John 17:23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.

Maybe, what a wonderful powerful possibility. It is filled with promise, but it is the hope not the finished product. There is in that knowledge a depth of desire that seems impossible, even desperate at times, knowing in ourselves how far from perfect we are in truth.

I woke up with this perfect calm in knowing God’s love. He knows me better than I know myself and He loves me anyway. He is perfect in love. I desperately want to love like that, to be His love in this world of lost sinners. My desperation is my failing. I did nothing to deserve His love and I can do nothing to duplicate that love.

Maybe, just maybe, His abiding love can shine thru my darkness, my failings, my ugliness, and be seen. Maybe. I am not perfect, my love is not perfect, but in thankfulness for that great love, my desire is to love as I am loved.

God loved me and sent His Son. The Son loves you and He sent me.

1 Peter 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;

I am not worthy, yet here I am. I am flawed, yet here I am. I am not perfect in execution, yet here I am.

The world is crying out “see me”. I am crying out “see Him”.

As it says in John 17:23 “that they may be made perfect in one;” I cannot find perfect love without you. I cannot be used of God without you. You are the object of His affection, I am just here.

2 Corinthians 3:18 And we all, with unveiled face, continually seeing as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are progressively being transformed into His image from [one degree of] glory to [even more] glory, which comes from the Lord, [who is] the Spirit. AMP

I appreciate the Amplified Version of this scripture more than the others. I like the thought process of continually and progressively being changed. I woke up this morning thinking, “I have changed.” Correction soon followed. I cannot make myself more Christ like. While the process of transformation requires me to follow a recipe, I can no more take credit for that transformation than the cake can because it was baked.

First instruction in the opening verse is seeing with unveiled face. The veil which obscures our clear vision of the Lord is our flesh. Yes our flesh.

Hebrews 10:20,22 By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.

Consecrated, set aside, through the veil, flesh, is a clear instruction for us not to allow our flesh to obscure our vision. A clear vision of who Christ is can only be seen be setting our flesh aside. Consecration only creates better vision, it does not change us.

Secondly, that added word, continually, is an encouragement to continue to see the Lord in a new light. Do not assume that just because you saw the Lord in scripture that you have discovered all He is in that moment.

Third, progressively is the next new word added which distinguishes change as a buildup, layer upon layer, not undermining what has been laid before, but built upon.

Isaiah 28:10 For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:

Lastly, it is the Lord that changes us, and not we ourselves.