Last night I attended the 2nd in a series of 5 lectures at local “bible college”. The speaker, a well know spiritual leader and author of several books asked us “What is the unbelievable goal of the spiritual life?”

He said if he surveyed everyone in the room most of us would say
the goal if the Spiritual Life is “getting to go to heaven.”

“Eternal life” he stated “is not the goal of the Spiritual Life, it is the by-product.”

He then went on for 20 minutes or so weaving us through some powerful Scriptures eventually answering his original question …

“The unbelievable goal of the Spiritual Life is to be transformed into the image of Christ so that we can be ‘Christ’ to the world around us.”

Everyone quickly began writing as if they might lose this profound thought.

I sat stunned.

Has the modern community of believers moved so far from the traditional faith that they have forgotten the goal.

The goal isn’t a mere ticket into heaven … our goal is to be changed into the likeness of Christ and bring the message of love and salvation to a lost and dying world.

“But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. ” (2 Cor 3:18)

Have we become so consummed with our own busy-ness that we’ve forgotten our brother?

“Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. ” (2 Cor 5:20)