This past fall I spent some time at our local park. I drove my golf cart down to my favorite private cove which sits along the water's edge. I sat there peacefully while taking in the changing colors, the aroma of dried leaves, and a slightly pungent smell of algae and mud. There was no wind and the sky was painted a magnificent blue with our Creator's brush. My eyes glanced over the still waters to the shore and back again. Inhaling crisp fresh air I filled my lungs and nestled quietly for a moment of thanksgiving and prayer. Suddenly the silence was broken. KURPLUNK! I swiftly turned to my right and looking down I observed a rippling in the water next to a log. I watched and waited knowing with a little patience I might discover what made that sound. Sure enough up popped an eyeball, then another. It was a frog. "Hello!" I said. With that, the frog slowly slipped back into his watery abode. "Aren't you going to come back out?" I asked. "I won't hurt you." For the next five minutes or so we played that hide and seek game. While there, I had plenty of time to think about this frog. Frogs are amphibians. Frogs live and function on land and in the water. They start their lives solely in the water as little tadpoles. When metamorphosis begins, the tadpole develops legs, arms, and the ability to both live and breathe on land. As the changing tadpole further develops, it spends less time in the water and more time on land. Soon, it loses its earlier characteristics and takes on a completely new form. I thought to myself, "Well! Isn't this just like the believer?"
As Christians, we are like the frog. Like water to land, our lives begin in the worldly realm and progress into the spiritual realm. In a spiritual sense, we start life as a tadpole (unbeliever), completely unable to enter the spiritual realm (solid ground). However, when we believe in Jesus Christ a type of metamorphosis begins to take place. As NEW Christians we are like tadpoles in their first stages of change. With weak, worldly legs that distract and hinder us, we go places we want to explore and spend very little time, if any, in the spiritual realm. BUT as we continue to grow our spiritual legs get stronger and arms begin to form. We start to lose our tail (old ways) and spiritual lungs begin to function (a new way of living). And just as the transformation of frogs is progressive, so too, are the changes we experience as Christians. As we slowly develop, we begin spending more time in the spiritual realm (praying, reading God's word, a hunger for righteousness) than in the earthy realm (being disobedient, agreeing with sin, not fighting temptations). Spiritual growth does not happen overnight. It is a slow, arduous process. We change "into the image of Christ from glory to glory" (2 Corinthians 3:18). And, not only that but when we come to Christ the Bible says we automatically become royalty (1 Peter 2:9) ... from "frog to the prince" by the power of His forgiving Blood. WOW! Many people are afraid to become Christians because they have the notion that they must become a perfect person overnight when they know they are entangled in deep sin, so the thought of living for Christ seems not only impossible but unappealing.
What everyone must understand is, though Jesus forgives of all your sins and tosses them away into the depths of the sea (Micah 7:19) real change is a process. Your soul is eternally saved, yes, but His Spirit which comes to live in you will bring knowledge and understanding of His Word. As He does this, your life, your actions, your behaviors begin to align with His Spirit. You not only begin to obey His Word, YOU WANT to obey His Word. He changes you from within and obedience becomes a joy! Philippians 1:6 says, "I am sure of this, that He who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." It is with God's Divine wisdom, mercy, and power that HE completes the change in you as you continue to walk in Him. 2 Peter 1:4 states, "By these He has given us very great and precious promises, so that through them you may share in the Divine nature (through a type of metamorphosis), escaping the corruption that is in the world because of evil desires." And finally 2 Corinthians 3: 18 says, "We all, with unveiled faces, are reflecting the glory of the Lord and are being transformed into the same image (through this metamorphosis) into the same image from glory to glory; this is from the Lord who is the Spirit." Change (metamorphosis) is letting go of the old and embracing the new. God said, "Be holy as I am holy" (1 Peter 1:16). That sounds like an impossible task but it isn't BECAUSE the possibility comes by the work of God and not the work of man! Sin becomes ugly and abhorrent. Just the thought of sin will grieve your spirit. Remember what the scripture said, "He (meaning God) who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." It's so fantastic because God will do the work inside you through the Holy Spirit and will continue working if you remain in Him.
In closing, know and believe God begins perfecting you from the moment you are converted from unbelief to faith in Christ. The metamorphosis is a process whereby the Holy Spirit regenerates us, gives us new hearts with new holy desires (Ezekiel 36:26), then He transforms our stubborn wills and opens our hearts to embrace the Truth rather than reject it, and to believe rather than doubt it. He goes even further! He gives us a hunger for righteousness and a desire for Him. Thus, the new birth transforms the inner person. From that point, everything that occurs in our lives - good or bad - God uses for our own good to make us like Christ (Romans 8:28-30). Don't be discouraged if some of us are tadpoles, some are developing their legs, or that some are spending more time in the worldly than the spiritual realm. We are all growing together as one body from the worldly realm to the spiritual realm, from corrupt to holy. Encourage one another, love one another as Christ loves us. "Christ has put each part of the Church in its right place. Each part helps other parts. This is what is needed to keep the whole body together. In this way, the whole body grows strong in love." NLV
Until He Comes,
-Pat-
No comments:
Post a Comment