Works (Vol 4) - Sibbes - XVI - 'Excellency of the gospel above the law' continued

Required reading
The Works Volume 4 by Richard Sibbes (Available from Amazon or free here) - Continue 'The excellency of the gospel above the law' by reading up to the paragraph beginning 'From glory to glory.  By glory is meant especially grace here, and that which accompanies the grace of God, the favour of God'.

My summary
Today we continue Sibbes' exposition of 2 Corinthians 3:17-18: 'Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.'

This week Sibbes explains what is meant by the words 'and are changed into the same image'.

At the beginning of the reading, Sibbes gives a nice summary of his three points: 'First, A necessity of a change ; changed we must be.

Then in this change there must be a pattern of conformity. We are changed into the image of Christ, who is the prototype, the first type and idea of all perfection. We are changed into the same image.

And then, how this change is wrought to the image of Christ. It is by beholding the glory of Christ in the gospel. There is a transforming power in beholding the glory of God's mercy in Christ. It is not a delighting object only, to see the mercy of God in Christ, but it is a powerful object that hath an influence upon the soul. '

What grabbed me
I appreciated Sibbes comments about the necessity of being changed: 'In the state we are we must be changed, as Christ tells Nicodemus, John iii. 1, seq. There must be a change ; and such a change as is a new birth. It must be all new, as a bell ; if there be but a crack in it, it must be new moulded and cast again. It is good for nothing else. So the soul of man, if there be but a flaw, but a crack, all is naught. It must be cast and moulded again anew. We must be set in tune again. All is out of tune. Before the soul can make any sweet harmony in the ears of God, there must be a change. There is no coming to heaven without a change. What need I press this, it is so easy a point in religion. ' Except we be born anew we cannot enter into heaven,' John iii. 3.'

There is no other option - if you want to go to heaven, you must be changed by Christ.

Next week's reading
Continue 'The excellency of the gospel above the law' by reading up to the paragraph beginning '"Even as by the Spirit of the Lord". "As" here is taken according to the phrase in the Greek...'

Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.