The Artist at Work in Us

We were not disappointed. At the recommendation of many, Peggy and I visited Bryce Canyon, a natural gallery showcasing spires of vivid reds, oranges, and yellows among more muted earthtones. Like statuary, these magnificent rock formations were relentlessly carved from stone with erosive tools of water and frost, each strata ultimately relenting according to its own hardness or softness, and each displaying the hues of its own iron oxides. No words nor any number of them could capture such beauty or express our awe; we could only marvel at the sculptor: “Where there is art, there must be an Artist.”

This is He who is at work in us, as well, changing us and molding us into something unknowably great. “We all . . . are being transformed into [Jesus’] image with ever-increasing glory,”¹ wrote Paul to Corinthian believers, and to the church in Rome, he repeated, “For those God foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son.”² Pause and absorb this, for if Christ lives in your heart through faith, His Spirit is at work in you even now. Then notice our passive role in the molding and shaping process: we are being conformed; we are being transformed. As Paul reminded the Philippians, “it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.”³ Our transformation into the image of Christ is both the vision of God—“when Christ appears, we shall be like him”⁴—and the work of God. As He has saved us, so also is He shaping us over time. Like the rock formations of the canyon, our emerging beauty is the work of the Artist.

Does this mean we have no role in our transformation? No, not at all. We will talk about our role in a future post, but it is vitally important that we first understand and accept the marvelous truth that God is at work in us. We need not fear, for He is able. We need not fret, for He is faithful. We can rest in that God always does what He says He will do, and what He does is always more glorious than we can imagine. This is grace. This is God’s ongoing work in you, an expression of His love for you. Trust Him, rest in Him, and rejoice.

“He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”—Philippians 1:6

Father, we confess Your love knows no bounds. Today, we choose to trust You and Your heart to transform us into the image of Your Son. May He be glorified in us, Your people. In Christ we pray. Amen.

¹ 2 Corinthians 3:18
² Romans 8:29
³ Philippians 2:13
⁴ 1 John 3:2