How God Transforms Lives…
How We Become
Christlike…
God’s
goal and therefore our life’s purpose is our Transformation, the metamorphosis
of sin stained spiritual cripples into beacons of radiant light reflecting the
holy nature of Christ to a world drowning in sin’s darkness. In transformation
we experience the resurrection power of the indwelling Christ-life and,
relinquishing our own Self-life, become ever more fully possessed of His divine
life. We become Christlike. Transformation
can be described as a series of ten stops on our spiritual journey:
(1) Ignorance of the concept or
existence of sin: Life along the “Wayside.”
(2) Aware of and indifferent to sin:
Life in “Stony Places.”
(3) Concern about the implications
of personal sin: Life in the “Thorn Bushes.”
(4) Confession of and forgiveness
for sin: Salvation begins.
(5) Commitment to faith activities:
Self puts on religion.
(6) Experiencing a prolonged period
of spiritual discontent: Transformation begins.
(7) Experiencing personal brokenness:
Self goes to the Cross.
(8) Choosing to surrender and submit
fully to God: Lordship begins.
(9) Enjoying profound intimacy with
and love for God: The presence of God.
(10) Experiencing profound
compassion and love for humanity: Life on “Good Ground.”
Note references to the Sower Parable
in stops one through three. In the sower parable Jesus spoke of four heart-soils and
how each responded to God’s seed-word. Another application of this parable is
to think of these four heart conditions as the transformation process from out
of covenant and lost, through salvation, and into spiritual maturity, our perfection...
Christlikeness. Normal Christian life is life in the
Thorn bushes where the progressive process of transformation occurs as we
overcome Self and the world, becoming people of one thing… Jesus!
According to the research of George
Barna, most Americans never get beyond stop three with only 11% getting past
stop five and only 2% getting past stop seven. Among those who become
“professed” born again Christians, most never move past stop five. And, most
church programs are designed to help people get to stop five of the journey –
where “faith activities” can so easily become religious activities -- but not
to move farther down the road into Christlikeness. Note: George Barna developed these
ten stops from his extensive polling research, which were subsequently
modified/renamed by the writer.
Stop seven, spiritual brokenness, is
the most important and most challenging stop: In order to complete the journey
one must be broken of their carnal/fleshly nature Self, with its misplaced
love for the riches, pleasures, cares, and non-spiritual things of earth life. The
willingness to crucify Self leads directly to our submission to the Lordship of
Jesus (stop eight). America’s
culture serves as a strong barrier to people being willing to completely
abandon their Self and the world in favor of listening to, obeying and enjoying
God.
Salvation
is a will driven process, and within it spiritual transformation is, likewise,
a will driven process. Transformation is the regenerating life process of
“Submit -- Crucify – Renew – Transform”, which completes the sanctification
process of the Holy Spirit as the believer grows into Christlikeness. In
Transformation we willfully submit to the Lordship of Christ, dying daily to Self
and Self’s interests, while willfully setting our minds on things above...
renewing our mind to reflect Christ’s mind, all willful, purposeful acts. Christlikeness
is the destination and destiny of all who “wills to do His will”, allowing His
life to live through their physical body as their life.
TRANSFORMATION:
THE JOURNEY TO WHOLENESS
AND FREEDOM
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