Morphing

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of the world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will." (NIV)

Romans 12:2

Understanding and knowing God is my passion. Doing the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God for my life is part of that. This verse is pivotal. I don't want to be conformed to the pattern of the world. I want to be transformed by the renewing of my mind.

What does it mean for me to be transformed?

Transformed

Remember transformers? The popular super hero toys? A car or an airplane or another common object changes into a super hero robot to fight evil. Then back into a common everyday object until called upon to, once again, save the world.

Some people practice this kind of transformation. Sunday morning they change into “Church Attender,” fighter of evil. After church, back to common everyday conformer to the pattern of the world. These transformers are super heroes for Satan – the practical hypocrite.

What does it mean for me to transformed?

The Greek word in Romans 12 for transformed is metamorphoo. Think of the English word metamorphosis. I remember when I learned about butterflies. A butterfly is a caterpillar that has undergone metamorphosis. What a great transformation! Paul chose this word to refer to the change I am expected to undergo.

My change is not exactly like the butterfly. I don’t get to hide in a cocoon for several weeks, months or even years, and then emerge as the glorious image of Jesus. Not until heaven do I get perfection.

And I am not a Mighty Morphin Power Ranger ®. They touch a device on their wrists and instantly they turn from average teenage student to world saving super hero. Wouldn't that be great! If the Holy Spirit could reach into my heart, touch it and turn me from desperately wicked sinner to super Christian.

Able to slay evil giants with a single prayer!

Flexible to dodge the fiery darts of Satan!

More powerful than surrounding circumstances!

But, alas, it is not to be.

So if that is not my transformation, what does it mean to be transformed?

I think of Christian transformation like building a house. I accepted the purchase price Jesus Christ offered for my property. He purchased me to build His house. Right now, I am an empty lot. Clean, but empty. It takes time to build a house.

Jesus Christ digs a hole and later puts in a foundation. It doesn't look like a house, yet. But if I look at the foundation, and I close my eyes, I can see a beautiful finished house standing before me.

After the foundation, Jesus puts up the walls, the floor and adds a roof. Eventually, if you are far enough away and don't look in the windows, it looks like a nearly complete house. But inside, the wiring and the plumbing and the fixtures have not been installed. Jesus could stop building now, but the house is not done. It is not a house.

My transformation is very similar. Before long I can walk like a Christian. Talk like a Christian. Act like a Christian. But on the inside, there are lots of things missing in my transformation. My thought patterns are still immature. My character has some gigantic flaws.

Jesus could stop building now, but my transformation is not done. I am not finished.

Jesus installs the plumbing and the fixtures. The wiring and the switches are added. The drywall is hung and finished. Its looking good.

Similarly, Jesus helps me gain some ministry skills. He works on my character. The fruit of the Spirit shines through my life. Its looking good.

Jesus paints the walls. He puts in the carpet and tile. The final lighting fixtures are installed. A deck is built. The house is ready for sale.

Similarly, major character flaws have been fixed. I am accepting my position as a believer of Jesus Christ. His Lordship is evident to the people around me. But . . .

My life will never be completely transformed this side of heaven. Only when I die will my transformation to Christlikeness be complete. Until then, Jesus will continue to transform me. There will always be that locked upstairs hallway closet where I keep my pet sins. Yes, after all these years, I still have one of those. He keeps getting in there and cleaning stuff out. And the corner of the basement where I keep those rotting thought patterns. The smell alone will eventually get His attention and they will have to be dealt with.

My transformation continues by the renewing of my mind.

Renewing the mind

My old mind was formed by ungodly influences. Satan takes every opportunity to reinforce incorrect thinking. He uses my incorrect thinking to hold me captive to his desires for my life.

Ungodly influences are all around me. I am taught a secular humanist world view in school. I am taught unhealthy body images from television, the movies and magazines. I am taught unrealistic expectations of success from advertising campaigns. In other words, my old mind is conformed to the pattern of this world. And that pattern is reinforced daily.

The old mind is trained to avoid difficult circumstances, suffering, and hardship at all costs. Its trained to seek pleasure, instant gratification, and serving myself. The old mind focuses on external appearances. It is trained to expect easy success.

The new mind sees hard times as opportunities for God to be glorified. It sees suffering as God's tool for my personal growth and development. The new mind understands that discipline, delayed gratification and putting other people's interests ahead of my own will make me better in the long run. The new mind focuses on internal beauty. It knows that great value comes at great cost.

What can I do about my old mind? How do I transform it? By renewing it.

In computer programming, there is a saying. GIGO – Garbage In, Garbage Out. No matter how well my computer it programmed, if I put the wrong data into it, I will get the wrong information out. Garbage In, Garbage Out.

My brain works the same way. If I put garbage in, then I will think incorrectly. If I want to renew my mind, I need to change the inputs.

I started by taking in as much of the Bible as I can in as many ways as I can.

My primary method of Biblical input for transformation is scripture memory. Scripture memory helps me most. The verses I have memorized have renewed my mind. The concentration it takes to memorize a verse imprints it on my mind. It changes my conscious and my subconscious mind.

My second method of Biblical input for transformation is Bible reading. I read through the entire Bible at least once a year. Sometimes twice. Or I will read through the entire Bible and then read through the New Testament a couple more times.

My third method of Biblical input for transformation is Bible study. I study the Bible about five hours each week. In addition, to Scripture memory and Bible reading. I systematically study the books of the Bible, chapter by chapter. I have studied half of the New Testament books (some more than once). And a couple of Old Testament books. I average 25 chapters a year.

My fourth method of Biblical input for transformation is hearing godly men talk about the Bible. These days, I read a lot of books where godly men explain Biblical concepts to me. I consider these books to be of the same importance as hearing. This method is important, but not as important as the other three.

When I ask around, I find that most people have very little Biblical input. They go to church and listen to the message and thats it. Maybe they listen to Christian radio. But thats it. They still fill their minds with the old stuff: latest movies on DVD, television sitcoms, commercialism.

I will be conformed to the pattern of the world, unless I am transformed.

I will be transformed, when my mind is renewed.

I will be transformed, but transformed to what?

Me, The Icon of Jesus Christ

According to 2 Corinthians 3:18, I am being transformed into the likeness of Jesus Christ: Christlikeness. The Greek word for likeness is eikon. It is the root for our English word icon. It means an image or figure. It communicates the idea of a copy; or to resemble. An eikon communicates the ideas of representation and manifestation.

God wants me to represent Jesus Christ to those around me. God wants Jesus Christ to live through me. He gave me the Holy Spirit to help me. It is a process.

From -- me, conformed to the pattern of the world to -- me, transformed to be the icon of Jesus Christ to those around me.

Will you transform or conform?

Will you do the will of God or the will of the world?

Will you renew or regurgitate?

Morph or conform! The choice will always be yours.

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