Metamorphosis

Change when driven by God in our life is beautiful! Have you looked at a caterpillar transforming itself to butterfly - it is an extraordinary change, the characteristics of the caterpillar are totally gone and a new creature, totally beautiful and free appears! Every aspect of the Christian life should involve the same metamorphosis or change - irreversible and totally transformational.

The first Christian experience of repentance and conversion is a change, the daily process of sanctification of being renewed in the likeness of God is a change, and the final eschatological tranformation into Christ's likeness when we meet face to face with Him is a change! Change in the Christian life is inevitable. While our God is unchanging because He is perfect, we need change as we are imperfect and we need to be transformed more into His likeness!
2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
Romans 6:4
We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

Yes, once we are saved, it's a new start! Once saved, we are on a continual journey of being changed every day, bit by bit to be more and more like Christ through a process called sanctification. We start to be directed by Christ increasingly as we realise that the old self with it's selfish sinful nature has been nailed to the cross and has no power over us. We begin to develop a love for God and pursue God's desires, plans and purposes. We are no longer slaves to sin but free indeed to live to bring glory to our Lord!

Romans 6: 11 - 14
In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.

Saul who was persecuting Christians underwent such a dramatic conversion once he encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus. We see in his life, the process of transformation as he read the scriptures in a new light, spent time in prayer, partnered with the Holy Spirit and lived in discipleship and fellowship with like minded people. The Saul we first encounter who was legalistic and a terrorist undergoes a complete metamorphosis by becoming a true servant of the Gospel and brings about transformation to whole communities and nations!

Galatians 2: 20

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Ephesians 4:22-24
You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

God is not only interested in our own personal change but also in changing the situations, the communities and nations around us! He not only wants us to change but He wants us to be agents of change and be a change maker! What are the changes you need to make? Embrace change that is directed by God because God is making something beautiful out of the transformation! Ask God to make you a change maker by bringing His transformation to the world we live in!