TANSFORMATION

The last six months have brought about some major changes in my life.

My father was diagnosed with cancer about 2 years ago. When it became apparent that this was a cancer diagnosis that would not have a happy ending, my sister and I split up the tasks of helping him to come to terms with the physical, emotional, financial, and spiritual reckoning of what was about to happen. She did much of the physical stuff and I did the financial. Our youngest sister, who lives in Boston, would come down with her two young girls, about 6 and 8, and that would be better than any medicine a Hopkins doctor could give him. He eventually moved to Baltimore to be closer to us, and a lot of our friends from church jumped in to help us with the emotional and spiritual needs.

During this 2-year period, there were several transitions. The physical, of course, was the most notable. A healthy 84-year old man who could drive and perform his everyday tasks of caring for himself and his dog, become an 86-year old man who could not be left alone, and needed help for the most basic of needs. The man, who two years earlier, could tell you everything that was happening in the stock market, became a man who could not remember how to write out a check.

But there were other changes taking place – more important ones -- below the surface. While his body was dying, his spirit was awakening. Our church friends gathered around him when we brought him to church. They truly loved him, and it made a great impact on him. His small capacity to hear a message from the preacher began to grow, and he started to ask questions. Little by little, he began to develop a life of faith and have a better understanding of what was coming next. It didn’t take away all the fear and disappointment of knowing that his life would end soon, but it did give him some hope. And to be honest, before his illness, he had none.

By the time my father died, a new man had been born. And then of course, there is the ultimate transformation. Upon entering heaven, I like to think that my mom was there to greet him and show him around his new home.

In the Bible, Jesus uses the example of a seed dying before it becomes fruitful. He tells his disciples in John 12:24: Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit (ESV).

Without spiritual understanding, the concept of having to die to live is hard to understand. Self-preservation is a strong motivation. It’s a natural defense against anything that might stand in our way of getting what we want, what we think we need to succeed. “The heart wants what the heart want” cries the natural man, defending his right to take whatever he desires and put himself before others.

But, my relationship with a living God starts with recognizing that He is greater than I am, and that His way is better than my way. I acknowledge not only His sovereignty, but also the fact that He is all-knowing, all-powerful and everywhere present. These are high attributes – none of which I possess. In giving up the reins, so to speak, I am handing over control to the One I believe has the wisdom, the knowledge, and the power to do a better job than I. And … most importantly … He loves me. Not just a little, but intensely and completely.

And this is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. (I John 4:10, NIV)

In other words, God’s love is ‘boots on the ground’ love. He doesn’t just talk the talk; He walks the walk. God’s love is a love that I can trust and rely on.

What does that have to do with the dying process that Jesus was talking about?

As I grow in my faith (which, if I am honest, is often a 2-steps forward, 3-steps backward kind of thing), I begin to see the benefits of letting go of my natural desires and inclinations and learning how to follow Christ.

Look at that last paragraph again, please. Notice these phrases: grow in — begin to see -- letting go -- learning how. Theses phrases all have something in common. They are words of action (remember middle school english -- action verbs!) and can all be used to describe the ongoing process of transformation.

Spiritually speaking, I am counted as righteous because of my faith in Christ, and God sees me as already seated with Christ in heavenly realms (Ephesians 2:6) at the moment I accepted Christ as my Savior. But … in my day to day experience, where I still embody a sin nature, the old me is being sloughed off, bit by bit, revealing the growth of the new creation in Christ (II Corinthians 5:17). Like the proverbial seed that Jesus speaks of the old gives way for the new.

My life is filled with choices: big and small. Some that will only impact my moments, and some that will impact my life, and the lives of those around me. It’s so easy to just plow ahead, making what I consider to be ‘right’ decisions, without taking the time to involve God in my decision-making process. My ultimate transformation – a glorified body -- is assured because of my faith in Christ, but I have opportunities every day to put the old man aside and live a transformed life -- a new creation being led by a living God!

**If you do not know Christ as your Savior, please ask Him – today – to come and live in your heart. Christ died on the cross to pay for the sins of the world. Salvation is a free gift, and no one is excluded from the opportunity to choose it. Christ’s blood is payment for your sin and heaven can be your eternal home!

***If you are in need of a church or counseling, please go to: ggwo.org