Title
BEHOLD 看哪
Date
11/02/2025
Description
2 Corinthians 3:18: 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.
歌 林 多 後 書 3:18: 我们的脸不被蒙上。我们都显示了主的荣耀。我们都变得像他一样，在我们中的这种变化会带来了越来越多的荣耀。这荣耀来自主，即圣灵。(page 1873)
John 1:29: The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
约翰福音 1:29: 次日，约翰看见耶稣来到他那里，就说：
“看哪，神的羔羊，除去[a]世人罪孽的！ (page 1717)
Galatians 2:20: 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.
加 拉 太 書 2:20: 所以，现在活在我体内的不再是我本人，
而是基督。我凭信仰生活在上帝之子之中，他爱我，并为我牺牲了自己。(page 1887)
2 Tim 2:22: Whatever builds up your faith and deepens your love must become your holy pursuit.
提摩太后书 2:22: 你要逃避少年的私欲，同那清心祷告主的人追求公义、信德、仁爱、和平。(page 1931)
2 Corinthians 5:21: God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
哥林多后书 5:21: 神使那无罪[a]的替我们成为罪，好叫我们在他里面成为神的义。(page 1875)
Zechariah 4:6: Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.
撒迦利亚书 4:6: 万军之耶和华说，‘不靠权势，不靠才能，乃靠我的灵。(page 1539)
歌 林 多 後 書 3:18: 我们的脸不被蒙上。我们都显示了主的荣耀。我们都变得像他一样，在我们中的这种变化会带来了越来越多的荣耀。这荣耀来自主，即圣灵。(page 1873)
John 1:29: The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
约翰福音 1:29: 次日，约翰看见耶稣来到他那里，就说：
“看哪，神的羔羊，除去[a]世人罪孽的！ (page 1717)
Galatians 2:20: 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.
加 拉 太 書 2:20: 所以，现在活在我体内的不再是我本人，
而是基督。我凭信仰生活在上帝之子之中，他爱我，并为我牺牲了自己。(page 1887)
2 Tim 2:22: Whatever builds up your faith and deepens your love must become your holy pursuit.
提摩太后书 2:22: 你要逃避少年的私欲，同那清心祷告主的人追求公义、信德、仁爱、和平。(page 1931)
2 Corinthians 5:21: God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
哥林多后书 5:21: 神使那无罪[a]的替我们成为罪，好叫我们在他里面成为神的义。(page 1875)
Zechariah 4:6: Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.
撒迦利亚书 4:6: 万军之耶和华说，‘不靠权势，不靠才能，乃靠我的灵。(page 1539)
Creator
Pastor: Mike Koger
Contributor
Hillside United Methodist Church
3737 US 80
Phenix City AL 36870
United States
3737 US 80
Phenix City AL 36870
United States
Transcription
“Changed by Beholding—Not by Trying”
2 Corinthians 3:18
Triggers. Pushing my buttons. 2025: Am I being changed?
“How can I change the world if I can’t change myself?”
Good morning, church. (ever had to do a book report?)
I want to talk with you today about a powerful book written many years ago — and a truth that has changed my walk with God.
The book is called “Changed Into His Likeness”
It’s the simple but powerful idea that we are not changed by striving…
…we are changed by beholding.
The author didn’t just believe these words he shared – he gave his life for them.
to “behold” To look at or see with attention - to regard or contemplate something.
John 1:29: John the Baptist sees Jesus and proclaims, "Behold the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world".
By identifying Jesus as the Lamb of God, John is identifying him as the ultimate sacrifice sent by God to pay for the sins of the world, bringing redemption
We must all behold Him – as our Savior, Healer, Provider, and Redeemer.
2 Cor 3:18: “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.”
If we have “un-veiled faces,” that must mean The Veil Has Been Lifted
Under the old covenant, a veil covered people’s hearts.
They saw God through the lens of their own effort …and their own failures.
But today, as Paul says, “We all — with unveiled face — behold the glory of the Lord.”
That means when Jesus died on that cross and the veil of the temple was torn in two, God was saying: “The striving is over. The way is open. Stop trying to become what only My Grace can make you.”
Some of us have been trying so hard to change ourselves. (Amen?)
Trying to be more patient, more loving, more spiritual.
Grace doesn’t say “try harder” — grace says “look closer.”
Look to Jesus. (as Christians, we should always point people in one direction – to Jesus)
Heb 12:2: Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from beginning to end.
When you look at yourself, (honestly) you may feel condemned.
When you look at Jesus, you’ll feel transformed.
We are changed into His likeness as we behold Him.
Galatians 2:20 says, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.”
The author calls this the secret of the Christian life: “God’s means of deliverance from sin is not to strengthen our old self, but to replace it with Christ”
You see, God’s not trying to improve your flesh.
He’s given you a new spirit — His Spirit.
He doesn’t want a better “you.” He wants a Christ-in-you.
Let’s say that together: “It’s no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.”
That means when you wake up in the morning, you can say,
“Jesus, Live through me today. Love through me. Think through me.
Speak through me.”
