A Completely New You

“As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.” (Ps 17:15 AV)

 

 We often forget that our bodies are not the only thing about us that will transform into the likeness of Christ.  Everything about us will be glorified.  We will inherit an incorruptible body that will desire only that which pleases God.  No longer will we have to contend with flesh that will tempt us at every turn.  We will never again have to contend with flesh that is weak, failing, and self-serving.  The incorruptible must replace the corruptible.  Our glorification does not begin and ends with the flesh, though.  Our minds and spirits will also be transformed.  No longer will we need to apologize for evil thoughts.  No longer can we be deceived by the cunning arguments of men and fallen angels.  No longer will the mind occupy itself with little to no discipline.  Our minds will conform to the mind of God and only that which is true and God-honoring will occupy our thought life.  And the one that I equally look forward to is the transformation of our spirits.  Our spirit is our personality.  It is how we express our being.  It is how we view our world and how we process that which comes upon us.  Our spirits are fallen.  Our personalities are flawed.  When we are glorified, the kind of person we are will be changed!  Praise the LORD!

I had a funny discussion with someone who stops by our services from time to time.  He is a wonderful, joy-filled, and gracious saint.  I can tell just by looking at him that he loves the LORD and is a man of great integrity.  He is a joker who loves life and does what he can to put a smile on the face of all with whom he visits.  As a pastor, I try to get to know people and especially their names.  However, I’m getting up there in age, and remembering anything is becoming harder and harder.  So, when our friend stopped in one Sunday, I tried to remember his name and drew blank.  So, he told me to call him George.  That wasn’t his real name.  As we visited, he told me he always wanted to be a George.  He was ok with his real name, but George was much better.  Then he said something so true.  Most of us go through a time when we really don’t like our first name.  We wish it was something different.  Everyone feels that way for a little time.  Some of us never get over it.  One wonders why.  Perhaps it is because our first name might remind us of who we truly are and we wish to be someone different.  Perhaps we see a strength or attribute common with someone of another name.  Maybe we have a friend or acquaintance with a first name we admire because their personality reflects it so well.  There is a part of us that is uncomfortable with who and what we are.  We see our flaws and we do what we can to compensate for them.  In short, there is a part of us that doesn’t prefer self.  There is a part of us that wants the self to be different.

When I read the passage above, the LORD reminded me I will not always be who and what I am.  Those parts of who I am that I wish were different will eventually be transformed into the likeness of Christ.  One of these days, we will all be like we’ve always wanted to be.  Those shortcomings that make us wish for a different self will be transformed.  In fact, the LORD promises us when we get to heaven we will have new names.  I wonder why?  Perhaps because the old name reflects the old person who was created in the fallen image of Adam and will no longer reflect who and what we are.  That new name will be one we have always wanted.  It will reflect the person of Christ and no longer will we have to compensate for personality flaws.  No longer will we have to make up for that which offends another.  Or worse, own selves.  We will no longer look in a mirror and be disappointed by what we see.  When we behold our faces in a glass, we will see the perfect image of Christ reflected back.  So, there is far more than a new body to look forward to.  There is a completely new you!  From top to bottom.  From inside to outside.  You will never be the same again!