Be Transformed

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.” (Rom. 12:2) Being a Christian is a journey to be transformed into the image of Jesus. Every person, from Hitler to Mother Teresa, is created in the image of God (Gen. 1:26-27). When we enter the world, we encounter sin, and sin corrupts the image of God within us. Salvation sets us on a path to be made holy. We sometimes call this sanctification. As we behold the glory of the Lord, we are being transformed into the image of Jesus (2 Cor. 3:18). We meditate on Christ. We study his life. We do what he says, and we become like him.

We find encouragement to stick with this journey in passages like Hebrews 12:1-2.

“Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith.” (Heb. 12:1-2) When we become Christians, we commit to following in the footsteps of Jesus. As we travel this path, we grow in Christlikeness. Hebrews 12:1-2 informs us of how this is done. We have a goal. Our goal is to become like Jesus. We are to keep our eyes on the goal. We don’t get distracted. We don’t get sidetracked. We fix our eyes on Jesus.

What does it look like to travel with Jesus each day?

We don’t do it alone. We are on this journey with fellow Christians. The apostle Paul describes it this way, “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ” (1 Cor. 11:1). We can learn from a book, but often the best way to learn is to see it done. The word disciple is another word for apprentice. Christians need mentors. We need to see other people following Jesus. We need to see what living out the Sermon on the Mount looks like. As we see and learn, we are being transformed.

Following Jesus involves paying attention to our habits. Jesus discusses some of these habits in Matthew 6. They include giving to the needy, praying, and fasting. These are not the only habits, but these have been essential habits to the people of God for a very long time.

What is the purpose of these habits we sometimes call spiritual disciplines?

They help us become like Jesus. In Matthew 6, Jesus tells us that we should not practice these habits to be seen by others. We don’t do these things to get the credit or for people to think well of us. We do them because they are avenues of transformation if appropriately practiced. Rather than maximizing ourselves, we minimize ourselves and maximize Christ within us. As John the Baptist famously says in John 3:30, “He must increase, but I must decrease.”