Be Transformed

 

“Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful.

There is so much that can get in the way of transformation. As Jesus mentions in this Scripture, worries, distractions and wants get in the way and choke out the word. It leads us astray and tries to entice us to get off course. We feel pressured to act or drawn the wrong way.

We see this with Abraham and the promise that he gave for a son. First, when he didn’t see the promise come forth, Sarah, (perhaps worried) assumed that they must need to make it happen and gave Abraham his slave girl. Abraham could have refused this, but instead (perhaps enticed) acted on it and created Ishmael before Sarah conceived her son, the child of promise, Isaac.

How does transformation happen?

As we know from the parable of the seeds along different soil that the condition of the soil is significant. The soil represents how they receive the word in hearing it and accepting it. Given this, it is a picture of the heart as the soil where we embrace what we hear, allowing faith to arise as one acts upon it.

Proverbs 4:23 says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” From these scriptures, we know that keeping our hearts from getting cluttered, enticed or full of fear and worry are important in our transformation and walking out the truth. To allow our hearts to be filled with other things will hinder our transformation.

Jesus also went on to tell another parable. It is about what the Kingdom of God is like related to seed. He said, here is what it is like, “A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.” (Mark 4:27-29)

Here Jesus is speaking that the soil in the Kingdom of God, does not need to be tended. It is only since the fall that we needed to tend the soil and work to make it grow. In the Kingdom realm, good soil is established so when seed is scattered, it sprouts and grows almost instantaneously by itself and bears fruit. A good harvest will come from it. When we access the Kingdom of God, it is going to cause fruitfulness and transformation.

We see this with revivals. True revivals open the heavens and bring the Kingdom of God to the earth. This not only allows people to experience the presence of God but creates transformation in the people that it touches. You will often hear people say they are “wrecked for life” or “will never be the same” as a result.

As an example of this Kingdom power, He then goes on to talk about the Kingdom of God like a mustard seed. It is the tiniest of seeds, yet it grows to be this incredible, influential tree that is not only is the largest and most powerful tree, but provides for everything else all around it. (Mark 4:30-32)

All this to say, when we access the Kingdom of God, there is space where we are transformed supernaturally. It is just like when we receive the Kingdom of God through salvation which is the power of God at work in us as we step forward in faith (Romans 1:16-17). We can allow the Kingdom of God, under the glory and an open heaven, to change us from the inside out and level us up (as I talked about in my last blog).

Once we receive salvation, there is still a transformation that is occurring in our lives through receiving the Kingdom of God. This may come from reading His word and letting the power of the Spirit transform us as we connect with Him. Or it can come from beholding His glory.

Beholding the Lord and being in His presence brings transformation. 2 Corinthians 3:18 says, "And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit."

This may also come from being steeped in His glory, like we see with Paul who became blinded and then had his eyes open. When the Lord comes into our lives with revelation and power, it changes us. We may have a significant encounter that transforms us. Or can come over time as we are transformed week after week in His presence by going to church, worshipping and hearing the Word.

2 Peter 1:3 says, “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us [into] His own glory and excellence, by which He has granted to us His precious and very great promises.”

We need to learn to live out of this supernatural Kingdom realm by renewing the way that we think. Paul tells us in Romans 12:2, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what is the good, pleasing and perfect will of God.”

So this scripture tells us that we are transformed by renewing our minds. Renewing here is the Greek word anakainósis, Strongs# 342, and it makes to see in a fresh way that results in a change in one’s heart and life. It is the same word for renewal that happens through salvation (Titus 3:15). So perhaps it is the mind coming into the reality of the Kingdom of God.

For so long, I took the scriptures as doing and performing. If I just do this or that, it will please the Lord. The more I do, the more the Lord will be pleased. But I am realizing that it is not what we do, but what we believe. With Joshua and Caleb, it was their beliefs that allowed them to have faith for doing supernaturally.

Saul, from the Old Testament, on the other hand, accomplished a lot through his battles. However, there were times that he doubted and tried to manipulate situations to his benefit. When Samuel did not come at the designated time, he made the offerings to try to keep the soldiers from leaving. As a result, the kingdom was ultimately taken from him. His son Jonathan, on the other hand, told his armor bearer that God can do as much through one as many so they tested the Lord and climbed up fight the Philistines and take the land with just the two of them. God was pleased and gave them the victory.

However, like testing the Lord on giving, doing can be a means to come into believing. One can fleece God in some cases and build their trust and faith. Our faith grows as we step forward, do, and see God is faithful with us. But, it is believing [versus doing] that we receive salvation and believing [verses doing] that receive the Kingdom of God and are transformed.

Ephesians 4:22-24 tells us “to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

What I am realizing is that our doing needs to reflect our believing as it is out of our beliefs that we enact our will and we operate. When we are transformed, it is in looking more like Christ. 2 Peter 1:4 says that through His great and precious promises we may become partakers of His divine nature, “having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.”

We are supernaturally made to grow in the image of Christ by partaking of His divine nature. This gives us freedom from the corruption of the world as we rise above it. If you google what it means to have His divine nature, it means a non-human nature that reflects God’s attributes. It means of having supernatural characteristics like God that are of high worth.

This does not mean that we disregard valuable character development and virtues and choose walking in His power. It is not a one or another. Like Ananias and Sapphira, pursuing power outside of character will lead to our demise. It is because we possess this divine nature that we are to align ourselves with it and make every effort to live out of godly qualities (1 Peter 1:5-8) by faith in virtue, knowledge, self-control and steadfastness.

As these verses go on to say, these qualities should be rooted in love and ever increasing, making us effective and fruitful in our knowledge of Christ. It is only as we possess these virtues and are filled with love that we are in position to operate out of His divine nature. As Christ lives in us, there is a death to ourselves and our fleshly desires.

Galatians 2:20 also says, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

The more we look like Christ, the more we will demonstrate sacrificial love and suffering. Paul says to the church in Philippians 1:27, “Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Jesus Christ.” Paul here is talking about how to handle themselves in opposition and persecution. He goes on to write that it has been granted for them to not only believe in Him, but suffer for Him. (Philippians 1:29)

Operating in the divine nature and advancing the Kingdom of God, often brings more demonic attacks. All the Apostles not only operated in the gifts as they advanced the gospel, but they suffered for the gospel. All of them, except John who was boiled in oil I understand, died as a result of what they believed. In other countries, people are dying still for their faith. They so believed that they were able to surrender their lives by faith to advance the gospel. And Paul from the Bible, just kept getting back up even though he wanted to go home to Jesus. They would stone him to death and he would just get back up and tell them about Jesus.

There are many saints who have seen powerful revivals and lived a long life. While they experienced difficulties, they trusted themselves to the Lord and pressed forward despite challenges. Living a long life was not their end game but they did under God’s protection. All that to say that operating in the divine nature leads to some challenges and persecutions but this also leads to further transformation.

This brings us back to avoiding suffering or death is not our end game. Seeking to advance the Kingdom of God is our charge and end game as Christians. And suffering in advancing the Kingdom of God will produce character in our lives. In Romans 5:3 Paul writes a challenging statement. “We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us…”

Ultimately, in a blink of an eye, when Jesus fully establishes His Kingdom, we will all be completely transformed. The sin and brokenness of the world will be washed away and all things will be made new. His Kingdom will be established under our feet as our lives are completely transformed in the fullness of His intent.

Lord, as times are getting darker, your divine nature is needed more than ever. People are broken and hurting everywhere we look. But, wherever your realm resides, you wipe away every tear of anguish and fill our hearts with joy that abounds and overflows. It is just what the world needs. Let Your Kingdom come and Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.