2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, the new has come!”
The Mission church in Vacaville, Cal. made the following one of it’s tenants of faith in their publication “Decisions That Define Us” by David Crone. Point number four, “We have decided that having good programs is not enough, that change without transformation is intolerable, and that staying where we are is not an option.”
Many of us have left where we were and are headed to where we will be and that’s a God thing for us who are led by the Spirit. Change is good, very good. But have you been transformed, more than merely changed, not just in mind, but in composition or structure; changed in character or condition? Did we just change habits and direction, or are we allowing God to transform us into the likeness of His Son? That is not only “transformed”, past tense as a one time event or a one night stand, but “transforming”, as in an ongoing process with a future. Don’t conform, be transformed. To change is to be “fixed and complying”, but to be transformed requires a metamorphosis. Change and transformation, though similar, differ in scope and impact. Change is often reactive and incremental, whereas transformation is profound and is a fundamental shift in identity and purpose. i see it like this: change tweeks the surface, but transformation redefines our very core. We don’t get to be a new creation simply by complying with the rules so we can be fixed. To be a “new creation” requires an entire metamorphosis, the old you must die in order that the new you can emerge. Only God can do that.
Philippians 2:14-15, “Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world …”
Having a mind set that hates sin is good, but more importantly, do we love Jesus? Hating sin is good, loving Jesus is best. Being aware of the plans of hell is good, but being aware of what God is doing is best! There is a difference between “good” and “best”. Many of us are, daily, working to cease from our superficial murmuring and our outward sneering criticism of everyone and everything, along with under-our-breath-complaining and passive-aggressive finger pointing. Those are good things to cease practicing, VERY good in fact. But have we been transformed and are we being transformed due to the fingerprints of God on our body, mind, and heart? Transformed … meaning, not only do we outwardly do the right thing, but inwardly, the world’s teaching no longer grips us nor do they drive us like waves driven by the wind, starting in ripples when we are young but shortly the wisdom of the world like swells with momentum and distance. Who we used to be is dead by the power and blood of Jesus, and He has grown in us a heart for becoming and overcoming. Also, it is grace for us to keep in mind that the process of transformation, as seen in Romans 12:1 and 2 Corinthians 3:18, it takes time. Be kind to yourself in the mean time.
Re-education is not transformation. Reformation is not transformation. Rehabilitation is not transformation. Real, lasting transformation is strictly in the habitation of God alone.
One day i was whining about how few miracles of healing and wonders we see in this country, asking the Lord, in all sincerity, “What are we doing wrong Father, that these things are not happening?” i’d suppose more than a few of us have asked similar questions of God. But, are we actually doing something wrong, or is it more closely, simply not the season, yet? The Lord said to me, “Doing miracles, signs, and wonders is excellent. Ahhhh, but transforming the heart of man, now THAT is a wonder to behold!” A transformed life is an effective testimony to the power of God’s Word. Are you shining brightly, or are you subtly troubled, and clouded by complaints and contention?
Re-education, re-formation, rehabilitation are things of change, but change without transformation is not acceptable. i don’t want us to merely change, my heart is for us to be transformed, having not merely turned over a new leaf as causal as putting on a different shirt, but having begun a new life. It is not just a re-vamped order and method; it is a whole new order of God’s creative energy which we live out in Christ. We are not just re-imagining an old paradigm, but entering into something new that is transformational, not just being saved but living “in and as” the beauty, grace, and electrifying, over-the-top, presence of God.
In 2 Corinthians 5:17, “all things” means “all things“, and no part of “all” means anything other than “all“. “New” means not just changed, but transformed. See Romans 12:1-2.
Got transformation? Not just salvation, and by NO means belittling the importance of salvation, don’t mistake me, but not simply salvation and that’s all there is, but beauty, grace, life, and love. It’s not enough to just have “fire insurance” by gaining salvation. God’s intent is that we come into the full likeness of His son, Jesus. Got transformation?