CHRISTIAN TRANSFORMATION
Christian transformation is the process of getting conformed into the image of Christ. Conformity into the image of Christ is becoming spiritual as Christ was, to walk as Christ walked! To live as Christ lived! To love as Christ loved. To have compassion on people as Christ had compassion on people! To seek the Lost as Christ sought the lost. To bear our suffering patiently as Christ did.
This does not happen by chance, but through intentional discipleship.
Conformity to the image of Christ is a process. That means it needs a discipler to be patient with his disciple (s). It is a gradual process which involves not only sharing the word of God with the disciple, but also sharing physical things, life experiences, life struggles and being open to the disciple.
The Greek word used in this process is metamorphoo_ the term used for the gradual process in the life cycle of a butterfly.
The life cycle of a butterfly when you consider it well is not an overnight growth. It is a process that takes a number of days for the beautiful butterfly to come out.
From an egg to a larva it takes 7-14 days
From a larva to a pupa it takes 10-21 days
From a pupa to an adult butterfly it takes 6-10 days
So for it to complete the whole cycle in order to be transformed, it takes days not an hour. The natural process of growth following the principle of metamorphosis must be obeyed.
When it comes to the Christian growth and change to conformity to Christ, it does not come naturally though it follows almost the same process of metamorphosis. It is not the natural laws of growth, it is the discipler’s law of diligent work on the disciple that brings change in the life of a disciple. Paul says, I travail until Christ is formed in you. Galatians 4:19 My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you,
Paul knew this that it was his responsibility for Christ to be formed in the lives of his disciples. It was dependent on him (Paul), upon his deliberate, and diligent labor and efforts. With the knowledge of this, it is possible for the person to be born again and Christ is not formed in that person if the discipler does not travail for Christ to be formed in that person. Paul was not speaking to none believers, but to people who were already born again_ Compared with an egg stage of our process of metamorphosis.
The first stage of our salvation considering the process of metamorphosis. The butterfly lays an egg and it leaves the process with the natural process of growth to complete the cycle. Compared with the born again experience and Christian maturity: The Holy Spirit birthes us into the kingdom of God_ a term known as being “born again” and then the process of growth He puts it into the hands of the discipler while He (the Holy Spirit) superintends it. But the growth and transformation in most ideal cases is left in the hands of the disciplers. That is why, if the discipler does not do his work diligently, the born again believer’ process of change can be aborted, a believer can even backslide in the same way the butterfly egg can be destroyed and the process of metamorphosis is aborted.
Characteristics of the Believer at the egg stage of spiritual maturity. At this stage of the born again experience and Christian maturity, a believer is numb, and everything is new and he or she appears dormant. They tend to get innocent and the sense of self righteous. They tend to get isolated from others as a sense of separation.
But they should not be left here, they need to be guided to a next level of growth and maturity to a larva stage of the born again experience and Christian maturity.
Stage 2_ The larva stage. Characteristics of the Believer at the Larva stage of spiritual maturity.
The caterpillar is eating to prepare for the next stage in its life cycle, when it will put those calories to use to power a startling transformation.
This is the stage of activity and disturbance of a disciple. Here they tend to be stubborn, unruly, self confident, self dependent and unsettled.
The forgotten bad habits of the old man want to re-appear and take dominion.
Their spiritual curiosity and life wakes up. They come to discover their freedom in Christ which if not controlled can cause spiritual death. They want to discover and try things by themselves. The restrictions of Christian Life (boundaries and fine lines of salvation) begin to seem legalism to them and therefore are not applied to their lives, as they begin to falsely and ignorantly think. They begin doing what is right in their own eyes contrary to biblical principles. At this level they begin to think that they have arrived, and forget that they are just on the second level.
At this stage, the discipler is to do the work of correction, guidance, instruction and modelling if the process of growth is to continue.
It is at this level that some disciplers can some times lose their cool and end up giving up with the disciple. This is the difficult stage of the growth of the disciple. They begin to use so much reason and carnality.
Identity is confused with character flaws as freedom.
If you are a disciple maker, then keep this in mind; “Disciples are not window shopped, or produced by just prayer, but they are made by teaching, being with them, training, giving instructions and corrections to them and praying for them. Jesus never produced the twelve disciples and others by just sitting down and begin praying for them, He made them by spending time with them, by teaching, training, giving instructions and correcting them and praying for them. Disciples are made, that is why Jesus commanded his disciples to go and make disciples. He said, “Go and make disciples.”
Pupa stage. Characteristics of the Believer at the Pupa stage of spiritual maturity.
At this level, a disciple experiences a silent period of testing, modelling, to complete transformation_ a preparation to fly__ manifestation. He or she must learn to endure. They begin to despise sin. They are called out for isolation, training into righteousness. Life cares, worries begin to loose their Dominion. Worldliness begins to loose it’s dominion in the life of the believer. Death to self happens here. There is separation from the world. Conformity to the Word of God begins to take a strong grip in the life of the believer. This is the time for gift and talent identification and discovery. This is preparation for revelation with the image of Christ. It is a preparation for manifestation for the glory of God.
Adult stage. Characteristics of the Believer at the adult stage of spiritual maturity.
When the first steps are complete, the disciple growth spiritually mature_ to a father in faith_ the pater in Greek. They are able to aid others through the same process of spiritual maturity. At this stage, they are able to reproduce others. This is the stage of reproduction. They are able to raise other leaders after their own kind.
Note: It is not the general rule that as long as you are born again, you automatically grow into spiritual maturity to a pater in faith.
Secondly, the process of growth is not determined by the number of specified days, months or years. Because some people can even spend all their born again lives while they remain babes. Some can grow into spiritual maturity after a number of years. And yet others can grow spiritually mature completing our process of metamorphosis within a few months.
The determinants for completing the whole process or cycle of growth is not time but it is these seven determinants for spiritual growth;
1. Spiritual hunger/ yearning
2. Spiritual Curiosity
3. The level of obedience
4. The degree of exposure to the Word of God_ through personal Bible reading, personal Bible study, Scripture meditation and reading good Bible literatures.
5. The heart of Worship
6. The level of teachability
7. The degree of commitment to prayer.
Which stage of spiritual growth are you at. Judge yourself.
John Wilson Okurut
Pastor
House of Worship & Prayer Assemblies