Christian Living

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Trans…

"Trans-" is one of the most common prefixes in the English language. It is used in words that signify change or movement from one thing or place or condition to another, and it has a lot of significant applications to the Christian walk. Here we consider a "Trans-word" that directly applies to what God wants to do in your life, Transform.

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. 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. Romans 12:1-2 NKJV

In Romans 12:1-2, Paul encourages the early Christians in Rome to give themselves fully to God, to commit their lives to Him in all respects, and he notes that this is their reasonable service, in other words, this is "entry-level" Christianity. Fortunately for these early Christians, and for us today, this full-time, full-tilt commitment to God does not come by a person's own strength or effort. It comes by God's mercy and grace; however, each person does have a part to play in the process.

So, what exactly is it that a person is supposed to do, by the mercy of God, in order to fully present him/herself to God? TRANSFORM. Change from the inside - out.

As a Christian you are not to Conform to the world - you are to avoid molding yourself to fit in with the world and what it says is right, proper, cool, or acceptable. You must do this by renewing your mind so that you think in line with God's Word (see Joshua 1:8 NKJV), by having the mind of Christ (see Philippians 2:1-8 NKJV), and by casting down every thought and imagination that does not agree with God (see 2 Corinthians 10:5 NKJV). Do not think as Man, or the world, thinks. (See Matthew 16:23, Mark 8:33 NKJV, AMP, MSG) If you allow yourself to continue to fit the world's patterns of thought, you will never become whom God has always intended you to be, and remember, He has always had a wonderful plan for your life. (See Proverbs 23:7, Jeremiah 1:5, 29:11 NKJV)

In the 2007 science fiction movie Transformers**, a battle rages on earth between two forces of alien beings. These beings appear at first to be ordinary vehicles - cars, trucks, construction machines, etc. - but they have the ability to transform into their robotic alien selves, some good and some evil. Once transformed, the evil Transformers attempt to take over the earth, while the good Transformers, of course, attempt to stop them. Whether good or evil, these alien beings' transformation takes place when they rise up and shed their earthly-looking vehicular shells.

God has placed in you a piece of Himself, and He wants that part of you, your eternal spirit, to grow more and more powerful each day. This is how you defeat the enemy - by transforming yourself from whom you were in the world to whom God says you are in the spirit, and by letting the Holy Spirit work God's will through you. (See 1 John 4:4 NKJV) This is Power. This is Greatness. This is Transformation.

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**Transformers, Michael Bay, Dir. (Paramount Pictures/Dreamworks Studios 2007)

~~~Adapted from the author's website at http://www.seedwords.com/pages.asp?pageid=79843

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