Post 65: Becoming One with Christ: The Journey of Transformation

Becoming One with Christ: The Journey of Transformation

In the previous post, WaterWalkers were defined as those who do greater works in the Grace of Christ.

Now diving deeper into the transformational journey of becoming one with Christ. It's a process of aligning the will with His, growing in His perfections and attributes, and allowing His divine nature to progressively fill the soul.

Willpower vs. Submission: A Crucial Distinction

This is not self-help.

This is surrender.

This is not about human strength or willpower.

This is transformation through righteous habits, to master the natural man from within.

True, lasting change doesn't come through the "arm of flesh" or sheer self-determination. It comes as the will is yielded to the Father's, just as Christ exemplified in Gethsemane. It's about consistent, Spirit-led actions that gradually purify and help overcome the natural man.

From Idea to Actual Knowledge: Lectures on Faith

In the Lectures on Faith, The First Presidency outlines a profound progression: from having an "idea" of God, to forming a "correct idea," to obtaining "actual knowledge" of Him.

"Let us here observe, that three things are necessary, in order that any rational and intelligent being may exercise faith in God unto life and salvation.

First, The idea that he actually exists.

Secondly, A correct idea of his character, perfections and attributes.

Thirdly, An actual knowledge that the course of life which he is pursuing, is according to his will.

For without an acquaintance with these three important facts, the faith of every rational being must be imperfect and unproductive; but with this understanding, it can become perfect and fruitful, abounding in righteousness unto the praise and glory of God the Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ." (Lectures on Faith 3:2-5)

The Power of Understanding

The second sentence of Lectures on Faith 3:5 unveils a crucial principle: without an acquaintance with these three facts - God's existence, His true character, and the assurance that one's life aligns with His will - faith remains imperfect and unproductive. But with this understanding, faith can flourish into perfection, bearing righteous fruit to the glory of God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. In the next post, we will dive deeper into the transformative power of understanding and living according to God's will.

This is the very process by which God is truly known and one becomes one with Him. Understanding must align with truth and then that truth must be lived until it becomes reality within.

Perfection upon Perfection, Attribute upon Attribute

"Pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen." (Moroni 7:48)

Growth in Christ has many aspects and happens in repeated cycles. His perfections are sought and His attributes developed layer upon layer, building one upon another.

Christ the Exemplar: Grace for Grace & Grace to Grace

How did Christ Himself progress and become perfected? Doctrine and Covenants 93:11-19 reveals the pattern:

Christ received not of the fulness at first, but received grace for grace, continuing from grace to grace, until He received a fulness. The heavens opened, the Holy Ghost descended upon Him, and He received a fulness of the glory of the Father. All power in heaven and on earth was His, for He dwelt in the Father.

Christ progressed step by step, grace for grace, until He received a fulness. He is the example and forerunner. Following His pattern - yielding to the Father, receiving grace for grace, being filled with the Holy Ghost - is the path to become one with Him, partaking of His fulness.

The Call to Follow Christ's Example

Crucially, this knowledge of how Christ came to worship and know God was given that all may know how to do likewise.

"I give unto you these sayings that you may understand and know how to worship, and know what you worship, that you may come unto the Father in my name, and in due time receive of his fulness." (D&C 93:19)

The journey of becoming one with Christ is not abstract or theoretical. It is a practical, step-by-step process of following His example - worshipping as He worshipped, knowing as He knew, and ultimately receiving of the Father's fulness as a joint-heir with Christ. Further, it is written ‘if ye are not one ye are not mine’ (Doctrine and Covenants 38:27).

Reflection

What does progress look like in the journey of becoming one with Christ? What perfections and attributes is He inviting growth in next?

What does it mean to seek "actual knowledge" of God - not just intellectually, but experientially?

Emulating Christ to know God is the highest form of worship. In so doing, He will stretch you to be more than you can on your own, to figuratively walk on water and to literally do greater works than Christ when tapped into His infinite Yoke.