Discovering God’s purpose for His power working within

But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image. 2 Corinthians 3:16-18 NLT

If we are going to seek God’s power in our lives, we first need to understand why He has promised to give us power and for what purpose. From our text, Paul gives us the reason why God wants us to experience His power working within. It is God’s will for every person who ever lived, and for all of creation, to glorify Him. Everything that was made was made for the glory of God. “For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him” (Colossians 1:16 NIV). Everything God created, including us, was designed to declare His glory. One of the saddest things in the world is a Christian who is convinced that he or she will never change. Our sin nature is powerful, and it takes nothing short of God’s power in our lives working so we can gain the victory. It requires nothing less than the resurrection power of Christ. Because God wants to transform us so we can reflect His image, He will provide the power if we ask for it (see Romans 8:18–30, 1 Corinthians 15:35–50). We cannot be perfect and He is not calling us to be perfect. Yet it remains a scriptural foundation that God desires that we be like Him. “For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy” (1 Peter 1:16). This is why it only makes sense that God wants His power in our lives to give us victory over sin. Aren’t we amazed when people who were formerly powerless victims of sin, and whose lives were literally destroyed by sin, are suddenly and powerfully transformed? The Holy Spirit frees us from condemnation. He frees us from sin. He frees us from guilt. “For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (2 Corinthians 3:17). The freedom God has given to us is the freedom to become what we are created to be—sons and daughters of God, who can grow into Christlikeness and live for His glory.

Blessings,