The transformation

Rom 12:1-2  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.  (2)  And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

I must reiterate. I must emphasize that the transformation process is not our undertaking and has nothing to do with what we do. The transformation process happens supernaturally based upon what we believe. The word that Paul uses for transformation is the Greek word METAMORPHOO. It is where we get our word metamorphosis from. Of course metamorphosis is a term that describes what happens to a caterpillar/pupa/butterfly. It is a change of form. It is a part of the nature of the caterpillar and butterfly. The caterpillar does not do anything to become a butterfly. Likewise, the saint does nothing to become a new creation except believe that they are one.

So then, how does this metamorphosis take place? That is a valid question to ask. Paul explains that the catalyst for the metamorphosis is a renewed mind. Renewed to what? Well, what is Paul pleading, beseeching on behalf of? The answer is simple. It is the mercies of God. The mind must be renewed to the mercies of God which is the gospel. This is why it is important to understand the definition that Jesus, Paul and the other apostles gave to the phrase *the word of God.* As I have proven, over and over on other posts on this blog, they defined it as the gospel and Jesus the living gospel.

How then does it work you ask? It works by bringing peace with God, Romans 5:1. Peace with God, as the result of the gospel of grace, is the foundational energy for the transformation, metamorphosis. I say foundational because peace with God produces love for God. This is why it is so important to understand that the gospel is unconditional and righteousness is by faith.  What that essentially means is that God declares one righteous based upon the fact that they are trusting Jesus… that is, one is right and righteous because God declares it with his word… His word the gospel, and the living Gospel Jesus of Nazareth.

This is what produces the Sabbath Rest for God’s people (Heb 4:9-10.) The Sabbath Rest is trusting in, relying on, and clinging too the fact that God has made us right in his sight. We are right because we trust in Jesus righteousness.’ This produces the peace with God that develops love for God that results in obedience to God. True obedience and transformation only comes from this supernatural source. The saint of God is being transformed from faith, to faith (Romans 1:17.) What is meant by from faith to faith? That is simple to explain. Jesus had perfect faith in the Father, thereby he pleased the Father (Heb 11:6.) We then appropriate Jesus’ faith with our faith we please the Father and enter into his peace. The fact that we are declared righteous by God produces righteousness in us.