BEHOLDING THE SON: THE TRANSFORMING GLORY OF GOD IN CHRIST
Orientation
Many assume God's glory is distant and terrifying, leaving us unable to approach or be changed by Him.
- God's glory was once hidden and inaccessible, as Moses could not see His face and live.
- This created distance, with the law offering only ritual and reminder, not transformation.
- The human problem is not just sin, but an inability to behold and relate to God directly.
And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live. (Exodus 33:20)
— Exodus 33:20
Clarification
Transformation does not come through law-keeping or self-improvement, which only produce external conformity.
- Relying on personal effort or religious striving keeps us veiled from God's true glory.
- The law could not impart life or internal change; it was a shadow pointing to Christ.
- Any path of self-reliance abandons the substance of grace for shadows.
But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. (2 Corinthians 3:18)
— 2 Corinthians 3:18
Structure
God's glory is now fully revealed and accessible in the human face of Jesus Christ, the true Holy of Holies.
- The Word became flesh; beholding Christ is beholding the Father's glory in an approachable form.
- Christ, through His sacrificial blood, is the meeting place where we boldly enter God's presence.
- The Spirit transforms us internally as we behold Christ, changing us from glory to glory.
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. (John 1:14)
— John 1:14
Weight-Bearing Prose
The incarnation is the definitive revelation. Christ is the ‘express image’ of God’s person (Hebrews 1:3), the radiance of His glory made tangible. The Old Testament tabernacle was a shadow; Christ is the true Holy of Holies (Hebrews 10:19-20). His flesh is the veil we enter through. This is not improved access but abolished distance—a finished work. The Pauline category is clear: transformation is by beholding, not by doing. The law produced death and condemnation (2 Corinthians 3:7-9); the Spirit gives life and change. The object is Christ Himself. The means is the Spirit. The result is conformity to His image. This is the impartation of Christ’s life and nature—grace incarnate. To approach Scripture as a manual for moral improvement is to remain veiled (2 Corinthians 3:16). It must be approached as the revelation of the Son, where faith removes the veil and enables true beholding. The counter-position—transformation by law-keeping or self-effort—is a rejection of Christ’s sufficiency and a return to shadows.
Integration
This transformation is God’s work, not yours. You are changed as you behold Christ, receiving ‘grace upon grace’ (John 1:16). The Spirit seals you and conforms you. There is no pressure to advance or improve yourself. Your assurance rests in Christ’s finished work, which made God approachable. He is your meeting place. Your gaze upon Him is itself the Spirit’s operation. This is a landing place of rest, not a challenge for effort. Christ is your sanctification, your righteousness, your all. The glory that once threatened now welcomes and sustains you. You are being changed from glory to glory, anchored in the Person who is Grace.