“But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” (2Cor 3:18).

   God’s ultimate plan for you, who have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus, is that you will be conformed to the image of His Son : “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.” (Rom 8:29). This is because Jesus is everything that pleases God. Therefore, God wants you to be one of His brethren, among whom He is the firstborn. Hebrews chapter 1:3 says of Jesus,  “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.” The expression of this ultimate vision God has for you is summed up in the following text : “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” (Gal 2:20).
  However, it is important to note that, though the new birth is an  instantaneous experience (2Cor 5:17), being conformed to the image of Christ is a  progressive one, which happens gradually over a lifetime. This is an experience by which you can testify with Paul the apostle that you live by faith in the Son of God  (Gal 2:20). It is to this process that Romans 12:2 refers when it says, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”  Philippians 1:6 is another Scripture that refers to the same concept, and reads, “being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ; ” It is worth emphasizing that being transformed into the image of Jesus Christ is a continuous exercise, that lasts for as long as you are alive on earth.
   The Holy Spirit is the person of the Godhead who performs this work of sanctification in us. It is impossible for anyone to be transformed into the image of Christ, without the power of the Holy Spirit. Just as God made it clear to Zerubbabel, He still tells us that it is not by might or by power, but by His Spirit (Zech 4:6). Our efforts, if not inspired by the Holy Spirit, will not conform us to the image of Christ any more than a leopard can change its spots by making concerted efforts. This is why Paul the apostle emphasizes the necessity of communion with the Holy Spirit : “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen” (2Cor 13:14). It is as you commune with the Holy Spirit, that He reveals the love of God to you. This revelation, in turn, prompts you to reciprocate God’s love. As the Bible puts it, “We love Him because He first loved us.” (1Jn 4:19). We can know neither the love of God nor the grace of our Lord Jesus without communion or fellowship with the Holy Spirit.
   There is an interesting incident in the Bible which involves Jesus and His disciples at sea. At some point on their journey, the violence of the elements threatened to capsize their boat. The disciples were afraid and woke Jesus up. Jesus rebuked  the winds and the sea and there was great calm (Matt 8:26).  Amazed, His disciples asked, “…  “Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”” (Matt 8:27). In an alternate translation, their response is rendered thus : “The men were amazed and asked, “WHAT KIND OF MAN IS THIS? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”” (Matt 8:27 NIV) (emphasis mine). Thankfully, the disciples acknowledged that Jesus had performed that miracle as a man. However, they failed to realise He was the kind of man that  God wants all His children to be, and that an important part of His mission on earth was to model God’s standard for mankind. Shalom.