Transformed into The image of Jesus Christ, from glory to glory (English/Luo)
This sermon will be about what Jesus wants and can do in a person, how he can transform him into the image of Jesus, from glory to glory.
My name is Konrad Nyström and I grew up in northern Sweden in a Christian family, with two brothers and two sisters. On Sunday’s we went to church and I remember how I felt. Wow, I am in the house of God. My father put his fatherly arms around me and my brother and I felt so loved, so safe, so embraced.
I looked at the ceiling and there was the words: “God is love”, written in gold. I remember thinking: I want to know who God is! I want to know what love is!
I was a child of God then. But in my teenage I started to walk away from Jesus for 15 years, but in 2005 by the grace of God, kwa nema ya Mungu, my life, completely crashed and I remember saying: I have nothing! I have no joy, no love, no life, and I am totally alone in this world!
But in April 2006, I met Jesus, and He completely changed my life. Today I know who God is, He is called Jesus Christ. And I know where true love is to be found, in Jesus Christ. Now I have a joy and an inner life I didn’t have before. And Today I never feel alone, because Jesus is always with me. And Jesus has filled me with His wonderful love, so everywhere I go, I see beloved brothers and sisters.
And one of these brothers is called Bishnu Biswas from Bangladesh. I have been there four times and it’s been wonderful. I love Bangladesh and I love Bishnu.
He grew up in a Hindu village but fell in love with a Christian girl, and her father, who is a pastor, said that you can’t marry her unless you convert, so he did that. I have seen a picture of him maybe one year after his conversion, and his eyes seem a little bit hard and his face is rather dark. His wife said that the first years of their marriage she sometimes wondered if his conversion was real, and he himself says the same thing: the first few years he had very little love and longing for Christ.
But today he is really transformed. There is a sweet aroma of Christ around him, there is a grace and peace, his face and eyes are kind, full of love. and oftentimes I can see his face changing even more and shining with the glory of Christ when he speaks about Jesus. There is a longing, a hunger, and a love for Jesus, and that has transformed his life, face and his eyes.
Also dada Liliane, who has been traveling with me for two years now to Africa and Bangladesh, Jesus has also transformed her so much lately, because she has begun to serve Him and seek Him more. Even when we don’t really seek Him, we are transformed, but it’s a much slower process then. But when we seek Him and serve Him with all our hearts, things begin to change. But she could not come this time, because she had to go through a surgery, but she is getting stronger day by day.
But sister Liliane has been so changed, she says has a new joy inside of her, and even her neighbors have said spontaneously: Liliane, what has happened? You are so glad nowadays and your face is shining. Then she answers: it’s because of my journeys with Jesus and my friend Konrad! The glory of the Lord is being much more seen upon sister Liliane now, I see it myself, and when we pray together, I sense: wow, she has grown in Christ since we first met in 2017.
And all the disciples of Jesus, you and me, are being transformed into His Own Image, from glory to glory, and it’s the work of Jesus through the Holy Spirit, not our work, but still we can cooperate with the Spirit by looking at Jesus, seeking Him diligently, praying and reading the Word of God. Not because of the Law of Moses, we don’t seek Jesus because God forces us, no, because we love Jesus and long for more of Him.
But remember: what we look at, we will be made more like. I have met brothers in Sweden who speak so much about the Devil and the demons, they are almost chasing the evil spirits all the time. But Jesus said: what the heart is full of, the mouth will speak. When I have seen these people in action, I have felt another spirit at work and they made me think of Jesus’s words in Matthew 7:21: not everyone who says to Me “Lord, Lord” shall enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in Heaven. Many will say to Me in that day: Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your Name and done many wonders in Your Name? And then I will declare to them: I never knew you! Depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.
I have felt: they use the Name of Jesus, but they don’t know Him! Yes, they do great wonders, but they don’t have the FRUIT of the Spirit! Yes, the evil spirits exist and we must be aware of that, but don’t give them too much attention, no, look mostly at Jesus, speak about Jesus.
But all who really belong to Jesus have a hope of glory. Romans says: therefore, having been justified by faith we have peace with God through Our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.
What amazing words, we have access, by faith, into the grace of God, and we rejoice over the hope of the coming glory. No one of us can imagine the glory, grace and joy that awaits us in Heaven. Think often about Heaven, often about the Coming of Jesus Christ, and your spiritual life will grow even more.
