3 Foundational Ways God Transforms our Lives
God made us and He knows how to change us
It is so ironic that one of the Enemy’s most used attacks is that God is holding out on us .He really does not want the best for us.
The Original Deception in Various Forms
In Genesis 3, after using a question that warps God’s words, the serpent then directly says to Eve (Adam was standing right next to her), “You surely will not die! For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened and YOU WILL BE LIKE GOD, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:4b-5, NASB)
There are many layers to these few sentences, but here I want to focus mainly on a couple of related ones: “if you doubt God, don’t trust Him, so you disobey His words; THEN you will be like God, THEN you will experience life at the highest possible level.
It’s so sadly ironic because this is God’s plan for us.
Romans 8:29, NASB tells us, “For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the IMAGE OF HIS SON..”
Ephesians 4:15, NASB says, “but speaking the truth in love, we are to GROW UP IN ALL ASPECTS INTO HIM who is the head, even Christ.”
1 John 3:2, NASB teaches, “Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears,WE WILL BE LIKE HIM because we will see Him just as He is.”
yet what we will be. We know that when He appears,WE WILL BE LIKE HIM because we will see Him just as He is.”
2 Peter 1:3–4, NASB “seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become PARTAKERS OF THE DIVINE NATURE, having escaped the corruption in the world by lust.”
2 Corinthians 3:18, NASB, “But WE ALL, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed INTO THE SAME IMAGE,from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.”
There are many more such Scriptures woven throughout the Bible. These five make it clear that God’s plans for us are that we become like the Son in character, quality of life, and a measure of His power/talents/gifts.
God’s plans for us are that we really would be like Him if we trust Him and follow His instructions. He wants us to experience life at the highest possible level. That is His will for every single one of us.
This lie is pervasive and so like the devil. Offer us something God wants us to have, but get it by not trusting Him and not following His words. Instead, follow the words of a liar and thief. (John 10:10, NASB)
If you stop and think about it, this deception is at the root of many of the tactics he uses to tempt us and draw us into sin.
How many versions of “if God really loves you, how could He let all this suffering happen?especially to you?,” have you heard in your life? If you’re like me; a lot.
Or
“Those Bible verses don’t make sense. They don’t agree with what I’ve been taught in school, or what social media influencers are saying. The Bible isn’t true.”
Since the Garden, those types of words, in various forms, are constantly being circulated.
If the enemy can get us to doubt God’s word and/or doubt God’s character, then we follow his words instead of God’s. That results in separation from the love and life of God. It blocks us from becoming who God created us to be.
As a starting point for experiencing the life of God, the transformation towards Christlikeness that IS GOD’S WILL FOR YOU, here are three essential starting points:
1. Recognize the foundational issues are:
Is the Word of God true?
Is God good?
The spiritual,mental, and emotional battles you will face will almost always contain one, if not, both of these elements.
When you take the steps necessary to strengthen and settle these two issues:
The word of God is true
God is good
You will win most spiritual battles and experience more of the transforming power of God.
2. The Presence of God is the Most Powerful Transformation Power in Existence
1 John 3:2 tells us when we actually see Jesus, then we will be like Him. Why? Because we will “see Him as He is.”
Simply seeing Jesus,without barriers is so powerful, it is enough to transform us into His image.
2 Corinthians 3:18 teaches us that “beholding the glory of the Lord” with an unveiled mind and heart transforms us into His image, from one degree of glory to the next.
Spending as much time as you can soaking in God’s presence in worship, prayer, and His word is life changing.
Much growth and transformation happens naturally and easily through spending time with Him. It is almost effortless, like our bodies getting benefit from being in the sun.
Other times, the Holy Spirit will call attention to an area of our life that He wants us to consciously work on, with His help.
That leads to this third basic and powerful transformation process.
3. Specifically apply God’s word to the area of your life God is working on.
The “beholding” of 2 Corinthians 3:18 makes clear a great deal of that is “seeing” God in Scripture. (2 Corinthians 3:7–18)
The Word of God carries the life and power of God.
Focusing on specific aspects of God’s nature: His love, holiness, power, wisdom, for example, and meditating on those truths and Scriptures WILL imprint more of those realities in our soul.
2 Peter 1:3–4 emphasizes this as well. Remember, God showed Peter that in Christ, God has already given us EVERYTHING THAT PERTAINS TO LIFE AND GODLINESS through a true knowledge of Him.
He follows that up in verse 4 with the specific way God releases, grows, and develops all that in us: “THROUGH HIS PRECIOUS AND MAGNIFICENT PROMISES WE ARE PARTAKERS OF THE DIVINE NATURE.”
When the Holy Spirit shows us an area of our lives that God is working on, an area that is now ready for Spirit-led transformation, He consistently gives us specific Scriptures to use.
We can sow those words into our minds and hearts that will change us; that will grow us in Christlikeness.
I know in my own life, and in working with many others through the years,these are 3 of the most powerful means God consistently uses to help us become more like Jesus.
I will never be perfect in this life, but I have changed a lot through the years.
I am much more joyful now than I was in my earlier phases of following Jesus.
I have much higher levels of confidence, patience, and purpose than I had before.
My faith keeps growing stronger (I am, by my pre-Jesus nature) a big skeptic.
My love and worship of God keeps getting stronger and I’m consistently seeing greater degrees of how great He actually is.
I realize I will never be completely like Jesus in this body, in this age, but I am gradually, from one level of glory to the next, experiencing God’s transforming power.
There are other means and tools God uses to transform us, but these three are ever at the top of my list and are essential for the effectiveness of the other tools.
If you want more resources on how to experience more of God’s transforming power in your life, head over to www.TruVinemission.com. Take a look at the books, courses, and coaching options that could be a good fit for you.
