Becoming Becoming: Person, Position, Process, Practice
There's a word in the English language that carries two very different meanings at once: becoming. On one hand, it means arriving at a desired state — the more you work out, the more you become strong. On the other hand, it means attractive, worthy, fitting. Sunday, Steve Beard put those two meanings together into a phrase worth sitting with: "becoming becoming" — living like the person we already are in Christ. And he built it on four simple truths: person, position, process, and practice.
The person we're becoming like
Christianity, Steve reminded us, is far more than living in relationship to principles — it's living in relationship to a Person. And becoming becoming is patterned after that Person: Jesus. "Jesus Christ is the most becoming person in the universe. There's no one more wonderful, beautiful, glorious, or matchless." We're being conformed into His image by the Holy Spirit, "from glory to glory," as we gaze on Him — not with physical eyes, but with the eyes of our heart. Steve shared how he once studied Billy Graham's every gesture and intonation, wanting to become like him, until the Holy Spirit reminded him: "I made Billy Billy. I made you Steve. I didn't make you to be like Billy. I made you to be like Jesus." We become what we fix our gaze on. Steve, an avid road cyclist, put it simply: if you stare at the rock you're trying to avoid, you'll hit it. Look away from it, toward Jesus, and you'll steer clear.
Already declared, not yet arrived
The second truth is position — and it's a legal, declared reality, not a feeling. "God has already declared you as a believer becoming in his eyes. You're already beautiful." Romans 3:22 says the gift of righteousness has been given to those who believe — Jew or Gentile, all have sinned and fallen short, but all who trust Christ are clothed in a righteousness they could never earn. Steve told a raw, personal story from his own life: a night of moral failure that landed him in jail, and the next morning finding a handmade card tucked under his windshield wiper with a garbled Bible reference on it. As he wrestled with the verse, the Holy Spirit spoke to him: "In my eyes, you're innocent because you're clothed in a righteousness you could never earn on your own." That's the position we stand in — not based on our performance, but on Jesus.
Growth that can't be rushed
Then comes process. Identity is instantaneous — the moment we receive Christ, we're clothed in His righteousness. But transformation takes time. "It's a process that's powered not by grit, but by grace," Steve said, pointing to Colossians 2:19: "It is God who gives us growth." Quoting the revivalist Andrew Murray, he reminded us "we all live under the law of gradual growth." Grace isn't passive, though — "grace doesn't mean let go and let God." We have a part to play, like a child pedaling a bike while a parent holds it steady. Steve's encouragement: give yourself grace in the process, and give it to the people around you too — your spouse, your kids, your coworkers.
Growth that requires practice
Finally, practice. "The reality of becoming becoming is proven in practice with persistence." Nobody becomes a maestro on the guitar, or develops elite passing skills on the basketball court, without years of repetition. In the same way, Ephesians and Colossians call us to practice putting off the old — anger, malice, slander — and putting on the new: compassion, kindness, gentleness, patience. "There's opportunities every day if you're human," Steve said. Every day gives us a fresh chance to put off and put on, and grow a little more into who we already are in Christ.
Bringing it together
Steve closed by tying the four truths into a single hope: God is committed to completing what He already started in us. "He's not going to give up on us. He doesn't grow tired or weary of us." Whether you're just beginning that relationship with Jesus or you've been stuck in shame and regret, believing lies about how God sees you, the invitation is the same — agree with what God has already declared. You are becoming.
Something to sit with this week
What's one lie about yourself you've been agreeing with instead of what God has already declared over you? And where might God be inviting you to lean into grace this week — pedaling in tandem with Him rather than trying to arrive on your own?
Catch The Fire Boulder meets Sundays at 10:00 AM at 700 W South Boulder Rd, Lafayette, CO. We'd love to have you join us. Watch the full message or plan your visit.
