“…so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to GIVE YOUR BODIES TO GOD because of all He has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind He will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship Him. DON’T COPY the behavior and customs OF THIS WORLD, but let God TRANSFORM YOU into a NEW PERSON by changing THE WAY YOU THINK. Then you will learn TO KNOW GOD’S WILL FOR YOU, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” (Rom. 12:1-2) We are encouraged to present our bodies to God so He can transform us as only God can do. This word “Transform” is from the Greek, metamorphoó: to change into ANOTHER FORM.
The way of life to which Jesus calls us is eternal life. However, our old nature is to focus on things that don’t last, so we need to be transformed! We go through something in our old nature, like a metamorphosis. Where a tadpole is changed into a frog. For us, our “OLD” nature is transformed into a “NEW” nature in Christ.
One of the first and most important changes is that we, “Love the Lord our God with ALL our HEART, SOUL, MIND. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.” (Matt. 22:37-40) Now when Jesus went up on a mountainside, His disciples came to Him, and He began to teach them. He said: “Blessed are the POOR in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who MOURN, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the MEEK, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who HUNGER and THIRST for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the MERCIFUL, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the PURE IN HEART, for they will see God. Blessed are the PEACEMAKERS, for they will be called children of God.” (Matt. 5:1-9) When we are transformed we can LIVE THIS WAY, so how do we become “transformed?”
We must understand that “All have sinned…” (Rom. 3:23) and “the wages of sin is death…” but “the gift of God is eternal life…” (Rom. 3:23) So, what do we do? “REPENT, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord…” (Acts 3:19) We tell God we are sorry for our sins and ask Him for forgiveness, then we turn away from our sins and turn to and accept JESUS CHRIST AS OUR LORD.
-Bill Stockham