Look Away to Jesus for Growth, Building

Second Corinthians 3:16-18 tells us that when we turn our heart to the Lord, “we all with unveiled face, beholding and reflecting like a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord Spirit.” This transformation is for New Jerusalem, the city having the glory of God.

Hebrews 12:1-2 also speaks of beholding the Lord: “Therefore let us…put away every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us and run with endurance the race which is set before us, looking away unto Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith.” Putting away other things and looking to Him is our cooperation with His building work.

The Lord Jesus is the Author, the Originator, the Source of our faith. Romans 3:22 and Galatians 2:16 both literally express our faith as “faith of Jesus Christ”— faith is Jesus Christ operating in us to be our believing ability. He is also our Perfecter, our Completer, doing a gradual perfecting work in us. Because this work is gradual, we must “run with endurance.”

This perfecting is an aspect of His growth in us for His building work which has New Jerusalem as its goal. New Jerusalem is perfect and we all need our Lord’s perfecting in us. Let us learn to “look away unto Jesus.”

Graphic courtesy of pixabay.com.

Posted by Don on June 4, 2025

https://newjerusalem12.wordpress.com/2025/06/04/look-away-to-jesus-for-growth-building/