Transformed by His Presence—How God Encounters Shape Our Walk with Him

“God experiences” are transformative in nature.

The lesser is always affected by the greater. In this case, the creation is impacted by the presence of the Creator. Because of human will, the measure of impact is usually according to the level of our surrender.

Like King Saul of old, we can turn away from the God of the experience and become worse off than before. But given we are in serious pursuit of God, seeking His face, as we are directed to in Scripture, experiences change us at our very core. One needs to look no further than the apostle Paul. Is there anyone whose character and power rep- resented Jesus better? I don’t think so. He was changed from being an opponent to the gospel, to a believer; from a murdering zealot, to one who laid down his own life for Jesus. The transformation is remarkable. He encountered Him.

In part, I think this transformation is caused by the impartation that an encounter births. Let me explain: When the woman touched Jesus’s garment in hopes of being healed, Jesus said virtue left Him. That virtue was the power of God. Power is not something separate from Him, but is in fact a manifestation of His presence. In other words, itis Him—the Holy Spirit. Touching Him released the presence of God into her being and healed her. Her body was transformed because she encountered Him. He was imparted as the virtue of health and healing.

When the Holy Spirit came upon the 120 in the upper room, another dramatic transformation took place. While it is safe to say all were changed, one person in particular is worth noting, as we know his backstory: Peter. Only weeks earlier he was found cursing to a servant girl to prove he didn’t know Jesus. This cowardly response to a young girl even shocked Peter himself, as he considered himself to be more devoted and courageous than the others. And now, on the Day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came upon him and changed him. Within hours, perhaps minutes, he is found boldly and accurately preaching the gospel to a crowd of thousands. In the natural, he should have been bold to the servant girl and fearful with the masses. Such extreme manifestations give evidence to the transformational power of the presence of God.

When Peter preached boldly to the crowd that gathered, 3,000 people were converted. He spoke often throughout the Gospels, but never when he was clothed with power. Having 3,000 converts is not a bad way to start your ministry. How was this possible? “God experiences” are transformational in nature. He was changed into the likeness of the One He encountered.

Jerusalem had an estimated population of forty to forty-five thousand people at this time. Nearly 10 percent came to Christ in one day. From that amazing start, it is recorded that “daily people were added.” In no time at all a significant portion of a city was born again and experiencing the same transformational impact that only an immersion in the Spirit of God can bring. Yes, it was because the power of God was on display in the bold preaching of the gospel. And yes, the city was shaken with the news that the Jesus they crucified was now alive. But all of this only demonstrates the significance of the transformation of Peter—and the others—because they were immersed in the person of the Holy Spirit. The authentic encounter with One who is faithful and true is what transforms us.

Beholding is Becoming

To behold Him is to become like Him. Beholding Him, in His glory, changes us into that same image. Glorious. And I don’t mean seeing with the natural eye. While many have had that experience, the seeing I’m referring to is possible for everyone. It is seeing from the surrendered heart that becomes overwhelmingly aware of Him, His goodness, and His presence. That kind of beholding changes us.

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 (2 Corinthians 3:18 NASB95).

It’s amazing to consider that to look at Him is so overwhelmingly wonderful that we are changed by the experience. One actually has to fight against the power of transformation to miss out on what happens to us when we encounter Him.

Every experience is to draw us to Him. It can be as simple as reading the Bible and having a verse stand out above the rest. Or the more dramatic experience of a baptism in the Holy Spirit. The experience brings us to Him. Or more specifically, to His face. Literally. Seeking His face is the command and invitation of Scripture.

When You said, “Seek My face,” my heart said to You, “Your face, O Lord, I shall seek” (Psalm 27:8 NASB95).

Holiness

Holiness essentially means that God is separate from everything that could defile. Sanctification is a wonderful biblical term that basically describes the process in which we become more and more like Him: holy.

The concept is that we are being separated from all that is unholy, to Him, for His purposes and design. It is the most fulfilling lifestyle one could ever have—and it is a possible one. One of the interesting things about this process is that we always become like the One we are separated to. And that is the true nature of sanctification.

Because of the truth that we are in Christ, the Father sees us as His Son Jesus. But it is also true that through sanctification we are becoming in conduct what we already are by position. That is sanctification. And one of the most beautiful parts of this subject is that we become holy, in part, through encounters.

There are many who criticize those hungry to encounter God in a more significant way. The complaint is, “They’re just seeking another blessing, and not the One who blesses us.” While there may be some merit to the complaint, I see no problem with those pursuing blessing. In fact, I don’t think it’s normal not to. The challenge is, what do you do with the blessing He gives you? People often say, “Don’t seek His hands (blessings), seek His face.” My response is, if you find His hands, just look up. They’re not that far apart. Oftentimes, it can be said, “You have not because you ask not.” And with the needs that surround every one of us, it seems careless not to ask. For it is His blessings that make us a blessing.

“Taste and see that the Lord is good.” Taste is experience. See is perception. We are to live in ongoing relational experiences with God, which range from the ecstatic to the seasons of stillness. All are a part of the walk with God. And that life of experience is to influence our perception of Him, ourselves, His Kingdom, His people, and the world around us.

Final Word

Israel was fed by God, daily, in the wilderness. They ate the bread of heaven. And that sustained them. But Elijah had a challenging moment in which the angel of the Lord fed him twice, and he was able to go on the strength of that food for forty days. Encounters with God feed us. And sometimes we have the privilege of being overwhelmed by His presence, His goodness daily. And sometimes that all seems to vanish. His silence is not punishment. He is bringing us back to what He has already spoken to our hearts, that we might learn the walk of faith where we are able to go for many days on the strength of what He has already said. This is the privilege of those who encounter Him and His goodness and trust Him fully.