Practical Living in an Impractical World: Romans 12:2 Transformers.

You may be familiar with the animated series and movie franchise, called “Transformers.” This is about a group of large, intelligent robot beings which have the ability to change, transform, from one shape into their powerful selves and back again at will. Paul commands the church to be the true Transformers; children of GOD who transformed and continue to transform. The word used in the Greek has been transliterated into the English action word, metamorphosis. Many magicians over time have included illusions in their act that have been titled as ‘Metamorphosis’. It’s designed to look like one thing suddenly becomes another thing, an assistant turns into the magician, a kitten turns into a white tiger, etc. These are fun to watch, for me, and a good magician can perform this illusion in the blink of an eye. The ‘Transformers’ go back and forth from one form to the other. The Metamorphosis illusion is just a trick, and no real change is made. Our transformation must be real. We are told by the HOLY SPIRIT that we should NOT be going back and forth from what we were into what we should be. “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed…” To ‘meta morph’ is to be modified or changed through or by our association with someone else. For us, that means the more we associate or align ourselves with JESUS, the more we should start looking like JESUS in our thoughts, attitudes, and actions. Paul goes on to explain how this transformation takes place, “by the renewal of your mind…” GOD, by HIS Grace has provided the pattern in CHRIST. By HIS Grace, HE has given us the ability to choose that pattern and to morph into it by the action of the mind. What greater mind to pattern after than the mind of JESUS? “Have this mind in you, which was also in CHRIST JESUS:” (Philippians 2:5) HIS was the mind of obedience and full submission to HIS FATHER. HIS was the mind of service, to the FATHER and to all of us. What a world it would be if we were all so transformed.

Russell Ashby