Keep Being Transformed

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. ² And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."

Romans 12:1-2

God can do what no one else can:  change us and keep changing us for good.  These verses provided an "Aha!" moment for me as I considered how God transforms us when we are born again and our need to continue to be transformed.  When I was a kid, "Transformers" were a very cool toy marketed as "Robots in Disguise."  What appeared to be a tank, truck or car could be "transformed" into a formidable robot.  It fits the definition of transformation of a marked change, but Optimus Prime and Bumblebee were simply wearing clever disguises.  They were really extraterrestrial robots that could take the shape of a vehicle to blend in among others until the villainous Decepticons showed up.  This is not what the Bible means when it says "Be transformed," but it has possibly impacted the way we define the phrase.  It can lead to a mistaken idea that we are transformed at conversion from death to life, from being dead in sins to being alive to God--and that there is no additional transformation necessary or possible.

This passage and the testimony of scripture hold forth a totally different reality.  The word "transform" in the Greek is what our word "metamorphosis" comes from.  There are a handful of animals that go through metamorphosis, and this is a complete change inside and out from a swimming tadpole with gills to a leaping frog that breathes air or the metamorphosis of a caterpillar to a moth or butterfly.  Amazingly, while we are justified at conversion there remains an opportunity and responsibility for the child of God who has presented themselves to God to daily be transformed by the renewing of our mind.  We have all seen people change for the better or worse because of trials, pains, addictions and sin.  Our bodies change as we age; our minds and perspectives can also be shaped by our experiences.  We can truthfully say, "I will never be the same" in a positive or negative sense due to what has happened to us:  followers of Jesus Christ can say this because we are being transformed by the renewing of our minds.  "Be ye transformed" is in the present, passive imperative tense, a command for all believers.

Humans are naturally resistant against humbling ourselves when we are in the right, and we hate to admit we have been wrong.  Having been born again by the Holy Spirit, we are given divine insight of our need to keep changing our thoughts and actions to align with Him.  We have gone from living in the dark to seeing ourselves in truth.  A common and immature response to this illumination is to use our knowledge to point out what is wrong with others or even the church, in pride ignoring completely our need to continue to be transformed and be aligned ourselves in practice with the perfect will of God.  God has changed us from who we used to be but it doesn't follow we are now fully who He desires we be.  The spiritual exercises of prayer, humbly reading and receiving God's word in faith, being in fellowship with other believers and receiving correction work to keep transforming us more into the likeness of Jesus Christ.

If we needed to pass from death to life through the Gospel received by faith in Jesus Christ, if we needed to repent of our sins to be forgiven and have fellowship with God, then we need to continue being transformed by the renewing of our mind.  Christians have been sanctified by God, separated from unbelievers as a precious inheritance for Himself.  For every Christian today who lives on earth there is a time in the future when we will be wholly sanctified in the presence of God in eternal glory.  But in the meantime we are to keep being transformed by the renewing of our minds, choosing to be sanctified for our Master's use.  The use of "transformed" in Romans 12:2 and transfiguration of Jesus are the only time metamorphoo is used in the Bible, for all other uses of "transformed" in scripture refer to the devil or his ministers who merely disguise themselves as righteous.  Instead of disguising our faults to hide them or using grace as a cloak for sin, we ought to be those who continue to be transformed, changed from within by faith and obedience to Jesus who is altogether glorious.  Having been transformed, we are to keep being transformed daily as we present ourselves to Jesus to do His will.