I don’t know about you, but I want to be more and more Christlike and filled with His Glory and have the fruit of the Spirit filling me, the joy, the peace, the grace and the love of Jesus Christ inside of me. That’s what I long for, and I need it.
But I believe that we will need more of Jesus and His glory in the future. Times are getting darker in the world, also in Sweden, and I believe that it will get even more difficult. but in the darkness, light will just shine even more. Isaiah 60 says: arise, shine! For your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth and deep darkness the people, but the Lord will arise over you, and His Glory will be seen upon you.
Carter Conlon from Times Square Church in New York, said that the followers of Jesus Christ should bring their first morning news from the Word of God, because if we look too much at the TV-news, we might be gripped with fear, but if we get our news from the Bible, we will have good news all the time. And soon, when times get more difficult, people will say to the followers of Jesus: How can you have such a joy, peace and hope for the future in you? Haven’t you seen the News?
And the followers of Jesus will answer: Yes, I am aware of it, and it’s sad, but haven’t you seen what’s happening in me?
I believe that the followers of Jesus Christ will be even more transformed in the last days, to glorify the Name of Jesus. Haggai 2:9 says: the glory of this latter Temple shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts.
I believe that this is also about the church of the last days. Some parts will fall away, and the glory and the Holy Spirit will not come over them, but for those who truly love Jesus and don’t worship another Jesus, for those I believe that Jesus will pour out His Holy Spirit in a measure that hasn’t been seen since the first church, and an incredible glory and presence of Jesus Christ will be upon us.
Why? Because we will need it, and Jesus is Faithful, but also to glorify the Name of Jesus Christ. I believe that’s what it will be like, as individuals and as the church, if we diligently seek Jesus and hold on to Him, even in times of testing. Because Romans continues: And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance, and perseverance character, and character hope.
And then comes the key. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
The hope of glory can not disappoint. Faith grows and triumphs in trouble, and we will share His glory if we also willingly share His suffering.
We are being transformed into the likeness of Jesus Christ, from image to image and glory to glory, as we look at Jesus, love Him and follow Him, and one day soon that transformation is fulfilled, when Jesus Christ comes back.
The apostle Paul writes: I tell you a mystery: we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
This is about the Coming of Jesus Christ, when the last trumpet sounds, and that’s not far away now. We need to be ready! The dead will be raised, and we will be changed. Here on earth we are step by step being transformed into the image of Christ, as we follow Jesus, but here we will never reach fulfillment. But then we shall see Him as He Is, face to Face, and we will be fully transformed and we will see His glory and even share His glory.
And what a glory that awaits us, what a shout of victory, deliverance, what a liberty, what a song of joy, When Jesus comes back, and all the praise goes to the Lamb of God. We will praise Jesus as never before, nothing hindering our song. Here on earth we praise Jesus one day and it’s wonderful, but two days later we have worries or problems, but there nothing can stop our praises to Him.
We have a wonderful future and hope ahead of us, something indescribable, beyond comprehension. It’s written: Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.
I mentioned my beloved brother Bishnu in Bangladesh. Once he told me: my favorite verse in the Bible is 1st Corinthians 2:9. And he read the words, and his face and eyes were full of love, longing, joy, expectation, hope, faith and his face shining with glory, and it was such a testimony to me, the look of his face.
No matter what comes in the world in the future, because I strongly believe that hard times are waiting especially for Sweden and the Western World, we can meet the future filled with hope, and even expectation. We can expect Jesus to preserve us, lead us and even bless us in the midst of it all.
because Jesus will continue to transform us into His image and glory here on earth. And even more, Because a glory awaits us, an Eternal, ever increasing glory, and the Lord will give us more of that glory already in the times ahead, on earth, and in full measure at His Coming, when we enter the glory of Heaven for Eternity, a day which which is not too far away now.
Romans says: now if we are children, then we are heirs, heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in His sufferings in order that we may also share in His Glory. I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.
What lays ahead of us is so much greater, so much more wonderful than we can even begin to understand, and we need that perspective all the time, but especially when we go through times of testing. And there is a time of testing coming over this world, and then we need to have the perspective of Eternity in Heaven. We need to remember the glory that awaits us. We need to fix our eyes on Jesus, His Coming and the Eternal glory of Heaven.
And 2 Corinthians says: for our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an Eternal glory that far outweighs them all. Bwana Jesu Asifiwe! Amen.
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