Transformed

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” + Romans 12v2

“Transformed: make a thorough or dramatic change in the form, appearance, or character of.”

Every Christian has felt the tension implied in this passage – “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed…” I feel it. The struggle is real, as they say. A day in church is not enough to wash away a week’s worth of grime in the world. Every Christian at one time or another has felt the Sunday morning guilt of knowing you’re not clean. Instead of being transformed, your mind has spent the week being conformed to the patterns, ways, values, and principles of the culture. But if the tension is there, it’s because you want the transformation – you want a new mind. You want a dramatic change.

While you want this transformation, it’s hard to come by. It’s not a lack of knowing; you know the command here. But you just can’t seem to do it. That’s the problem. What you need is power – power to do the command.

How do we get this thorough change? By the renewal of our minds. Doesn’t help much, does it? We know we have dirty minds that we would be ashamed beyond belief to show anyone the inside of them to. What we need is someone else to renew our minds and transform us.

We need Jesus. Will-power and self-motivation won’t get the job done. The law was meant to make us stumble upon Jesus. Jesus lifts our heads and turns our minds upside down. Jesus teaches us to think in terms of his kingdom, and not this world’s economy. Jesus tends to poke and prod at our hearts to make us more like him.

But Jesus does not just help us. Jesus did the work for us. Jesus was transformed as he descended from heaven to become a man. Jesus lived a life perfectly conformed to the will of God, and not conformed to the patterns of this world. Jesus’ image was thoroughly altered as his body was beaten and battered so that he could transform us into his image. He stood in our place then, and he stands in our place now. As God looks upon us, he sees the transformed, resurrected image of Christ covering up entirely all of our dirt and grime.

If you are to be like Him, cling to him.