Transformation by faith, from conformity to renewal.
And be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind...Ro 12:2a
If we could possibly look at ourselves at this moment from the Lords perspective and compare ourself to the 'finished work' (Ph 1:6) he has prepared for us to become, we may well ask this simple question, why doesn't he just change us right now? If we could truly answer this then we probably wouldn't need to be changed at all! But seriously, I think it's because God isn't as interested in us simply being what he wants us to be, as he is with us going through the journey to become what he wants us to be. The children of Israel wandered through the wilderness for 40 years in order to reach the promised land, a journey which may have taken less than 40 weeks. It certainly seems that God is not only willing and patient for us to embark on our own journey, but actually requires us to do so. Not only that he wants us to be the perfected work, but that he wants us to be aware of the change he brings about it us, the journey he takes us on.
We cannot truly know the purpose God originally created Adam and Eve for, but it seems that companionship is as good a guess as any. God walked amongst us in the Garden of Eden (Ge 3:8) and we clearly had numerous conversations which were recounted early on in Genesis. It is only logical that mans fellowship with the Lord was immeasurably more profound than it is for anyone alive today. So, other than trying to make it to heaven and of course win other souls for heaven, what more obvious mission could we have on this earth than to try to mend our relationship with our Creator? We need therefore to understand what it was that destroyed this relationship in the first place, of course it was sin, but what does sin do to our relationship? God is perfect, he cannot abide sin, so since we have sin in us, he cannot have the fellowship with us that Adam and Eve enjoyed before the fall. Sin is a barrier, an obstacle,
Unfortunately we often become confused by the types of obstacles that are in our way, let me explain. There seems to me to be two types of obstacle, firstly there are those things in our lives to which Paul is refering in Ro 12:2. These can usually be described as things 'in the world' which we become conformed into doing, another translation describes them as 'patterns' of this world. Things like becoming angry with our fellow man, becoming proud about certain things and even using profane language before it's too late to stop ourselves. God is more than able to work these behaviours out of our life. These are all unpleasant and Paul exhorts us to be transformed into people that do not do them any more. And as much as we should guard against outside influences in our worldly surroundings to prevent ourselves being further conformed to the world, it is actually more that we should have faith in Gods power to transform us from the inside out that will 'finish this work'.
This is however, I believe, where the danger comes in from our confusion about the other type of obstacle. This type of obstacle is simply, the enemy. I do not believe Paul was alluding to it in Ro 12:2, though he certainly does in other scriptures. There are many sorts of sin in a believers life which they may simply, entertain or allow. Things like adultery, intoxication, lying, covetousness...they seem usually to be covered by the ten commandments, sins which are premeditated. Sins which satan deceives us into giving in to, despite us knowing that they are against God. The problem is that we take these aspects of our lives as things which God can eradicate from our lives. God has definitely got a part to play, but that part is giving us the spiritual weaponry we need to fend the enemy off.
Essentially there are a number of steps we need to take to eradicate any of the obstacles in our lives which are hindering our relationship with God. We need to earnestly pray, we need to become more in the spirit whilst becoming less in the flesh and we need to grow in faith. This would be fine if sin were no more residing in our flesh, but unfortunately sin is still there, and it will be until our bodies die and we are given new bodies on the day of our Lord. The enemy gets to us through our sin and creates the desire within us to act that sin out. So if we confuse that 'act' as the type of obstacle which only needs prayer, spiritual growth, fleshly diminished and faith then we are likely to fail, if we are to succeed against satan we must become warriors in the spirit. In Ephesians 6:10-20 Paul is talking about just this kind of warfare and we must actively put defences up, we must be prepared for the enemy to come to us and rebuke him at every encounter. If we see these obstacles as something only in our inner man to be changed by the power of the Holy Spirit in us, then we are letting our guards down and allowing the enemy to tempt us with all manner of lies from the 'enduring grace of God' on one end of he spectrum to 'The limitations of our own faith' on the other.
We are children of the light, we are the sheep of his flock, if we truly believe that satan is real, then who is it that we think he is going after? Do we think he is going to waste his time on those who are already lost or those who are saved? Be prepared, God will not reward those who ran the race well only to by lured into sin at the end any more than he will deny those who sinned all their lives only to repent at the end.
Really interesting read. But is it possible to lose our salvation and at the end not make heaven? Didn't jesus say whoever believes and is baptized shall be save. Jesus said whatever is committed into his hanfs, he is able to keep so how then do we lose our salvation.......... just thinking out loud.
God is indeed slow to anger and plenteous in mercy (Ps 103:8) and is greatly concerned with helping us to not go astray as we read in Mt 18:11-14. In fact that he came in the flesh so that we can be counted among his flock.
But do not be deceived Brother/Sister by the teachings of some false shepherds (Jn 10) who might say that regardless of what wicked sins you carry on doing or fall back into, you are still saved.
This is a lie (1Co 6:9,10), there is no doubt, if a person is sining God cannot be with them, he is perfect and if your body is the temple of the Most High God then how can he abide therein?
It is not a popular doctrine, no doubt. Men love sin, and will worship any god of their own making in order to say in it, but that is not the God of Israel, the creator of all things, he is as just and holy as he is kind and loving.
Any who still believe that sin is compatible with Christianity should ask themselves this. Is what I am currently doing in my life, ALL my life, consistent to presenting my body as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God (Ro 12:1)? Am I dead unto sin (Ro 6:11)?
Jesus paid with his very life so that we could inherit the kingdom of God, why did he pay if it be that we can simply carry on sinning? We defile the temple of God if we do so, we nail Jesus back to the cross if we do so. If we sin after we are born again, we need to repent again and be reborn again, and that is being 'hot and cold'(Re 3:15,16).
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
These verses are often used by those who have the mistaken view 'once saved, always saved'.
We can notice that in the scripture Jesus gives three ways by which we might identify his sheep; they hear his voice, he knows them AND they follow him!
How can a person who has gone back to sin (if they are still in sin they didn't repent of it and must not have been saved in the first place) be following him?
I have in past times back-sliden in my walk with God, and I don't know about anyone else, but I found it very difficult to even pray, let alone worship him in truth while I was sinning. It is clear to me, a good tree cannot bear evil fruit and vice versa. It's not how long you have run the race, or how late you start, it's how you finish it.