And as you do, by His grace, you’ll find that you’re becoming more and more like Him — not by effort, but by overflow
“we all become like mirrors who brightly reflect the glory of the Lord Jesus.”
Now listen carefully — this is the heart of this message and the heart of grace itself.
We are changed into His likeness as we behold Him.
When we spend time in His Word — not to get points, not to perform, but just to see Him revealed — we’re actually being transformed.
We may not always be aware of it, but the Spirit is doing a quiet miracle inside of us.
Jesus said (John 6:63) “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.”
“His Word is working mightily in me.”
It’s like standing in the sunlight. You don’t have to try to get warm — you just stay there long enough, and the warmth finds you.
Moses’ face shone because he beheld the Lord on the mountain.
We stay in His Presence — and it will begin to shine from our lives.
Now, grace does not mean laziness.
It means learning the rhythm of Heaven: rest comes before results.
…the “the unforced rhythms of grace” mentioned in Matt 11
When you know you’ve been made righteous, you’ll start living righteously.
When you know you’re forgiven, you’ll start forgiving more easily.
When you know that you’re loved, you’ll start loving more freely.
That’s the “from glory to glory” life Paul talked about.
Stop measuring your progress by your performance.
Start measuring it by your posture —
Are you resting in Him? Are you beholding Him?
Because that’s where the Spirit does His best work.
2 Corinthians 3:18 ends by saying, “…just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”
Zechariah 4:6: It’s “not by might, not by power, but by His Spirit.”
Growth comes through spiritual disciple. The key word there is spiritual
Time in God’s Presence.
It involves deliberate effort, but the more importantly it requires surrender.
You and I can’t make ourselves more like Jesus — but the Holy Spirit can, and He’s already at work in you.
Every time you turn your heart toward Jesus…
Every time you worship when it’s hard…
Every time you choose to believe you’re loved instead of condemned…
He’s shaping you into the image of the Son.
That’s the miracle of grace.
Every time the enemy brings accusations before God, the blood of Jesus speaks louder. It declares you forgiven, redeemed, and justified. The cross already settled your case — your past has no legal right to condemn your future.
The accuser may bring up your record, but the blood of the Lamb erased every charge and stamped your life “Paid in Full.”
Start your day with identity. Before your feet hit the floor, whisper:
“I am the righteousness of God in Christ.” Say it until your heart believes it.
Feed on His Word of grace.
Don’t just read His Word for information — read for revelation.
Ask, “Jesus, where are You in this passage?”
Look to Jesus, not to yourself.
When you fail — and you will sometimes — don’t turn inward in shame.
Turn upward in faith.
The same Jesus who saved you is still the One who sanctifies you.
Rest in His love.
Grace is not a push; it’s a pull.
Let His love pull you into the kind of life you were made to live.
2 Tim 2:22: Whatever builds up your faith and deepens your love must become your holy pursuit.
And if you’ll just keep beholding Jesus, one day soon you’ll step out radiant, renewed,
changed into His likeness — from glory to glory.
Let’s pray together.
“Lord Jesus, thank You that transformation isn’t my burden — it’s Your promise.
Thank You that as I behold You, I am changed into Your likeness.
Not by my effort, but by Your Spirit. Not by the law, but by grace.
Today I rest in Your finished work, and I receive Your life in me.
In Jesus’ Name — Amen.”
Now, say this with me:
“I am changed — because I behold Jesus.
I am free — because the veil is gone.
I am loved — because of His grace.
And I am being transformed — from glory to glory!”
Church, this week, don’t strive to become. Behold who you already are in Him.
…And you’ll find His likeness shining through your life more than ever before.
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones: "Salvation isn't merely about forgiveness, but about being "conformed to the image of his son"
Romans 8:29: God knew from the beginning who would put their trust in Him. So He chose them and made them to be like His Son.
What does it mean to reflect the glory of God?
It means to be conformed to the image of God.
It means to turn away from oneself and trust wholly in Christ.
We are changed into His likeness as we behold Him.
Heb 12:2: Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from beginning to end.
2 Corinthians 3:18
Triggers. Pushing my buttons. 2025: Am I being changed?
“How can I change the world if I can’t change myself?”
Good morning, church. (ever had to do a book report?)
I want to talk with you today about a powerful book written many years ago — and a truth that has changed my walk with God.
The book is called “Changed Into His Likeness”
It’s the simple but powerful idea that we are not changed by striving…
…we are changed by beholding.
The author didn’t just believe these words he shared – he gave his life for them.
to “behold” To look at or see with attention - to regard or contemplate something.
John 1:29: John the Baptist sees Jesus and proclaims, "Behold the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world".
By identifying Jesus as the Lamb of God, John is identifying him as the ultimate sacrifice sent by God to pay for the sins of the world, bringing redemption
We must all behold Him – as our Savior, Healer, Provider, and Redeemer.
2 Cor 3:18: “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.”
If we have “un-veiled faces,” that must mean The Veil Has Been Lifted
Under the old covenant, a veil covered people’s hearts.
They saw God through the lens of their own effort …and their own failures.
But today, as Paul says, “We all — with unveiled face — behold the glory of the Lord.”
