Are you in a church that’s helping you to be transformed? Another way of saying it, are they helping you to put off the old life and put on the new life in Christ? I hope so. If not, then let me encourage you to stay where you are and join the ranks of the faithful remnant by learning how to really walk in truth to experience transformation in Christ. To do so will not only help you, but it will start a movement within your church to help others. Most of us have heard the old saying tossed about for years but few these days really understand its meaning. The saying is, “The whole Gospel truth.” As a believer, I venture to say that you know your church doctrine and may even have large portions of your Bible memorized, but you may not know if you are being transformed. Are you truly experiencing the new life in Christ? I hope to remedy that by showing you how to walk, in truth, which is our first step to transformation.

Once you have taken the first step no one will be able to stop your growth and that includes Satan. Let me be very clear. We are not preaching a different gospel. There is only one Gospel, the one written down so clearly in the New Testament. We believe the old gospel that Christ died on the Cross and then rose again so that through faith we could have a new life in Christ. So, if it’s still there, why is it no longer believed even though it’s still being preached and taught in your Bible classes? The short answer was covered in my last week’s article about the Lukewarm church, but simplistically stated again: “we must believe, really believe, the truth that God wants to give us life, to transform us.” He wants to make us into a new creation. As a new creation, you will not have one of the four static personalities, but you will have a dynamic personality that’s being changed into the likeness of Christ. We cannot go any further if you don’t believe this truth. To build on any other foundation will keep you in Christian infancy or as the Bible refers to as a carnal Christian unable to experience transformation.

To really believe this truth will open a whole new set of possibilities that will bring to light obscure passages of Scripture that may have been read before but not fully understood. The first one we will look at is in the letter to the Romans. The Bible says, “But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life” (Romans 6:22). The first thing we see here is a process, we are now “being” made free. We are no longer under the control of Satan or the old sin nature. The Apostle says it again in another letter, where he says, put off the old life and put on the new life in Christ. So, we must get the process started by believing that it’s not only possible, but it will become a reality. Trust me, I will say it one more time. If you don’t believe this you will not be transformed no matter how many sermons listen to, no matter how many Bible studies you attend and no matter how many Scripture verses you memorize. We must truly believe in the transformation. We must believe that God wants to make you into a beautiful new creation like you were originally meant to be.

The next thing we need to do is to expect the transformation. We must expect it to take place in our life. This is much more than wishful thinking, walking the aisle, and accepting Jesus. It is expecting the transformation to take place in our lives. To expect God to re-create a brand-new life in us to the glory of God. Most walking the aisle and accepting Jesus, which by the way isn’t in the Bible, don’t really expect to be changed. Most are just looking for acceptance, fellowship and their free ticket to heaven. They may even look for miracles, visions, and healing, but that’s it. That’s all that most people expect. And if that’s all you expect that’s all you will get. We must expect the transformation to take place in our lives. If you want to be transformed and you really want to experience the new life in Christ, then read further.

At this point, we must realize that we cannot possibly do this on our own. You may have already tried. We don’t need to, because God gives us two things to cause the transformation to happen. Let’s look at the first. God gives us the gift of the Holy Spirit that puts a seal on us; we now belong to God. Then the Spirit comes to dwell with us 24/7 for the rest of our lives. His job is threefold. He brings to your mind what other believers have taught you, the words of the Bible, and His still small voice. This voice of conviction tells you the things you need to put off, repent of, no longer do and very importantly the things you need to put on or put in their place. For example, if you learn that you can no longer lie then that is the thing to put off; then what do we put in the place of it? We speak truthfully to our neighbor (See Ephesians 4:22ff). As you learn this one lesson along with many others quickly to follow you will begin to grow in your new life. The Bible refers to this as growing from one degree of glory to another. This is the Spirit’s job. He is our Counselor. Our job is to listen and obey.

The second thing God gives us to help in our transformation is other believers in the Church. Now here is the exciting thing about transformation. God through the Holy Spirit will work as fast as you are willing. It does not need to take years while you sit in the church waiting for the next weekly sermon. No, it happens every day by spending quality time with other maturing brothers and sisters in the Lord. Your spiritual growth or transformation must, I repeat, must happen every day. The established church may only come together once a week, but God’s holy children of the faithful remnant must come together daily. In the old days we used to call this discipleship where a mature believer who is being transformed meets with a new believer in Christ, desiring transformation. Watch this! Everyone must be involved. You are either the mature believer being transformed, or you are the newer believer who is struggling with putting off the old life and putting on the new life in Christ. This is not a counseling center, it is the Church of God filled with His beloved children helping one another in their growth.

So, the question we must ask ourselves is, “are we truly helping others to grow up in Christ.” Be careful how you answer that question. This is not just about sharing your opinion for that particular day. It is not just a casual, fun fellowship. It is walking with the other person. Observing their behavior, the things they say, and the things they believe about their relationship with Christ. It always begins with listening. The Bible says, “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath” (James 1:19). We must really listen without thinking of something else, then pause while you speak quietly to the Spirit so that He alone can lead you on what to say to your brother or sister, to really help them in their transformation. This is the job of the Church. We are the Church. This is our responsibility. Not just the responsibility of the Pastor, the teachers, and not the job of so-called professional counselors. It is our job to help others to grow in their faith, to become all that God has called them to be in their new life. The Bible says, “And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another” (Romans 15:14). God has given all His children the ability to help one another grow in their new life. So, let’s help one another walk in truth and take their first step to transformation.

Coming Soon: Rev. Blair has recorded this Blog Article as a Tribulation Radio Show in HD Video with local vocalists, prayers, and much more to the glory of God.

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