Transformation, You can’t earn Gods Love but you can be perfected by it!
Context # 1
Paul was speaking to the Christians at the church in Corinth
There was descent in the ranks, he was facing a “Back to Moses” movement
As he faced his opponents he brings in wide ranging arguments comparing the old and new covenants and Paul now divides covenanted history the old and the new
Consider how history itself is divided, not by a war, not by the discovery of a continent or a great invention, no it is by a person in Jesus Christ, before and after his first coming
The some of the Jews are teaching that the old still is above the new, that Moses is equal or even greater than Jesus
They claim that Jesus was just but a part of the covenant of Moses like blind guides not seeing the glorious truth before them, clinging to their comfort zone and prepared to take others with them for the sake of their way
“To this day the Lord has not given you a mind that understands or eyes that see or ears that hear” (Deuteronomy), the veil had descended
Context # 2
The former ministry was Moses, the later was Christ’s. The former is marked by death and condemnation, the later by the Spirit and righteousness, love and life
The new covenant deals with the twin blessings righteousness (acquittal / forgiveness of sins) and the Spirit
Both righteousness and the Spirit are received when we believe in Christ, by faith in him do we receive, there is no other way, Jesus is the way, the truth and the life
Paul, goes out on the edge, to the heart of the matter and compares the truth of the old and the new glory, one that fades, is temporary and leads to death and one that shines bright, is permanent never to be extinguished and leads to life
Going out on the edge beyond the comfort zone is were the process of refinement and transformation accelerate
Unveiled life in Christ # 1
We who are unveiled can see the glory of the Lord and be transformed into his likeness with ever increasing glory
That is just amazing, we can be made to be like Jesus!
This is not a physical transformation we will not look like the Lord. This is Spiritual, character forming you should say
This produces in believers the “fruit” of relationship with Jesus, the fruit of the inward workings of the Holy Spirit love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control
How does this profound character transformation take place?
Unveiled life in Christ # 2
When anyone turns to the Lord, confesses a belief in Jesus the veil is taken away
We then have the right and the right to a relationship with God, relationship is the heart of the transformation process, the engine if you like, the depth and sincerity of our surrender is the fuel that defines how fast or slow this process goes
If we do not surrender our all, if we do not have a passion to seek God, the wholeness of Christ in our lives could be missed, the offer of a relationship with God could be lost
Are you worried that you might lose all that you have and hold dear, does the centre of your self scream NO NEVER, mine did before I came to Christ, all I once held dear I do now count but loss, loss of time with my saviour the lover of my soul from whom all good and perfect things flow
Process, Process, Process
I’m a scientist of sorts and I design and develop “Purification Processes” for drugs that save lives and fight cancer and poisons like snake bites
The drugs are antibodies, special unique proteins that target like a magic bullet on disease and poison taken them out, making them safe
These drugs have to be totally pure, any impurity in them and the patient would be at risk from serious perhaps life threatening reactions
These proteins I am working with at the moment are taken from sheep’s blood, sounds awful but they are made safe by a long and complicated process
This separates all of the dangerous proteins from the good and makes sure the medicine remains sterile and safe
To give you an idea what this is like its like having a glass of fresh water turned upside down pushed into the silt, in the deepest part of a average size sea, say the Mediterranean and then trying to recover the fresh water without losing a drop and without letting in any sea water or silt in – Easy eh!
God wants to do this with us
He wants to purify all of our good from all that is not
He wants to make us Holy by the blood of his son Jesus
He does this by a process of transformation, taking us from glory to glory
But why can’t I just be perfect # 1
I would never limit the power of God, I believe if he wanted to make someone perfect, it would be so
So why does n’t he?
The process is important, its really about development of relationship with him
Its about being prepared for an eternity with him
In his presence
God wants relationship with us, he always has and always will that’s what its all about, relationship, that why we had to be made clean, that why he was prepared to pay the ultimate price to do It!
Consider what love streams from and for eternity, what love for us today, tomorrow and forever!