That means when Jesus died on that cross and the veil of the temple was torn in two, God was saying: “The striving is over. The way is open. Stop trying to become what only My Grace can make you.”
Some of us have been trying so hard to change ourselves. (Amen?)
Trying to be more patient, more loving, more spiritual.
Grace doesn’t say “try harder” — grace says “look closer.”
Look to Jesus. (as Christians, we should always point people in one direction – to Jesus)
Heb 12:2: Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from beginning to end.
When you look at yourself, (honestly) you may feel condemned.
When you look at Jesus, you’ll feel transformed.
We are changed into His likeness as we behold Him.
Galatians 2:20 says, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.”
The author calls this the secret of the Christian life: “God’s means of deliverance from sin is not to strengthen our old self, but to replace it with Christ”
You see, God’s not trying to improve your flesh.
He’s given you a new spirit — His Spirit.
He doesn’t want a better “you.” He wants a Christ-in-you.
Let’s say that together: “It’s no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.”
That means when you wake up in the morning, you can say,
“Jesus, Live through me today. Love through me. Think through me.
Speak through me.”
And as you do, by His grace, you’ll find that you’re becoming more and more like Him — not by effort, but by overflow
“we all become like mirrors who brightly reflect the glory of the Lord Jesus.”
Now listen carefully — this is the heart of this message and the heart of grace itself.
We are changed into His likeness as we behold Him.
When we spend time in His Word — not to get points, not to perform, but just to see Him revealed — we’re actually being transformed.
We may not always be aware of it, but the Spirit is doing a quiet miracle inside of us.
Jesus said (John 6:63) “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.”
“His Word is working mightily in me.”
It’s like standing in the sunlight. You don’t have to try to get warm — you just stay there long enough, and the warmth finds you.
Moses’ face shone because he beheld the Lord on the mountain.
We stay in His Presence — and it will begin to shine from our lives.
Now, grace does not mean laziness.
It means learning the rhythm of Heaven: rest comes before results.
…the “the unforced rhythms of grace” mentioned in Matt 11
When you know you’ve been made righteous, you’ll start living righteously.
When you know you’re forgiven, you’ll start forgiving more easily.
When you know that you’re loved, you’ll start loving more freely.
That’s the “from glory to glory” life Paul talked about.
Stop measuring your progress by your performance.
Start measuring it by your posture —
Are you resting in Him? Are you beholding Him?
Because that’s where the Spirit does His best work.
2 Corinthians 3:18 ends by saying, “…just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”
Zechariah 4:6: It’s “not by might, not by power, but by His Spirit.”
Growth comes through spiritual disciple. The key word there is spiritual
Time in God’s Presence.
It involves deliberate effort, but the more importantly it requires surrender.
You and I can’t make ourselves more like Jesus — but the Holy Spirit can, and He’s already at work in you.
Every time you turn your heart toward Jesus…
Every time you worship when it’s hard…
Every time you choose to believe you’re loved instead of condemned…
He’s shaping you into the image of the Son.
That’s the miracle of grace.
Every time the enemy brings accusations before God, the blood of Jesus speaks louder. It declares you forgiven, redeemed, and justified. The cross already settled your case — your past has no legal right to condemn your future.
The accuser may bring up your record, but the blood of the Lamb erased every charge and stamped your life “Paid in Full.”
Start your day with identity. Before your feet hit the floor, whisper:
“I am the righteousness of God in Christ.” Say it until your heart believes it.
Feed on His Word of grace.
Don’t just read His Word for information — read for revelation.
Ask, “Jesus, where are You in this passage?”
Look to Jesus, not to yourself.
When you fail — and you will sometimes — don’t turn inward in shame.
Turn upward in faith.
The same Jesus who saved you is still the One who sanctifies you.
Rest in His love.
Grace is not a push; it’s a pull.
Let His love pull you into the kind of life you were made to live.
2 Tim 2:22: Whatever builds up your faith and deepens your love must become your holy pursuit.
And if you’ll just keep beholding Jesus, one day soon you’ll step out radiant, renewed,
changed into His likeness — from glory to glory.
Let’s pray together.
“Lord Jesus, thank You that transformation isn’t my burden — it’s Your promise.
Thank You that as I behold You, I am changed into Your likeness.
Not by my effort, but by Your Spirit. Not by the law, but by grace.
Today I rest in Your finished work, and I receive Your life in me.
In Jesus’ Name — Amen.”
Now, say this with me:
“I am changed — because I behold Jesus.
I am free — because the veil is gone.
I am loved — because of His grace.
And I am being transformed — from glory to glory!”
Church, this week, don’t strive to become. Behold who you already are in Him.
…And you’ll find His likeness shining through your life more than ever before.
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones: "Salvation isn't merely about forgiveness, but about being "conformed to the image of his son"
Romans 8:29: God knew from the beginning who would put their trust in Him. So He chose them and made them to be like His Son.
What does it mean to reflect the glory of God?
It means to be conformed to the image of God.
It means to turn away from oneself and trust wholly in Christ.
We are changed into His likeness as we behold Him.
Heb 12:2: Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from beginning to end.