Transformed

One time many years ago I saw a man who had a special skill that he used to turn something relatively useless into something really intricate and incredible. He was a chainsaw carver who took a log and turned it into a piece of art.

He started off first of all with a large log, probably 18 inches in diameter, and about 4 feet long/tall. He placed the log on the ground and stood it upright and slowly began to cut off little pieces and chunks, a little here and a little there. After about five or six minutes, the log started looking a little bit different; it started to have a slight shape to it.

Changing to a different chainsaw with a different blade, the man began to make even more cuts, adding slight indentations and markings into the log. After about 30 or 40 minutes, instead of a plain chunk of firewood, a detailed four foot tall wooden eagle stood in it’s place.

He took a simple, rough piece of wood and shaped it into an incredible piece of art.

When a person gives themselves to God and gives themselves to Him, they are allowing themselves to be transformed according to His will, and turned into what He wants them to be. He takes a person who is rough around the edges, and shapes and molds them into a vessel fit for His use.

Through the transformation of the Holy Spirit, we can be changed from worthless, unprofitable people into something useful. No longer are we only concerned or focused on what we can attain or do for ourselves, but we are turned and changed into something that brings glory to the name of Christ.

When Jesus walked along the sea and picked James and John to be His apostles, they weren’t refined, completed Christians immediately. They were fisherman. And Jesus turned them into “fishers of men.” He took a couple men who were just normal, ordinary men and used them to spread the Word of God. He could have picked leaders from a Judaic temple, Pharisees (which in Paul’s case, He did), or priests, but He chose to pick someone who the world might not pick to teach others. Someone who might even be looked down on as unimportant. 

“And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:” 1 Corinthians 1:28

When Jesus picked His apostles, they started to undergo their transformation. Day by day they spent with the Lord, learning and gaining understanding of His teachings. Even when Jesus was led away to be crucified, they ran away. They still needed to be converted yet. They were still learning and becoming stronger in the faith. 

We don’t start out as mature adults when we are born. We all start out as babies, and begin to learn things. How to walk, how to eat, how to speak. And once we learn those things, we learn how to do them even better, without making mistakes. We aren’t mature Christians the first day either. We have much to learn. How to resist sin and temptation, how to love others, how to love God, how to speak the truth instead of lies. How to forgive and how to reconcile.  Day by day we slowly change and improve into something acceptable unto God. 

“Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 2:5

In fact, we continually are getting worked on. Day by day, we are slowly being shaped and formed more perfectly each day. 

Becoming a Christian requires a person to cut out certain things out of their life, little imperfections that are displeasing to God, and replacing them with the things of God. Through the help of the Holy Spirit, we are transformed according to His Word. 

As a potter takes a lump of clay and turns it into a beautiful piece of pottery, God takes and transforms us from wicked wretched sinners who have no hope of salvation into forgiven sinners who live their lives for the glory of God.

“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 12:2

The life of a Christian never ends. We never stop learning about God, studying the scriptures, or perfecting our lives. We are constantly growing each day, into what He wants us to be.

In Christ,

Andrew