Transformation
Transformation is an inward renewal and reshaping of the mind in which a Christian’s
inner person is changed to be like Jesus Christ. To change radically in inner
character, condition, or natural. Paul told the Roman believers, “I beseech you
therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living
sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And be not
conformed to this world, but be you transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you
may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:1-
2).
Believers should continually renew their minds through prayer and the study of God’s
word, by the power of the Holy Spirit, and so be transformed and made like Christ (II
Corinthian 3:18) “but we all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the
Lord, and changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the
Lord”. This does not come from conscious imitation but from spiritual communion with
the Lord (I John 3:2-3) “beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it does not yet
appear what we shall be, but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him,
for we shall see Him as He is. And every man that has this hope in Him, purifies
himself, even as He is pure”. When we put ourselves in the hand of God the result will
be beyond our expectations.
Jesus gave us the 5 fold ministry to help transform us (Ephesians 4:11-15) “And He
gave some apostles, and some prophets, and some evangelists, and some pastors
and teachers. For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry for the
edifying of the body of Christ. Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the
knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the
fullness of Christ. That we hereafter be no more children, tossed to and fro, and
carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning
craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive. But speaking the truth in love, may
grow up into Him in all things, which is the head, even Christ”. In this, we are told to
move on toward maturity. Jude says “but you beloved, building up yourselves on your
most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking
for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life” (verses 20-21).
As the Christian life progresses, the person should gradually notice that his or her
thought life is being changed from Christ-less ness to Christ-likeness. Transformation
does not happen overnight. Christians are transformed to Christ’s image gradually as
they spend time in an intimate relationship with Him. Eventually, they will begin to be
more like Jesus. Let us come in agreement with the word of God (Romans 8:29) “for
whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His
Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren”. Since it is God’s desire
and plan to have many sons and daughters, each believer has to be conformed to the
prototype, Jesus. Christians are to act like Christ, who calls us to be loving, kind, and
merciful. They have a special responsibility to act as representatives of Christ.
Saul was transformed into Paul (Galatians 2:20) “I am crucified with Christ,
nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ lives in me, and the life which I now live in the
flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me”.
Let us examine his life and see how he grow. Paul soaked up the word, he spent some
time in the wilderness alone with God. The Bible says in Psalms 119:9 “wherewithal
shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed therein according to Your word”.
In II Corinthians 11:13-14 Paul warned his readers to beware of false apostles,
deceiving workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. One should
not be surprised, said Paul, at such false apostles; people who are counterfeit and
phony but who wear masks to deceive others, for satan himself is transformed into an
angel of light. The devil’s workers, in imitation of their ruler, also disguise themselves
as agents of good. We are told to judge them by their fruit.
The Bible tells us to examine ourselves to see if we be in the faith, and remember that
when we die we will be with our Lord. We are told in II Corinthians 5:6-9 “therefore we
are always confident, knowing that, while we are at home in the body, we are absent
from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say and willing
rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. Wherefore we
labor, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of Him”.
God doesn’t want anyone to perish, but that all would come to the knowledge of the
truth. We have to choose, just like in Deuteronomy 30:19 says “I call heaven and
earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing
and cursing, therefore choose life, that both you and your seed may live”. Romans 6:
16 says “know you not, that to whom you yield yourselves servants to obey, his
servants you are to whom you obey, whether of sin to death, or of obedience to
righteousness”?
Jesus said to some “not every one that says to Me, Lord Lord, shall enter into the
kingdom of heaven, but he that does the will of My Father which is in heaven. Many
will say to Me in that day, Lord Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name? And in
Your name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess to them, I never knew
you, depart from Me, you that work iniquity” (Matthew 7:21-23).
Can we conform to God and still hang on to old habits? Paul said it like this, “shall we
continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid, how shall we that are dead to sin,
live any longer therein? (Romans 6:1-2).
God have predestined for us to conform into the image of His Son, and Jesus have
given us the 5 fold ministry to help us. The Bible is our guideline and when applied to
our lives brings this transformation can come to completion.
