“Nothing between us and our God, our faces shining with the brightness of His face.  And so we are transfigured much like the Messiah, our lives gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like Him.”  (2 Corinthians 3:18  The Message)

 This is a verse which describes the relationship between us and our God so beautifully.  There is “nothing between us and our God.”  This is so great!  If you are a child of God, a son, a daughter, there is nothing that stands between you and your Father.

 Jesus made the way possible so that we could freely and boldly enter in to His awesome presence.  Even our sin does not keep us from Him, for He sees us through the perfection of His Son.  Our sins were, once and for all, forgiven at the cross.  Jesus paid the price for every sin, past, present and future, so that we don’t have to.  That is so awesome!

 We are one with God, Christ in us, “our faces shining with the brightness of His face.”  As a result, His glory shines through us for the world to see.  “We are transfigured (completely made new, reflecting the glory of the Lord) much like His Son.”  God allows us to share in His glory.  Is that not amazing?  We become part of His body, His life and very being radiating through our lives. 

 “Our lives become gradually brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives (in fact, our very beings) and we become like Him.”  This here is the only down side.  The change in us is a gradual process.  For the majority of us, the change is not instantaneous.  Oh I know we wish it would be, but God slowly changes us, taking us from glory to glory as we become more and more like Him.

 But in actuality we see the goodness of God in this “gradual” process of change.  For if He were to bring up all our junk at once, I think we would be overwhelmed.  And if we did not go through the process that changes us (usually difficulties), we would actually miss out on so much.  It is the ability to go through the struggles and come out the other side, that enable us to help others get through similar difficulties.  It allows us to sympathize with and encourage others that there is hope.  It allows us to experience God’s work in us and His presence with us, as we go through these struggles that change us.

 I’m so glad God is committed to the process of changing us – that He doesn’t give up on us, as we are so apt to do with others.  He sees us, not as we are, but as we will become.  He sees us through the lens of love, mercy and grace. 

 He never sees our sin when He looks at us, for they have been removed as far as the east is from the west, never to be remembered again.  That is so amazing to me, for often when I look at myself I think, along with Paul, “Oh wretched man that I am, who will deliver me from this body of death.”  But the Word says, “For those who are in Christ, there is no condemnation.”

 That God would love me and live in me and allow me to share in His glory – that He would allow me absolute unlimited access to His presence, just blows my mind.  That in spite of all my sin, my failures, my weakness and my fear, He still wants to and will continue to use me.  He is so incredibly good!

“So let’s live our part in the Feast, not as raised bread swollen with the yeast of evil, but as flat bread – simple, genuine, unpretentious.” (1 Cor. 5:8 The Message)

I find this verse funny, but it’s actually a very good analogy. What kind of bread are you? Are you raised bread, puffed up with yeast, or are you flat bread?

In this verse, “yeast” represents sin. Paul is saying, sin is no small thing. It isn’t something which only affects you. Yeast or “sin” affects the whole batch of dough. It has repercussions on you and the people around you.

We need to see sin as God sees it and we must do all we can to rid it from our lives. In this chapter, Paul is addressing sexual sin, but in God’s eyes, all sins are equal. Pride, anger, selfishness, and gossip can cause the same kind of fallout if left unchecked.

I believe most sin in our lives is a result of thinking too highly of our selves and not enough of others. That’s pride. Sin happens when we are puffed up with pride and thinking only about “me.” If we love others, we will not want to hurt them, but rather our desire will be to serve them.

Of course, because of our flesh, this is not always reality. It’s so much easier to put “me” first. Jesus was our example. He did not come to be served, but rather to serve and give His life for us. He, who deserved to be served, more that any other being, did this for us. He told us to do the same. This is not easy. The only way this can be accomplished is with the Spirit’s help.

But, be encouraged, because God is taking you from “glory to glory.” “He who began a good work in you, will bring it to completion.” I share this verse a lot because I love it. It’s so true. God will not let you continue to flounder in your sin. He will bring conviction and He will open doors for you to find the freedom you desire.

Let’s get back to the bread! God wants you to be like “flat bread.” LOL!! That’s the opposite of “the pride” that so easily besets us. We are called to live simple, genuine and unpretentious lives. In other words, we are called to walk in love, humility, sincerity and simplicity.

As I keep saying, “The gospel is simple.” It’s all about love. When we are living lives in simple humility, we will be ones who put others first, and who ooze with the love of God. When we see what God has rescued us from, it’s easier to walk in love and humility with God and others.

So let’s be “Flat bread!”