“Transformed”
By Rev. Everett R. Kimble, Sr.
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” (Romans 12:1, 2)
For years after I had accepted that Jesus Christ was the savior of the world, I continued my life much the same as it had always been. And for many of those first years I was a sailor in the United States Navy and let’s just say; I was not the model Christian. You could not tell what I believed about Jesus because I was living the same as most of the other people in my circle who never claimed to have a relationship with Jesus. I hung out at nightclubs, had a drink here and there, and was no stranger to foul language all while professing to believe without making a real connection. Until one day, after a few test and trials, standing in my living room the weight of glory came down on me, and my heart finally opened to the truth that Jesus was not only the Savior of the world, but He was also my personal Savior and I had never really given my life to Him. That day marked the beginning of my internal and eternal transformation.
I read somewhere that transformation is the process of God-empowered renovation so that we come to resemble Christ. I’ll say that again. “Transformation is the process of God-empowered renovation so that we come to resemble Christ.” Everything that we endure is all part of God structuring our lives so that we can become the best ambassadors possible. I love to watch a T.V. show called “Home Town” where old houses get renovated and transformed into something great and new. The process is usually long and there is a lot of hard work, but I have never heard anyone complain about the results.
And here is where I would like to encourage someone today. You cannot have a transformation without going through a time of renovation. If you have truly received Jesus Christ as your Savior God is going to take the old you and do the work required to create the new you. He is going to have to break some things, tear some things down and other things He is going to have to throw away altogether and it will get messy; but eventually things will begin to come together. Soon the beauty of all that He has been building will break through with the full weight of His power and glory. Builders don’t get distracted because they trust the plan and the process and they have a clear vision of the new thing. If you stay focused on the new you everything will be just fine.
I know because I made it. I don’t drink or fuss, and the partying I do now is a lot different than it used to be. I am not completely renovated yet, but it is clear that a lot of work is already done and if He can do it to me, He can do it to you. So hold on a little longer and you will be able to see how wonderful, and great, and beautiful salvation truly is.
Pray, hold on, and stand tall, it’s renovation time. Be blessed and have a wonderful, safe Good Friday!
