean slates. He continually transforms us into His image and is always ready to begin our head-to-toe, inside-out spiritual makeover." Every single day, God tenderizes our hearts. He shapes them and molds them and gradually, oh so gradually, we start to look more like Him. And finally, we are changed into His glorious image (2 Cor. 3:18).

This is our story.
God loves stories.