TRANSFORMED
There is an antidote to the influence of popular culture which we shared with you last week. You can read it again here. The incredible life changing work of transformation in our lives is highlighted in Romans 12.
“Be transformed by the renewing of your mind…”
Here we have a picture in a single word of the redemptive power of God’s work in our lives as believers. This word ‘transformed’ in the original language brings us a word which we will be familiar with – ‘metamorphosis’ The word describes the biological change that takes place in creation. “A profound change in form from one stage to the next in the life history of an organism, as from the caterpillar to the pupa and from the pupa to the adult butterfly.”
THE BEAUTY OF TRANSFORMATION
Kenneth Wuest in his Expanded New Testament describes this process so well.
“but change your outward expression to one that comes from within and is representative of your inner being, by the renewing of your mind…”
Jesus Christ dwells within us by his Spirit. His life is utterly different, life filled, glorious and transcends anything linked with earth. If this process is taking place within us then Jesus will become visible to others.
A GLIMPSE OF TRANSFORMATION
In Matthew 17 we are told the story of Peter, James and John being taken up a mountain with Jesus. The word ‘transfiguration’ once again has its root meaning within the same one as transformed. Kenneth Wuest puts it like this;
“And the manner of his outward expression was changed before them, that expression coming from and being representative of his inner being…”
“And his face took on a different appearance so that it shone like the sun, and his outer garments became white like its light.”
His life and nature reveal his glory through his people, life pulsating, life giving and life transforming. Our expectation in being sons and daughters of our heavenly Father is underlined in 2 Corinthians 3:18.
“Now, as for us, we all, with uncovered face, reflecting as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are having our outward expressions changed in to the same image from one degree of glory to another according as this change of expression proceeds from the Lord, the Spirit, this outward expression coming from and being truly representative of the Lord.”