Living a Transformed Life

and He will bring it to completion at His coming (Phil 1:6). It is then that we will be truly free.

A Transformed Life

Paul said, “ I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me ” (Gal 2:20). He goes on to say, “ I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things ” (Phil 3:8). This was Paul ’ s holy ambition. Once he came in contact with Christ on the Damascus road he was passionate about knowing Him for the remainder of his life. He said, “ I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me ” (Phil 3:12). Paul understood that in order for Christ to shine through his life, his will must totally surrender to Christ's will.

We are to live like Christ, who gave Himself up to God.

Each of us should earnestly desire this level of maturity. “ Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God ” (Eph 5:1). Do you see it? We are to live like Christ, who gave Himself up to God. Paul said it succinctly in Romans 12:1, 2, “ Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God ’ s mercy to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—which is your spiritual worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. ” This is the essence of a transformed life— dead to self but alive to Christ.

A Renewed Mind

Paul reminds us in Colossians 3:1 - 2 that we are to set our hearts and minds on things above, not on earthly things. This is the point: We should not be thinking about how to accumulate things in this world but how to invest in the kingdom of God which is eternal. In order to accomplish that effectively, our minds need constant renewing by the Word of God.

Continuing to think the way the world thinks will lead to behavior tantamount to its ideology. A warning is given to believers in Ephesians 4:17 - 19, “ So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for

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