Length: 5 minutes

When people see Jesus, the apostles, or even another minister laying hands on the sick and seeing them recover instantly, some people might get the wrong impression, that if their healing or transformation doesn’t look like that, then it’s not legitimate, or it’s not happening. But the Bible says otherwise.

I’ve even heard a preacher justify his disbelief in healing as part of a believer’s inheritance, because he wasn’t seeing instantaneous healings. He said that if God was healing people, it would be instantaneous. Not only does this neglect the fact that people are healed instantaneously all the time, in the church today, but he totally misses this point: Every bit of our personal receiving from God is in a progression; a progression called “glory to glory.” 

2 Corinthians 3:18 (NKJV) 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.

When it speaks of the Spirits transformation, it says he does so in us from “glory to glory.” Transformation means to “change your form, your appearance.” This is speaking about change that God makes to us on the outside. We’ve already got everything on the inside, and our outside is just receiving from what we already have. Transformation isn’t just speaking about our actions becoming more moral. Of course, it includes that, but transformation is any change that God makes to your flesh! Anything at all! It just means to change your form.

The spirit healing your body, is changing your form. The spirit changing your actions, is Him changing your form. The spirit growing body parts, renewing your youth, or  giving you physical wisdom, are all examples of Him changing your outside, your form.

And a transformation that we are receiving from the Spirit, is said to be “from glory to glory.” That means, from one level of glory to another, from one quantity of glory to another. Transformation is a progression. 

Why is it a progression if God is all powerful? Because God can’t transform you, or do anything in your life, without you putting faith in His son first. Yes, I know that may be controversial, that Jesus is the only way and therefore one needs to put faith in Him before receiving anything from God, but it’s the truth. It’s the way that you got saved, and it’s the way you receive anything from God. You get to know Jesus first, and then you receive from the Father. There is not a second way to receive from God (Romans 5:2).

We’re being transformed in a progression, not all at once, because we are growing in our knowledge of Jesus (or as second Corinthians 3:18 says, in our “beholding” of Jesus). Romans 1:17 describes the gospel being revealed to us, as a process called “faith to faith.”

Romans 1:17 (NKJV) For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.”

That means that the gospel is understood by us, from one level of understanding to another. If we’re understanding the gospel in a progression, and we receive from God through that knowledge, then it’s no wonder that our transformation is also in a progression. As the gospel is revealed from faith to faith, you are transformed from glory to glory. Your transformation keeps pace with your understanding of Jesus. 

This does not discount receiving instantaneous healing or transformation in specific areas at all. That’s actually God’s will (which we will go over in the next part), but transformation is a progression that happens as we know Jesus. And that’s why, as you give your attention to him, God Himself is revealing His Son to you, so that you can be transformed in whatever way you need it!

When you know all of this, it will sound crazy for someone to say that “If it’s not instantaneous, it’s not God” or “If it’s not instantaneous, nothing is being transformed.” The reason why that’s preposterous, is because all our receiving from God is in a process. Progressive change is legitimate change. Sometimes transformation just takes more noticeable leaps than at other times. And God will teach you, so that your transformation can go forward leaps and bounds, but progressive change is legitimate change. That’s how we receive from God.

When you believe that God just controls things, as He wills, without people putting faith in His Son, then of course, why wouldn’t everything be instant? For that matter, if God is just pulling levers at will, there’s no reason for anyone to put faith in Jesus at all! If God’s sovereignty is a way for people to receive from God, then that is a second way to receive grace from God, and why do they need to put faith in Jesus at all? In that case, Jesus is not the only way and access to the grace of God (Romans 5:2). And in that case, the cross is vain, if God can accomplish things apart from Christ, and apart from faith in Him.

But, alas, we don’t live in a world in which there are multiple ways to receive from God.  We live in a world in which there’s only one way to the Father and only one access to receive His grace. That is the man, Jesus Christ, through faith in that Man. And if receiving comes through faith in that man, then it’s no wonder why we receive from glory to glory, as we grow in the knowledge of Jesus, from faith to faith. And God will walk you through that process every step of the way.

In our second part we will specifically address instantaneous healing, so keep reading.

If this blessed you, share this with someone else. More people need to understand this awesome truth.