The Process of Transformation Part 2

Transformation: change in form, appearance, nature, or character.

Transformation is always supernatural. No one can be transformed to be more and more like Jesus apart from a move by the Spirit of God in a persons life. The Scriptures teach us in Philippians 2:13 that God is always working in us giving us the desire to obey Him and the power to follow through. This teaches me that God is always willing to walk with a person or family or church down the road of transformation - He is always working in us. God also offers to us the desire to obey Him and also the ability to follow through. So why then, one may ask, is transformation seemingly difficult for many people? Mark 4 does give us some glimpses into the answer of transformation. In this section of Scripture, Jesus teaches His followers that their lives may be like one of four soils that He describes. The quality of the soil determines if there will be a healthy or unhealthy crop to be harvested. The type of crop depends upon the seed and that is where Jesus begins, by talking about the seed. Mark 4:13-14 teaches us that for there to be a healthy harvest, there must be the right seed put into soil. The seed, Jesus teaches us is the Word of God (Mark 4:14). There is no other seed sown into the soil of ones soul that will reproduce a healthy spiritual crop. So for there to be any real transformation, we must drink in the Word of God, which is the seed that will produce a harvest of holiness in our lives. The next important aspect of transformation is the soil itself. Mark 4:28 teach us that the soil produces crops all by itself. The right seed in good soil will produce a harvest. But soil must often be cultivated before it becomes nutritious soil capable of reproducing strong crops. When the soil is full of rocks, thorns, weeds or if it is shallow, it will not be able to sustain a hearty crop even with good seed planted in it. Part of God's 'always working in us' includes cultivating the soil of our souls to be the good soil and therefore reproductive. I think this is where many stray from the transformation process. They like the idea of transformation. They are glad to see others lives be transformed. But when God begins his cultivating of their lives to prepare the soil for the good seed (the Word of God), there often a backing up and away from the process. For cultivation to happen, violence must be done to the soil. It must be poked with a shovel deeply and then ripped out and turned over. It is often raked and has rocks unearthed and removed which disturbs the soil. All of this is quite uncomfortable. When God cultivates our lives it is painful and yet vital. We have to apply ourselves to cooperate with the Spirit of God as he prepares us to receive and reproduce. Transformation is always a work of God that does require the hard work of cooperation. Just this past week I was talking to a person who admitted they knew God was working in them and asking them to move forward in their faith which was not comfortable for this friend of mine. This person knew what God was asking but refused to cooperate. The result is that their soil remains weed infested and shallow. No amount of good seed sown upon this soil will produce lasting transformation. An effort must be put forward, but the effort is mostly, if not entirely, in the will of the individual. In Hebrews 12, we find a summary of the story of Esau. Esau sold his right to his fathers inheritance for a bowl of lentils to his brother Jacob. Of course Esau regretted his decision once his hunger pains left him, but it was too late. Listen to what Hebrews 12:17 tells us about Esau; "For you know that even afterwards, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears." Esau regretted what he did and wanted to repent. He even cried over what he had lost but according to this verse, he never choose to repent. He never choose to admit that he only thought of himself and his comfort. He was not willing to do the hard work of repentance; of agreeing with God that he was wrong. Ultimately, transformation is a cooperation with God. This requires a choice of the will to submit and allow God to lead however He wants. Once we cooperate with God, then God does all the work. Most people may not be experiencing transformation because they need to freshly submit to God - to surrender to Him so that He can cultivate the soil of our souls to make them rich and reproductive soil. Will you allow God to transform you?