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Many have wisely said that what God has revealed in seed form in the Old Testament is fully developed in the New Testament. In other words, God builds truth upon truth. He reveals more and more as we continue through the Word of God. As you spend time with the Lord in His Word, you too will learn more and more. One such example of this is shown in three passages that, when taken together, teach us a tremendous lesson. The three passages are Matthew 17:1-2, 2 Corinthians 11:13-15, and Romans 12:1-2. 

In Matthew 17:1-2, we read “And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, 2 And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.”

What an amazing experience this must have been for Peter, James and John. It was on that high mountain that they saw the Lord Jesus Christ manifest the glory that was veiled in His humility as a servant (Philippians 2:6-8). What was revealed of the Lord Jesus Christ was an outward expression of what was inwardly true of our Savior. He is the true Light (John 1:9). And so, the Bible tells us that He was changed before them, and His face did shine as the sun. 

In 2 Corinthians 11:13-15, we have a transformation of a different sort. The Bible says, “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. 14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.”

This transformation is the exact opposite. While Jesus Christ manifested to the disciples the inward reality of who He was, the Devil masquerades as an angel of light. He deceives by appearing to be what He is not inwardly. The Bible says of the Devil in John 8:44 that there is “…no truth in him.”

In the last passage found in Romans 12:1-2, God ties all of this together for us. For we read, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

Two thoughts are expressed in the second verse. They are understood by what we are to be and what we are not to be. The apostle says "be not conformed..." and then He says, "but be ye transformed..." The child of God is not to be conformed to this world. That is, we should not be pressed into the world’s mold. The inward man of the Christian is not to masquerade outwardly as a world dweller. In other words, the Christian is not to pretend to be something He is not. The Christian, however, is to be transformed by manifesting outwardly what is inwardly true.  The Christian is a new creature (2 Corinthians 5:17). The transformative life of the Christian should shine forth the light of Jesus Christ—so that just like the disciples saw Jesus’ face shine like the sun, the world should see Christ in us, the hope of glory.