RESTORING YOUR SOURCE CODE

By: Pastor Flávio Macieira - 2025

A reflection based on Chapter 1 of the book "The Algorithm of the Soul."

“So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.” 2 Corinthians 3:18 (NLT)

Salvation was not the end of God's work in you; it was the beginning of the restoration.

When God created us, He installed a perfect "source code" in us: His own image and likeness. This was our factory operating system, designed to function in perfect harmony with the Creator. Sin, however, acted like a devastating virus, corrupting this code. The image wasn't erased, but it was distorted, tarnished, and its functionality was compromised.

Many of us live frustrated in the Christian life because we think salvation should have restored everything instantly. But the apostle Paul reveals a process to us. The work of the Holy Spirit in us is like that of a master restorer before a priceless ancient painting, which has been covered by the grime of centuries. With patience and expertise, He works day after day, cleaning, mending, and bringing back the brilliance of the original work.

Note the Divine Restorer's method: we are transformed into Christ's image while we "see and reflect the glory of the Lord." Transformation doesn't happen through self-effort, by trying harder to be better. It happens through contemplation. What we focus on, we become. By fixing our gaze on who Jesus is—on His grace, His truth, His love, His holiness—the Holy Spirit uses that vision to calibrate our soul, rewriting the corrupted code and conforming us to the image of the one we contemplate.

Do not despair at the slowness of the process. The promise is that the work is in progress, from "one degree of glory to another." Your part is not to clean yourself up, but to remain before the Restorer. Keep contemplating Jesus, and trust that the Spirit is, at this very moment, working to restore God's source code in you.

Your Next Step of Faith

Today, set aside five minutes. Instead of presenting your list of requests, use that time to actively "contemplate" the glory of Jesus. Read a passage from one of the Gospels (suggestion: John 1:1-14) and meditate on who He is. Ask the Holy Spirit to use this contemplation to restore a little more of His image in you.

The Mirror of the Soul

• In what areas of your life do you feel that the "grime" of sin or the past still obscures the image of God in you?

• What does it mean, in practical terms in your routine, to "contemplate the glory of the Lord"? Where and how can you do this more intentionally?

Prayer

Holy Spirit, thank you for being the Master Restorer of my soul. Forgive me for trying to fix myself with my own strength. Help me to discipline my eyes and my heart to continually contemplate the glory of Jesus, trusting that, in this process, You are transforming me into His image, from glory to glory. In Jesus' name, Amen.

God is not just forgiving you; He is restoring Himself in you.

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