| What is Transformation? |
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| First Baptist Church |
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Transformation is a Biblical concept drawn from the New Testament. In essence, transformation is the process of renewing one’
s mind in order to discover and prove the fresh, current and innovative will of God. The basis for the transformation process can be
found in Romans 12.1-2:
And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he
will accept. When you think of what he has done for you, is this too much to ask? Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world,
but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you
will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is. Romans 12:1-2 (NLT)
As the passage indicates,
1. Transformation is a sacrifice – in this process of transformation, the individual must give their bodies to God. Since the
person cannot be separated from their body in this life, we are being asked to give our entire being – body, soul and spirit – to God
for His use and purposes. This will mean that anywhere the body goes, we go. Anything the body does, we do. Since the end of this
process is the will of God, the gift of one’s body is to be “alive to God.” This is not the “static religion” of so many people today. Here,
the Bible is seeking our active, vibrant involvement of our entire being given over to God. And more than this, God wants us to come
to Him in a manner that is more than just clean in His sight. He is seeking that we come to Him presenting ourselves as “holy” –
unblemished and unstained by sin, self and Satan. In order for this to occur, one must come to the saving grace of Jesus Christ and
allow Him to cleanse away all moral and spiritual failure. Once we have brought ourselves to God, we are prepared for the second
step …
2. Transformation is worship – Worship is simply our outward expression to God of Hiss worth in our life. Worship can be seen
by the cost we pay to express God’s worth. Since the Bible here pleads with us to “present our bodies a living sacrifice” (NKJ), we
can understand that the cost we are to pay to express God’s worth is our total and complete life. Transformation accepts the
question in the passage as a given: “When you think of what he has done for you, is this too much to ask?” For the transforming
follower of Jesus Christ, the answer is an unequivocal, “NO! He is worthy of all of my life and so much more!” When transformation
begins in the soul of the Christ follower, there is an understanding of the immense worth of God’s love. This value is unpayable in
the life of the Christian being transformed. As a result, one’s whole life and being is worthy of God’s leadership and command.
3. Transformation is a process of rejecting conformity – Ultimately, transformation is at odds with conformity. Transformation is
the process God uses to allow us to fulfill and become everything He desires and designed us to become. While the majority of
people want to be a carbon copy of those around them, imitating the behavior and customs of this world, God wants something
grand and fantastic for our lives. He longs for us to become the unique masterpiece He Himself has created us to become. With His
guidance and leadership in our daily lives, those gifts, talents and abilities can grow and blossom into the marvelous spectacle God
intends each of us to be. Instead of a cheap imitation, God longs for us to be a genuine work of art. If this is to happen, we must
jettison the foolishness of conformity and imitation of those about us and run towards the nurturing love of God.
4. Transformation is a renewing on the mind – In order for God to bring out the special nature and characteristics He has
designed us with, we come to the crossroads of imagination versus repetition. This world is into the assembly line method of
thinking. Everyone should become like everyone else. While the designs may change from time to time, the methodology remains
the same: Imitate the standard. God, however, longs for our transformation – a metamorphosis of who we are now into what we
could and can become through His guidance, leadership and nurturing. As we feast on God-sized thoughts, they themselves
change us. We realize the special and temporal limitations so many place upon us to fall away as God gets a grip on us and begins
to stir us deep within. Life becomes meaningful and significant as we allow the path of our lives to take on spiritual dimensions we
could never have imagined. Lives begin to be changed as we work within the flow of the Spirit of God – our internal resident guide
and encourager. Change takes on a breathlessness as we realize God’s potential for us in infinitely more fulfilling than anything the
plans of humanity has for us.
5. Transformation is seeking God’s present will – As we seek the fresh and current will of God for our lives, we are seeking to
stay in step with the Spirit of God and fulfill the plans of God for our lives in the moment. We understand His wisdom and knowledge
are greater than anything we could possess of our own nature. We long for the road less traveled as we intuit there is a higher
purpose and goal that is being accomplished through our willingness to let God lead and guide. With each chapter of our lives
during the transformation, we see with greater clarity God’s panorama plan unfold in and through our lives. And with each step along
this journey, we are of more desire to take the next, excitedly waiting for where and what these steps will lead to.
This is the process of transformation. It is a process that is started through sacrificing all on the altar and saying simply, “God I am
yours – completely.” It is fed by a daily willingness to surrender the dozens of “self-help” ideas of this world to the ultimate designer
of life, knowing He is ready to lead us on a journey that is both joyful and filled with pleasures (Psalm 16.11).
Transformation is life – and it is a process that doesn’t end until we step onto Heaven’s shore! This is what transformation is. Are
you being transformed by the grace of God right now?