Sunday, May 26, 2013

From Renewal unto Transformation

UV 764/10,000 From Renewal unto Transformation Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature, the old has passed away. Behold, the new has come. 2 Corinthians 5 v 17 This is one of the first “rhema verses” or uni-verses that I heard soon after I became a believer on 31st July, 1979. The person who led me to Christ, congratulated me on my committing my life to Christ after he explained the gospel to me. When I asked him why he was congratulating me, he turned to this verse, saying, “ You are now a brand new creature.” To begin with our perspective changes from the old temporal to the new eternal, the old rule-based and action-based idea of salvation to the new grace-based faith. It is not as if we become automatically transformed but the process of transformation through renewal begins in us. The image of God is restored and renewed in us. God has made us in the likeness of His son Jesus but due to sin the distortions have crept in. Now, He renews us in that self-same image. People partake in recreation while we partake in re-creation. He gives us a new sense of purpose and the power to fulfil that purpose. He gives us new wisdom and grace. The righteousness and wisdom of Christ becomes our own. It is with the faith eye that we can say that the old has passed away. The reality and truth is that the old is passing away and simultaneously, the new is being renewed in the image of Christ. The process of being built up is preceded by the process of the old being pulled down. In biology, they say that all living beings have two processes running in them- the katabolic process or breaking down of old tissues and the anabolic process of building up new tissues. The spiritual corollary is true that both processes run simultaneously in us. Our pre-Christ minds, namely, our thoughts, priorities, emotions, desires, goals, actions, attitudes, reactions need to break down and be replaced with the renewed mind of Christ. Formerly, the first person in my life is “ I” but now it is “ He in me” and “I in Him”. Formerly, I had to attempt all things alone and depended on my own innate and natural abilities. Now, I do all things with Him. His unlimited resurrection power and grace is at work in me. Obviously, the results will be different. Our talents and our resources will be multiplied many times over. He tremendously increases the mileage of our efforts and resources. Even the sphere and network in which we work is transformed. Where formerly, we had a few friends and family members, we now have many friends and countless brothers and sisters in the Lord. We no longer just think globally and act locally but we now think universally and act locally. The seemingly least thing that we do which is prayer will have the greatest impact. Our mere thoughts and words will affect people and circumstances. I remember telling the Chief of the Special Task Force that was hunting the forest brigand Veerappan: “ Sir, If anyone kills or captures Veerappan, it will be you. I will be praying for you.” He responded by saying, “ I value the prayers of people like you.” He went on within a few months to end the mission successfully with the killing of the brigand and his associates, ending the activities of a deadly gang of desperados who had menaced three states for over three decades. The extent to which we willingly submit ourselves to the two processes of being broken down and being built up determines the speed of our transformation. Before we are “ in Christ” our life pattern is based on Substance ( or the material first), Performance ( or what we do and achieve next) and Image ( or the spiritual is last). When we are transformed, the life pattern is altered to Image( the Spiritual is first), Performance is next and Substance ( or the material, physical or monetary is last). The speed of our transformation depends on the regularity and consistency of our daily walk with God-our intake of the Word, the time we spend in prayer, fellowship with other believers and our readiness to witness to others about the new sense of purpose and power to fulfil that purpose. Prateep V Philip

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