Posted: 11th August, 2010

Life Transformation

In the movie Amazing Grace, William Wilberforce is talking with his friend William Pitt about change. In response to a question by Pitt about changing the society, Wilberforce responds, “I would change myself first.” Wilberforce got it. He knew that change had to start first with himself. He knew that he needed to change himself before trying to help others to change.

In Christ, the Bible says that we are a kaine ktisis, a radically new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). This is the reality. This is who we are (for more on this, listen to my short series “Who are You?”). We need to live out of this reality now, and every moment we have. We need to learn to live out of what we are, instead of what we were.

Learning to live this way does not come automatically. It requires us, under the power of God, to put it into action in our life, today, and every today. It requires us to study the Bible, learn what our newness in Christ means and entails, and to live it out.

This process of learning how to think and act biblically in keeping with our newness in Christ, is called by Paul in Romans 12:2, transformation (or metamorphosis). We are, in fact, commanded to do this!

By choosing this life, we choose to wholeheartedly and diligently study the Scriptures AND consistently apply them to every aspect of our life – how we think, the decisions we make, what we say, and how we act.

Remember: Personal transformation is the process of renewing our mind so that our life and behavior changes in every way that is necessary to allow us to do all that God calls us to.

Notice, simply from Romans 12:1-2, what is involved in the stages of this “life transforming endeavor”:

1. We recognize God’s mercy in this effort: Although we are concertedly involved in it, and it will not happen without our determined efforts and actions, we do not accomplish it by our own power or strength, but by God’s power and strength which He has given to us.
2. We present our bodies (ourselves): This involves the entirety of our being.
3. We realize that our life is a continuing and living sacrifice (an offering): It is to be an offering that is holy and pleasing to God, and which is day by day, moment by moment, in everything we are and do.
4. We see that this is only reasonable: In other words, we do not think that what we are doing is some mighty deed, or some great sacrifice. We realize that the biblical discipling, or training, or transformation process to which we have committed ourselves, is simply a reasonable (and logical) action to attain transformation into Christ-likeness.

To be continued…