When I was a first grader my teacher read to us the story of
the ugly duckling. It told of how this mother duck laid six eggs, but somehow
found herself also sitting on a seventh
egg yet to be hatched. While she was trying to figure out how the extra egg got
underneath her it began to hatch, producing the ugliest creature she’d ever
seen. The mother could not understand how this ugly duck could be one of hers.
Not only was he big and clumsy, but he ate more than his
brothers and nobody really liked, or wanted him at all. This caused the little
duck to run away from home. Unfortunately for him an old woman mis-took him for
a goose believing that he could lay eggs. But day’s later she found no eggs;
she planned to kill and eat him.
Somehow the woman forgot to lock his cage and the ugly duck
escaped. The very next day, he was again captured; this time by a local farmer.
The duckling was cold and shivering, so the farmer put the duck in his pocket
and took him home to his children who took very good care of him during the
winter. When springtime arrived the farmer took the duck from the barn and
placed him in the nearest pond.
The duck was still sulking over the fact that he didn’t look
like the other ducks when suddenly he saw his reflection in the water. To his amazement, the once ugly duck was now
a beautiful swan. As he swam along he could hear some children saying that he
was the most beautiful swan of them all.
For some of us, our spiritual journey began in the same
manner and is quite a mystery to many. How can a person who is indifferent and
hostile towards God, suddenly become a deeply committed follower of Christ? For
that matter, how does the individual who was once enslaved to their sinful
nature become a gentle person of compassion? Furthermore, how does a philosophical,
self-righteous, Pharisee of Pharisee’s named Saul of Tarsus; become a humble,
self-effacing Paul the Apostle?
This same Paul writes in 2nd Corinthians 3:18
(NASB) – “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 from the Lord, the Spirit.”
The word transform in Greek terminology is metamorphoomai which is translated in English as metamorphosis. The Apostle
is simply saying that just as a caterpillar transforms into a beautiful
butterfly, (or an ugly duckling into a
swan); after accepting Christ we begin the transformation process from
sinner to His likeness. This process is called “Sanctification”.
Sanctification is the work of the Holy Spirit in us whereby
our inner being is progressively changed, freeing us at each level from our
sinful habits, and over time, developing within us the virtues of Christlike
character. Although sanctification is the work of the Holy Spirit in us, it
does involve our wholehearted response to obedience, and the regular practice
of spiritual disciplines that are the instruments of sanctification. Simply
put; if we walk after the Spirit, we will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh.
(Ref. Galatians 5:16)
Just think about it; we once were ugly
in our spirit-man to the point where we were left in the cold of our sinful
nature. But Christ came along with the warmth of the Holy Spirit, so now when
we look into the mirror; we see the reflection of His likeness…. “Ugly Ducklings No More”….we’ve been
transformed into His likeness.
By the way; in the story of the ugly duckling, we read how the mother duck suddenly found a seventh egg....seven is the Lord's number for perfection.
Foot
Notes:
Biblegateway.com – KJV & NASB
Discipline of Grace by
Jerry Bridges
The Ugly Duckling – Ivy’s
Domain.com
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