Sermon by: Harriet Bond
Date: February 1, 2008
Transformation is an inward renewal and reshaping of the mind in which a Christian’s
inner person is changed to be like Jesus Christ. To change radically in inner
character, condition, or natural. Paul told the Roman believers, “I beseech you
therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living
sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And be not
conformed to this world, but be you transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you
may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:1-
2).
Believers should continually renew their minds through prayer and the study of God’s
word, by the power of the Holy Spirit, and so be transformed and made like Christ (II
Corinthian 3:18) “but we all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the
Lord, and changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the
Lord”. This does not come from conscious imitation but from spiritual communion with
the Lord (I John 3:2-3) “beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it does not yet
appear what we shall be, but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him,
for we shall see Him as He is. And every man that has this hope in Him, purifies
himself, even as He is pure”. When we put ourselves in the hand of God the result will
be beyond our expectations.
Jesus gave us the 5 fold ministry to help transform us (Ephesians 4:11-15) “And He
gave some apostles, and some prophets, and some evangelists, and some pastors
and teachers. For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry for the
edifying of the body of Christ. Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the
knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the
fullness of Christ. That we hereafter be no more children, tossed to and fro, and
carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning
craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive. But speaking the truth in love, may
grow up into Him in all things, which is the head, even Christ”. In this, we are told to
move on toward maturity. Jude says “but you beloved, building up yourselves on your
most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking
for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life” (verses 20-21).
As the Christian life progresses, the person should gradually notice that his or her
thought life is being changed from Christ-less ness to Christ-likeness. Transformation
does not happen overnight. Christians are transformed to Christ’s image gradually as
they spend time in an intimate relationship with Him. Eventually, they will begin to be
more like Jesus. Let us come in agreement with the word of God (Romans 8:29) “for
whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His
Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren”. Since it is God’s desire
and plan to have many sons and daughters, each believer has to be conformed to the
prototype, Jesus. Christians are to act like Christ, who calls us to be loving, kind, and
merciful. They have a special responsibility to act as representatives of Christ.
Saul was transformed into Paul (Galatians 2:20) “I am crucified with Christ,
nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ lives in me, and the life which I now live in the
flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me”.
Let us examine his life and see how he grow. Paul soaked up the word, he spent some
time in the wilderness alone with God. The Bible says in Psalms 119:9 “wherewithal
shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed therein according to Your word”.
In II Corinthians 11:13-14 Paul warned his readers to beware of false apostles,
deceiving workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. One should
not be surprised, said Paul, at such false apostles; people who are counterfeit and
phony but who wear masks to deceive others, for satan himself is transformed into an
angel of light. The devil’s workers, in imitation of their ruler, also disguise themselves
as agents of good. We are told to judge them by their fruit.
The Bible tells us to examine ourselves to see if we be in the faith, and remember that
when we die we will be with our Lord. We are told in II Corinthians 5:6-9 “therefore we
are always confident, knowing that, while we are at home in the body, we are absent
from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say and willing
rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. Wherefore we
labor, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of Him”.
God doesn’t want anyone to perish, but that all would come to the knowledge of the
truth. We have to choose, just like in Deuteronomy 30:19 says “I call heaven and
earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing
and cursing, therefore choose life, that both you and your seed may live”. Romans 6:
16 says “know you not, that to whom you yield yourselves servants to obey, his
servants you are to whom you obey, whether of sin to death, or of obedience to
righteousness”?
Jesus said to some “not every one that says to Me, Lord Lord, shall enter into the
kingdom of heaven, but he that does the will of My Father which is in heaven. Many
will say to Me in that day, Lord Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name? And in
Your name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess to them, I never knew
you, depart from Me, you that work iniquity” (Matthew 7:21-23).
Can we conform to God and still hang on to old habits? Paul said it like this, “shall we
continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid, how shall we that are dead to sin,
live any longer therein? (Romans 6:1-2).
God have predestined for us to conform into the image of His Son, and Jesus have
given us the 5 fold ministry to help us. The Bible is our guideline and when applied to
our lives brings this transformation can come to completion.
Sermon by: Harriet Bond
Date: February 1, 2008
