When Our Change Comes

Dear Brethren,

Paul shares with us an inspired observation when he writes that we can know about God by looking at the very creation itself.  God even gives us a picture of our conversion and transformation that must take place before we are able to become eternal children of God in the Family of God.

“The invisible things of [God] from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Divine nature; so that they are without excuse.”  (Romans 1:20)

A good illustration of this principle is the beautiful example of conversion and transformation seen in the life of a butterfly.  As a caterpillar worm it is confined to a shrub, but as a butterfly its existence is enhanced so that it might span the earth.  This process of going through a metamorphosis and emerging as a stunning butterfly is much like the example that Jesus gave to Nicodemus.  Men must undergo a spiritual transformation [‘Metamorphoo’ in the Greek] or change to emerge as perfected spiritual members of the Divine God Family.

“Nicodemus said unto [Jesus], How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?  Jesus answered, Truly, truly, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”  (John 3:4-5)

“The Lord Jesus Christ, shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body.”  (Philippians 3:21)

“It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body.”  (1 Corinthians 15:44)

Our heavenly Father initiates our calling and developmental process.  In one sense we are converted at once when repentance and faith have brought us to baptism and the receiving of God’s Holy Spirit.  But after that, the seventh doctrine of Jesus Christ, go on to perfection, reveals that our conversion is a life-long transformation (Hebrews 6:1).

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”  (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Today, this conversion and transformation process is an extremely rare condition upon the earth.

“I will give them one heart, and I will put a new Spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh.”  (Ezekiel 11:19)

We have seen too many of our brethren make the false assumption that their conversion process was entirely complete on the day they were baptized.  Our conversion is not a simple matter of accepting the fact that Jesus Christ died for our sins, and that, if we hold onto our beliefs throughout our life, we will become God-plane beings in the Kingdom of God.  It is not enough to stop eating pork, to keep the Holy Days and the Sabbath, to fast occasionally and to pray often.  Certainly, these are all good and necessary, but they are not enough.  Our destiny is to become Divine Spirit beings in the Kingdom of God.

Let’s understand that our baptism is the beginning of an all-encompassing transformation that lasts all of our days—who and what we were will be completely made over.

“Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed [‘Metamorphoo’] by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”  (Romans 12:2)

“We all, with open face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are changed [‘Metamorphoo’] into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”  (2 Corinthians 3:18)

That proves that we are to be transformed into the image of God – glory to glory.

The patriarch Job knew a great deal about the plan of God.  He knew that it was given unto man – once to die and then the resurrection.  He understood much about the wrath of God and the Day of the Lord.

“If a man die, shall he live again? All the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.  Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee: thou wilt have a desire to the work of thine hands.”  (Job 14:14-15)

Yes, God’s plan will come to completion and fruition.  Our transformation is a matter of going from a lack of character to attaining perfect, holy and righteous character by the power of God's Holy Spirit working in us to bring us to Glory.

***
Sermon:  "When Our Change Comes"


image
image