Reflections on Reflection

We live in a world of mirrors—literal and metaphorical. Some reflect our appearance, others reflect our status, performance, or opinions. But very few reflect who we are becoming.

The Scriptures offer us a different mirror. One that doesn’t just show us who we are, but who we are being shaped to become. And that mirror is Jesus.

“And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”

— 2 Corinthians 3:18

And yet, even in our most sincere and noble pursuits, we can lose sight of this. We begin to measure faith by what we do—how often we serve, how passionately we worship, how publicly we lead. But at the center of the Christian life is a quieter, deeper work: the Spirit of God transforming us—day by day, choice by choice—into the image of Christ.

Too often, the Christian faith is reduced to one urgent question: “If you died tonight, do you know where you would go?” While not unimportant, the Gospel invites a much fuller reality: life with Jesus, here and now.

So perhaps a better question is:

If you lived tomorrow, how would you live?

And who would you live as?

Salvation is a gift we receive freely (Ephesians 2:8), but it is also a journey we are called to work out—with reverence and purpose (Philippians 2:12). We are not just saved from something—we are saved for something:

“…being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory…”

We are created in God’s image (Genesis 1:26), crowned with glory and honor (Psalm 8), and now, in Christ, we are being re-created to reflect that image more fully (Romans 8:29).

Created, Crowned, Called, Conformed.

This is the path of formation. And the Bible continually invites us to imitate Jesus—to become like Him. Not just to admire Him, but to reflect Him.

Believe. Belong. Behave. Become.

We often divide people into two camps: those who focus on belief—what we think and affirm about God—and those who emphasize behavior—how we live and act. But Scripture never separates the two. It holds them in sacred tension.

Belief is behavior-shaping.

Behavior is belief-revealing.

Together, they become a mirror—helping us see who we are becoming.

Jesus does not invite us to merely believe the right things or behave the right way. He calls us to belong to Him (Rom 1:6)—and in belonging, to become like Him (Rom 8:29). That is the main thing.

Transformed by Beholding

God’s purpose is not just moral improvement—it is Christ-like transformation. The kind of formation shaped by a life lived, as Paul says, “by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Gal

2:20).

This transformation is not a spiritual to-do list or moral checklist. It is not something we perform. It is something the Spirit of God produces—as we behold Jesus.

The more we see Him, the more we become like Him.

That’s why we return to the Gospels—not just to admire Jesus, but to mirror Him. As We are His students, learning from Him, we are participants in His life. The beauty of this transformation is that it begins and ends with Him.

So we pause—not for comparison or critique, but for contemplation.

To look.

To behold.

To see Jesus—and in seeing Him, to be changed by Him.

Beholding Is Not Passive

Paul doesn’t say, “Try harder to be like Jesus.” He says:

“We all, with unveiled face, behold the glory of the Lord…”

Beholding is not passive. It is deliberate focus. It is deep attention. It is love expressed through lingering. We become like what we look at long enough.

So the invitation is clear: gaze upon Jesus. Because what captures our attention will shape our affection—and what shapes our affection will guide our aspirations.

That’s why the Gospels matter. They don’t just tell us what Jesus did—they show us who He is. And the more we behold Him, the more He changes not just our actions, but our ambitions. He not only changes what we do; He changes what we aspire to.

Transformation Is Slow—and Shared

Transformation doesn’t happen all at once. Paul says it happens “from one degree of glory to another.” It is often slow. Often invisible at first. But always real.

And it is not a solitary journey.

Paul writes that “we all, with unveiled faces” behold the glory of the Lord. He’s referring to a community, not just individuals. He’s contrasting Moses—who had to veil his face after encountering God’s glory—with us, the Church, who now have unveiled access to that same glory through Christ.

We behold Jesus together.We are transformed together.We live this transformation publicly.

The Christian life is not private. It is not confined to the quiet corners of our hearts. It is a visible witness, a shared life. “Jesus in my heart” must lead to “Jesus in my life.”

Formation happens in community. As we live, worship, and serve together, our beliefs are tested and refined. Our behavior is observed and shaped. And together, we hold up the mirror of Christ to one another.

We are not becoming like Jesus for ourselves.
We are becoming like Jesus for each other––and for a watching world.

The Invitation

So ask yourself honestly:

• What do my beliefs say about who I’m becoming?

• What does my behavior reveal about what I truly believe?

• And through both, am I beholding the glory of the Lord—or something else entirely?

If I lived tomorrow, how would I live? And who would I live as?

We are always becoming. The only question is:

Who are we becoming like?

The invitation of the Gospel is not just to believe what Jesus said or to behave as He did. It is to behold Him—again and again—and in that beholding, to be changed.

So let us keep the main thing the main thing: Become like Jesus.

Through belief that shapes behavior. Through behavior that reveals belief.

And through both, behold the One we called to belong to—and are privileged to become like.

“Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me,

All His wondrous passion and purity.

O Thou Spirit divine, all my nature refine,

Till the beauty of Jesus be seen in me.”