Chapter 1.3 – Transformation Through Christ

Chapter 1 · The Journey Begins · Part 3 of 4

This post completes Chapter 1 – The Journey Begins in the original Transformation Course, which lies behind Faith Fulfilled – Formed in Promise, Transformed in Glory and the wider Formation Series.

• In Part 1 (1.1), we set the scene for the elders of faith.

• In Part 2 (1.2), we traced the spiritual foundations and the thread of redemption.

• In Part 3 (1.3), we now focus on transformation through Christ — how the lives of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph draw us into the ongoing work of the Spirit as we behold the glory of God in the face of Jesus.

If you would like to revisit the chapter aims, reflective questions, and opening prayer, you can find them in Chapter 1.1 – The Journey Begins: Setting the Scene for the Old Testament Elders.

This movement leans into See His Glory, Increase in His Strength, and Exclaim His Name with Awe and Joy within the SHINE Framework, and resonates with the Lord’s Prayer as we pray, “For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.”

“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 Corinthians 3:18 NKJV)

Context: 2 Corinthians 3

The classic confession of the Westminster Catechism speaks of our chief end as glorifying God and enjoying Him forever. Transformation through Jesus Christ flows from our union with Him and ushers us into that chief end. The Spirit’s work in us is deeply personal and beautifully corporate — forming a people who share the life of the Son before the Father, in the power of the Spirit.

As we continue to walk with the elders of the Old Testament, we see how their stories hint at the transformative power of Christ, who brings new life, hope, and freedom. Transformation serves the greater end of beholding and treasuring the glory of God. The visible change in our lives becomes evidence of God’s work within us as we abide in Christ — “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27 NKJV).

Abraham: faith expressed through trust

Abraham’s journey with God shows how faith becomes visible through trust. When the Lord called him to leave his homeland and step into the unknown, Abraham’s obedience revealed a faith anchored in God’s promise. His willingness to offer Isaac (Genesis 22) reveals a trust so deep that it foreshadows the Father’s own gift of the Son.

In Christ, we too are called into this trust — a trust that rests in the goodness of God’s purposes. “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11 NKJV). As we entrust ourselves to Him, we glorify God by confessing His wisdom, His care, and His providential kindness over our lives.

Abraham teaches us that transformation begins where the heart says, “Lord, I will go where You lead, because I believe You are faithful.”

Isaac: the blessing of promise

Isaac’s life embodies the transformation that comes from living inside the promises of God. He walks in the inheritance given to Abraham, faces famine and conflict, and yet remains in the land as the Lord commands. God blesses him, and his life becomes a quiet testimony to covenant faithfulness.

This points us toward the blessing we receive in Christ. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.” (Ephesians 1:3 NKJV). In Him, we are drawn into an inheritance that reorders how we see lack, pressure, and provision.

Transformation through blessing reshapes our posture: we begin to live from abundance instead of scarcity, from gratitude instead of anxiety. Isaac’s story invites us to remain where God has placed us, reopen the wells He has given, and trust that His promise is enough.

Jacob: identity transformed

Jacob’s life illustrates how encountering God reshapes identity. His early years are marked by grasping, scheming, and striving. Yet God meets him at Bethel, shows him a ladder between heaven and earth, and reaffirms the covenant. Later, Jacob wrestles through the night and will not let go until he receives a blessing (Genesis 32:22–28).

In that encounter, God touches him, renames him, and marks him. He rises from that place as Israel. The limp he carries becomes a sign of encounter, dependence, and consecration.

In Christ, this pattern comes to fullness. “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.” (John 1:12 NKJV). Identity in the Kingdom is not self-constructed; it is received. As we behold the glory of God in the face of Christ, the Spirit renews and refines our identity, drawing us into the truth of who we are in Him.

Transformation through Christ is a movement from self-definition to God-given name, from striving to belovedness.

Joseph: rising through adversity to fulfilled purpose

Joseph’s story traces a vivid journey from the depths of adversity to the heights of a God-ordained calling. Betrayed and sold by his brothers, Joseph walks through a succession of tests — slavery, false accusation, and imprisonment.

