Transformation

The rooms are dark and dirty. The walls and floors are stripped bare. Let’s face it; she's a mess. But she’s a lot like us — a work in progress.

Paul wrote in his second letter to the Corinthians, “… we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day” (4:16).

These surroundings give us a picture of what we’re like when we surrender to Jesus: exposed and cold, dirty with sin. But he sees us in our transformed state: bright and clean, gloriously living a new life and especially designed for his purposes.

God promises us in Ezekiel, “I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh (36:26b).” Theologians called this transformation “progressive sanctification,” meaning Jesus is actively working to set us apart for his sacred purposes and to make us holy. He is remaking us into his image and swapping our cheap, broken and tarnished tiaras for the "crown of life” (Revelation 2:10).

This transformation is not instantaneous though. It’s a slow process of discovering and healing. Refining and renewing. It’s the tearing down of our old thoughts and the rebuilding of our hearts. As we sit here today, we are all under renovation.

Once this project starts, small changes will appear from day by day, and they will eventually accumulate to a complete transformation. The rooms will gleam and be welcoming, and the mess will morph into magnificence. So in the weeks and months to come, let this work in progress be a reminder of your own journey of sanctification.

“I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians:1:6).
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Jesus, you make all things new, and to our benefit and for your glory, our faith is made strong in the process. We give this space to you today to use it for your purposes, and we pray that laughter, joy and learning will echo through the rooms and all who enters these doors will feel your love. We thank you for this space, Lord, and are humbled by this opportunity. Amen.