The primary work of the Holy Spirit is to transform us into the Image of Jesus Christ.
Transformation is a change of life form; it is a change from death into life. It describes the amazing way in which a caterpillar changes into a butterfly. The worm in the cocoon dies and breaks out of the shell a butterfly. Before it use to crawl, but now it lives in a different realm-it can fly.
It is the change of a tadpole into a frog. When a tadpole is transformed into a frog it can live in dual places on land and in water. The butterfly can live in dual places on land and in the air.
A tadpole can only live in the water. The caterpillar can only live on the land. Before we are transformed we can only live upon the earth.
Because we have a physical body, we can live upon the earth. Because of the work of Jesus upon the cross, the veil between heaven and earth has been torn, giving us access to the heavenly realm.
Through transformation we can begin to operate in the realms of heaven. When we learn how to be filled with the Spirit we can live in the realm of the spirit, the realm of God’s kingdom.
The transformation process involves a dying out to our identity as a descendant of the first Adam, and the receiving of a new identity in the second man.
We no longer live by our natural life force or self propulsion, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. But we live by the Spirit, the life flow of the uncreated eternal life of God.
Everything that we inherited in the first Adam dies. We literally lose our life (soul), everything that we use to live for becomes non-existent-(it is called losing our life in this world)-our natural life becomes no longer important. We overcome the world and everything in it; it no longer pulls us but loses its attraction. All the desires of our heart change.
The word of God becomes a new source of life, containing a new seed identity, our awareness of this identity begins to grow and replace everything that we have died out to.
Things in our heart that do not originate in the Spirit of God die, and the things in our heart that originate in the Spirit of God grow. Our spiritual growth depends upon our awareness of His Spirit and our focus or connection to Him.
15But even (until) unto this day (what has happened today), when (at which time,) Moses (outward law) is read (occurring now, to read-to hear the word), the veil (to hinder the knowledge of a thing, covering) is upon their heart.
Unless the Spirit of God opens up our understanding, unless He reveals Himself to us, we cannot understand His word, and we remain in a state of spiritual death.
16Nevertheless (but, on the contrary) when (of time) it shall turn (focus of heart) to the Lord, the veil (cover, the spirit of darkness upon the soul) shall be taken away (occurring now, to lift up and take away).
When our primary desire is to know Him, then God removes the veil that separates us from intimacy with Him.
17Now the Lord (master, owner) is that Spirit: and where (of place) the Spirit of the Lord is, there (the place where) is liberty (freedom, liberty from slavery or restraint).
It is in our awareness of the presence of the Lord, that we experience the freedom of the eternal life of His Spirit that is emitted-(to send or give out) – from His Presence.
18But we all, with open (to unveil) face (spiritual eye) beholding as in a glass (continuous action, to see reflected, released-sent out through his word or presence) the glory (what he essentially is and does) of the Lord, are changed (occurring now, 1-denoting change of place or condition 2-to form, to change into another form, to transform, it is a change of life form-from a natural form of life into a spiritual form of life)(transform- to change somebody completely, undergo total change, to convert from one form of energy to another) into the same image (not a mere likeness, more than a resemblance, a representation derived from the prototype) from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
As the Spirit of God opens up our spiritual eyes, His Spirit is transmitted (to send something, pass something on, from one person, or place to another) to us. As God reveals Himself to us, we partake of His Spirit, we experience His nature and life. As we are aware of His Spirit, we absorb the life force or energy of His Spirit. As long as we maintain this focus or contact, we are enabled to walk or live according to it.
The teaching that reaches our mind is not what changes us. The word we hear with our mind must get into our spirit. The word reaches our spirit through the revelation of the Holy Spirit. When the Lord reveals a word to our spirit, we can feel the Holy Spirit in it. When the word reaches our spirit, when it touches our spirit, it becomes alive in our spirit.
To the extent that our spiritual eyes or ears are open to the revelation of Christ, to that extent we will be instantly transformed and changed while we are hearing the Word. It is the infilling of the Spirit.
What we have to learn is how to be continually filled with the Spirit, so that the transformation we experience becomes something we can walk in and continually experience.
Just meditating upon the word, will not bring forth fruit; we have to meditate upon it until the Holy Spirit reveals it to us. In the revelation there is an impartation of the Spirit. When the Lord reveals the word we experience God in that word. It is what our spirit absorbs, that we can walk in. And when we learn how to walk in that word, it is written upon our heart, because that becomes the way we respond. It is only what we absorb that we walk in.
When we hear a word in the Spirit, we are moved in our heart. We may not be able to consciously remember it, but a deposit of God was made within our heart, and the Holy Spirit is able to bring that word to our remembrance.
By the Holy Spirit we will be enabled to live by that word. As we learn how to live by each living word we hear, an accumulation of God is built up in us. This is how we grow in the Spirit. The more open our heart is to the word we hear, the more it changes us and transforms us.
We are to love the Lord with all our heart, and it is in this intensity that our growth is accelerated.
We are not to be a separate entity from the Lord; we are being transformed into the same image, from glory to glory. Jesus is being reproduced in us.