Yet even there he remains faithful. He guards his integrity, listens for God, and serves with diligence. His darkest seasons become the soil from which his destiny emerges. Raised to power in Egypt, he becomes the instrument by which many lives are preserved.

Joseph’s declaration to his brothers captures the redemptive pattern threaded through his life: “But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.” (Genesis 50:20 NKJV). James echoes this pattern in promise: “Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.” (James 1:12 NKJV).

Joseph’s faithfulness in betrayal and suffering mirrors the greater pattern of redemptive suffering fulfilled in Christ. In Joseph we glimpse the One who was betrayed, sold, falsely accused, cast down, and yet gave Himself for the life of the world.

This is more than resilience. This is the glory of self-giving love. Joseph’s path points to Christ, who embraced the cross and offered Himself fully. His exaltation came through obedience, revealing the heart of divine glory as love poured out.

As we behold this pattern, we do more than endure our own trials. We participate in the mystery of transformation that flows from the God who gives Himself for us and to us.

Christ: the fulness of transformation

The lives of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph all converge in Jesus Christ, whose transformative power surpasses every foreshadowing. Paul writes:

“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 Corinthians 3:18 NKJV)

Transformation through Christ stands at the heart of our journey. It reaches deeper than outward behaviour; it renews the inner person. As we behold Him, the Spirit conforms us to His image and leads us into the fullness of God’s purpose and glory.

In Christ, the faith of Abraham, the inheritance of Isaac, the new name of Jacob, and the tested perseverance of Joseph find their perfection. He is the Author and Finisher of faith, the One in whom every promise becomes a living reality.

Living transformed lives

As we embrace this transforming work, we become living testimonies of God’s power and goodness. Transformation is a pathway into a life that glorifies God and delights in Him. As we behold the glorious Gospel in the face of Jesus Christ, we are continually changed, filled with hope, and set free.

The elders of faith invite us into a deeper longing to know the God they trusted. Their lives reveal the splendour of a God who is steadfast, merciful, and sovereign. Abraham’s trust, Isaac’s continuity, Jacob’s transformation, and Joseph’s perseverance all proclaim the faithfulness of God and His unwavering purpose to redeem and restore His people.

These elders are remembered as heroes because of their dependence on the God who does not change. Their stories call us to pause and behold His glory. He is the One who leads from brokenness into blessing, from striving into rest, and from despair into hope.

In their journeys we can trace the threads of our own — woven now into the greater story of Christ, who fulfils every promise and authors every true transformation.

As you continue this Formation Series journey, open your heart to encounter the God who reveals Himself in His Word, His Gospel, and His Son. Allow His Spirit to work within you, transforming your heart and mind to reflect the glory of Christ.

And let this inner work overflow. Just as the elders lived as witnesses of God’s covenant, may your life proclaim His goodness to those around you. May you exclaim, in word and deed, the hope and freedom found in Jesus, so that others are drawn to the God you have come to know.

Let your heart echo the yearning of Moses: “Please, show me Your glory” (Exodus 33:18 NKJV), and trust that in Christ, God will reveal Himself to you more fully day by day.

SHINE reflection, declaration, and prayer

(I — Increase in His Strength / E — Exclaim His Name with Awe and Joy)

Reflective question
Where in your own story do you most need to see your trials and weaknesses through the lens of “Christ in you, the hope of glory” — so that they become places where His strength is formed in you and His Name is proclaimed through you?

Declaration
Lord Jesus, You are the fulfilment of every promise and the author of every true transformation. We receive Your life at work within us, and we declare that our story belongs to You — for Your glory, Your Kingdom, and Your praise.

Prayer
Father, thank You for the witness of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph, and for the greater witness of Your Son. Increase us in Your strength where we feel weak, and teach us to see our journey through the hope of Your glory. Let the transformation You are working within us become a testimony that exclaims Your Name with awe and joy. Shape our hearts, steady our steps, and make our lives a living echo of “Show me Your glory.” In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.