Tag: transformation

Godly Perfection

by Ms. Rita's Minute

Matthew 5:48

“Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

There are various characteristics of perfection as we know it, but what does the Bible say about being perfect?

In this instance of Matthew 5:48, Jesus is teaching His disciples about loving their enemies. He talked about how if they loved those who loved them and greeted only their own people, what reward would that bring? He questioned what difference that would be from others, as even pagans did the same. He then tells them to be perfect, as their heavenly Father is perfect.

Perfect, here, is translated in Greek as teleios: having reached its end, mature, complete. Strong’s Concordance adds, “complete (in various applications of labor, growth, mental and moral character, etc.); … of full age, man … .”

This would be somewhat different from our English version of being perfect: “being entirely without fault or defect: flawless … satisfying all requirements … .” Yet the Lord with providing the gift of salvation by faith, created a system of sanctification by which we are set apart for God’s special purpose; along with a process of transformation performed by the Holy Spirit, into Christ’s likeness.

Romans 8:29 tells us, “For those God foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. Moreover, “And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into His image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:18).

Hence, God has done so much for us by sacrificing His Son to atone for our sins and then providing a way for us to be changed into His likeness through His Holy Spirit. Part of our maturing process would include actions like loving our enemies, being salt and light (salt preserves and light reveals, much needed in this age), and not harboring anger toward our brothers and sisters. Letting others see our good deeds glorifies our Father in heaven (Matthew 5:16).

Of all the things that we might find to do in serving the Lord, these are things Jesus mentioned in Matthew 5 that model perfection in God’s eyes. Let’s pray for one another, that as we grow in unity, we prioritize those things that please the Lord most. When we aren’t sure, all we need to do is ask Him, and He will surely let us know. He’s given us His handbook for a fulfilling and impactful Christian life. May His Holy Spirit help us to read it as much as possible.

Transformation Travel

by Ms. Rita's Minute

Romans 12:2
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Are there things about you that you know just aren’t good? You know, those things you don’t like about yourself that you know need to change, but you’ve so far been unsuccessful? Well, there’s good news for all of us!

God has given us instructions on how we can be transformed: by the renewing of our minds. This is how we change. The consistent reading of the Bible is just that powerful. It’s a process by which we persistently take in the scriptures to learn the principles and patterns of God’s love, works, and ways. We learn what he desires of us and those actions and disciplines we need to set in place in our journeys toward change.

How seriously we embrace His instructions determines the time or pace at which we experience successful change. With our various upbringings, environments, jobs, hobbies, leaders, friends, etc., the rate of change will differ. However, given the Bible, God’s Holy Spirit, our commitments, and other resources the Lord uses specifically in our lives, we will experience change.

Most of all, recognition of our need for change and the willingness to do it are huge factors in successful transformation. Not to mention, that miraculous supernatural thing God does, while “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 by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Corinthians 3:18).

What’s really comforting is Philippians 1:6 assures us that we can be confident that he who began a good work in us will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. We aren’t abandoned to try to figure everything out on our own. God has given us the Holy Spirit as a helper to guide us into all the truth we need to mature in the faith.

The Holy Spirit empowers believers to resist temptation and live a life of holiness, overcoming sinful patterns and developing godly character. This includes cultivating virtues like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, often referred to as the “fruit of the Spirit” (Galatians 5:22-23). The Holy Spirit faithfully assists to make us more like Christ.

Our transformation involves a change of heart and mind, leading to a new identity and a desire to live according to God’s will. It’s a process of spiritual formation that is initiated and enabled by God but also requires our active participation and cooperation. 

One might simply list the things we’d like to change and then pray earnestly about those things, seeking God’s truth on the matter. He’s so creative and helps us in many unique ways to modify our behavior in order to bring about positive results. I’ve found the Lord to be a masterful teacher using many life lessons in various forms to get me to see his necessary points. Yet we are responsible to check the condition of our behaviors to assess if we are learning and doing what God says.

The Bible says, “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?” (2 Corinthians 13:5) We must be humble enough to submit our weaknesses to the Lord with a repentant and intentional attitude to do better by the grace of His presence within us and the strength of discipline that he provides.

Moreover, we can move bravely knowing that God has said in Hebrews 13:5 that He will never leave or forsake us and in John 14:18, he would not leave us as orphans but would come to us.