So we are refined to be made like spiritual gold or silver
If you like transformed from a lump of coal (I’m speaking of myself of course), to a jewel fit for eternity! Set before the throne of the King eternal
We are transformed by the renewing of our mind, so while it is a spiritual process it is educational, we are still at school, still learning yet to sit the final exam of perfection
The study requires time in the word (reading the bible), time in prayer, not with a shopping list or wants and do it my way, no in relationship ask, listen and learn from the Father, The Son and The Spirit. Ask for wisdom, ask for knowledge, ask for revelation and you will be given as is right for you
The process of Purification
Refinement takes time, it takes breaking on occasion, it takes heat and pressure to force out the impurity its hard and painful, sometimes its bitter, sometimes it seems never ending – do forget this is the good news!
Sorry to say this but its true, focus on the eternal not today’s pain, our life on this earth is but a vapour, a whiff of smoke a glimmer compared to the fullness of the eternity that awaits, be strong and trust in the perfector of our faith
Comfort is the antidote of the process of transformation, for heavens sake don’t get comfortable, its like being veiled again, you can be comforted in heaven while on earth you are being prepared so off to the edge for another dose of refinement, we’ve got to keep out of the comfort zones they are the quagmires to spiritual growth
You need to understand it is a process that God and the Holy Spirit leads us through , let them take you by the hand on the journey to the true promised land
God wants to take us from the ways of sin and pollution to Holiness to his right ways
This is not a simple as a flick of the fingers, we need deep rooted work to do this
It is a process, the speed of which is up to us in part, the more surrendered we are to him the faster it will go, the more desperate we are for him the deeper and more through it will go, the more hungry we are for intimacy with him the more we just will not care what it takes
Take the world and give me Jesus needs to be our cry
Remember one day and it could be sooner than we all might think the world will be taken and their will be Jesus, are you ready?
Is this Just for me?
No its not just for you its for the whole of mankind
God wants to use you and us his church body as his instruments here of earth for the purposes of his kingdom
Jesus is the embodiment of the spirit of involvement he went to the un-clean, touch lepers, mixed with sinners and the yet to be healed, the spirit of the Pharisees would say un-clean, I am pure in the sight of God don’t touch, keep away, that’s not what we are called to be
God, that is the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit work together to make you who believe in Jesus, glorious, not just good folk but to be true humans for those around us who are yet to be saved
I mean to make us truly like God wanted humans to be in the first place, made in his image reflecting his glory and bringing glory to him, you need to be fully alive and fully human to do that! Like Jesus was and is
I believe that you are shaped by the images you seek, by the company you keep, this shaping is seen in your character in your values, your loves and wants in all that you truly are
When you carry God in you, Jesus with you just think of all the people you see and meet, all in the street, all in the shops, all in the schools, all on the train, on the plane, all of the lonely people all of the lost yet to be found who you carry Jesus to
Just think you might be the one to bring Jesus to your loved ones, then they will bring him to theirs, they on to theirs and on it goes, like ripples from a stone thrown into a pond
Don’t ever, ever listen to the voice that says your no good, your not important, that is of the Devil, rebuke him in the name of the one who loves you and died for you because you are important and you are loved by that name is the name above all others Jesus
Live glorious lives, live for Jesus, never look back look forward and strive for eternity for ever with the almighty God.
The greatest of news
Consider the message of the text, we who believe in Jesus Christ, we who are sealed in the Holy Spirit and washed in the precious blood of Jesus, we will be made like him who saved us, being sons and daughters of the living God! Give thanks and ask for a deeper relationship, surrender and seek the Lord while he can be found, ask to know just how much he loves you, ask to be filled with the Holy Spirit and to be let the Holy spirit make us more like Jesus
Ask for transformation let the glory shine in your life take it to the world in his name
Therefore as Gods chosen people, holy and dearly loved. For this reason make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness love, above all love
What a joy! What a process!
So remember it is all about Love, Love the Lord your God with your all and Love your neighbour as yourself, We all need to do this and practice it to perfection and we will all become more like Jesus, we will be transformed as will those around us!
