I enjoy seeing computer generated images morph, to change from one shape into another or one person into another, then another, then another…with liquid smoothness. The message of Jesus is a message that morphs (transforms) us.
The computer world has borrowed a New Testament word: “mophé.” Galatians 4:19 reads: “My dear children, I am in the pains of childbirth until Christ is FORMED (morphed) in you.” Biology borrowed the word: metamorphosis, the changing of a caterpillar into a butterfly. Romans 12:2a reads: “Be TRANSFORMED (metaMORPHosis) by the renewing of your mind.”
In the gospels we read of the TRANSFIGURATION (morphing) of Jesus. Max Lucado says, “God loves you enough to accept you the way you are, but he also loves you too much to leave you that way.” God is all about us changing, our MORPHING, to be like Jesus. How do we MORPH to be like Jesus?
Ron Martoia, in his book “Morph!” observes that “for most people there is a major disconnect between their day-to-day lives and the fifty-year time-warp they enter when they walk through the front doors of a church. If our relationship with God is mostly informational, non-relational and non-morphic, then how can we pass on anything other than that?” Usually at church tremendous amounts of information go in, but no change to show for it. Churches should strive to offer transformational, relational and morphic experiences. It begins with upholding the truth of Jesus’ teaching.
When the Apostle Paul sought to hand off the ministry to an apprehensive young man named Timothy who did not see himself as a leader, he gave him one assignment: “Get in there and defend the truth, oppose false teachings”: “As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain men not to teach false doctrines any longer nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. These promote controversies rather than God's work--which is by faith. Truth, for many, is no longer seen as absolute.” (1 Timothy 1:3-4)
Truth is often defined in personal and private ways: “If it works for me, then that’s good enough for me.” It is always to someone’s advantage to distort the truth. Truth does matter, in fact, nothing else is more important. The truth divides people—the deeper the truth the deeper the division. In a sea of relativism, we Christians are to be islands of truth. Our task is to lead people to truth without condoning sin or condemning sinners.
Truth transforms. Grace transforms. The characteristics of a MORPHING soul are “love, which comes from a pure heart, a good conscience and sincere faith. (1 Timothy 1:5)
The goal of Jesus’ gospel is changed lives. Your wants and desires, your speech, your temper, your lusts, your use of time, your personal integrity, your use of money and love, your patience, your worship and your testimony—Jesus changes it all…for the better. The simpler the gospel message, the harder it is to distort. Jesus meets us at our point of need and speaks God’s truth in love. Jesus came to save sinners—and see them morph into saints. If God can change me, He can change anyone!
~ Father, continue to morph my actions, attitudes, thoughts and words into the likeness of Jesus. Amen.
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Your discussion on "morphing" is so important in this post-modern world. With so many people questioning the Truth of Christ, we must illustrate the Truth through the process of morphing that the Holy Spirit FORCES us into. This force is one that we have accepted at the outset of our journey. I pray that all Believers will become mophing Followers of our King and our Lord.
Let us be individually and cooperately be morphed into His greater Bride!
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