Words of Inspiration - Be Ye Transformed

[00:00:37] Welcome to The Bible Speaks with your host Elgin Carelock. The Bible Speaks is a daily podcast dedicated to sharing the good news of Jesus Christ, rightly dividing the word of truth, and learning how to apply it to our daily lives. You may contact Elgin at the address given at the end of the broadcast. And now, here's Elgin.

[00:01:02] Brothers and sisters, I welcome you, whoever you are, wherever you are, and whenever you're listening to another edition of Words of Inspiration, where we explore how God's word can transform us from the inside out. And today's message is titled, Be Ye Transformed.

[00:01:27] We'll be comparing and contrasting the journey of the transformation in the lives of three of the Bible's greatest figures, Paul, Abraham, and Jacob.

[00:01:40] These men demonstrate how faith, trust, and submission to God allows us to become true servants of His will.

[00:01:49] Our scriptural inspiration comes from Romans, chapter 12, verse 2. And reading from the King James Version, it reads,

[00:02:19] Transformation as described in this verse is not a superficial change, but a deep, lasting shift that reshapes who we are, what we believe, and how we live.

[00:02:32] Let's explore how the transformation of Paul, Abraham, and Jacob can inspire us to trust God more fully in our own lives.

[00:02:44] Paul's transformation is one of the most dramatic stories in the Bible.

[00:02:49] Before he encountered Jesus, he was known as Saul, a Pharisee who zealously persecuted Christians.

[00:02:56] When Jesus appeared to him asking, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? In Acts, chapter 9, verse 4.

[00:03:07] In an instant, Paul's whole world was turned upside down.

[00:03:12] The man who had been an enemy of Christ became one of his most devoted servants.

[00:03:19] Paul's faith began when he acknowledged the truth of Jesus Christ.

[00:03:23] After his encounter, he submitted fully to God's will, no longer living for his own religious zeal, but for the glory of God.

[00:03:33] In Galatians 2, in verse 20, Paul says,

[00:03:39] I am crucified with Christ.

[00:03:40] Nevertheless, I live.

[00:03:43] Yet, not I, but Christ liveth in me.

[00:03:48] This is the essence of transformation, allowing Christ to live in us.

[00:03:55] Paul's life shows us that faith and submission to God can lead to a complete transformation of purpose.

[00:04:03] Paul no longer lived for himself or his past, but for the mission God called him to.

[00:04:11] He was able to endure hardship, persecution, and trials because he was transformed by the power of God,

[00:04:19] becoming a true servant of God's will.

[00:04:24] Abraham's transformation was more gradual than Paul's, yet no less significant.

[00:04:33] Abraham's journey began with the call from God in Genesis 12,

[00:04:38] where God told him to leave his homeland and go to a land he did not know.

[00:04:43] Abraham's willingness to obey, without knowing all the details, showed his deep trust in God.

[00:04:51] Abraham's life is marked by a faith that trusted God's promises, even when they seemed impossible.

[00:04:59] In Genesis 15 and 6, we learn,

[00:05:04] And he believed in the Lord, and he counted it to him for righteousness.

[00:05:10] Abraham's trust was tested many times, most notably when asked to sacrifice his son Isaac in Genesis 22.

[00:05:19] Abraham obeyed, trusting that God would provide, and through this test, he deepened his faith.

[00:05:29] Abraham's story teaches us that transformation also involves a journey of trusting God's promises over time.

[00:05:36] As we trust God more, our faith strengthens, and we become more aligned with his will.

[00:05:44] Abraham's faith was not perfect.

[00:05:47] He made mistakes along the way.

[00:05:49] But through trust and obedience, he was transformed into the father of nations,

[00:05:55] the ancestor of all who have faith.

[00:05:59] Jacob's transformation was perhaps the most complex of the three.

[00:06:03] He started out as a deceiver, manipulating his brother Esau out of his birthright and blessings,

[00:06:11] found in Genesis 27.

[00:06:13] But God had a plan for Jacob's life,

[00:06:16] and his transformation came through a long process of wrestling,

[00:06:21] with people, with his own character, and eventually with God himself.

[00:06:26] Jacob's defining moment came in Genesis 32,

[00:06:32] when he wrestled with the mysterious figure, later revealed to be God.

[00:06:38] This encounter left Jacob physically changed.

[00:06:41] He walked with a limp.

[00:06:43] But more importantly, he was spiritually transformed.

[00:06:47] God renamed him Israel, meaning he who strives with God.

[00:06:52] In Genesis 32, verse 28, God says,

[00:06:59] Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel.

[00:07:03] For as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.

[00:07:10] Jacob's story shows us that transformation often comes through struggle.

[00:07:16] He spent more of his life trying to manipulate situations to his advantage,

[00:07:21] but in the end, it was through submitting to God and wrestling with his own nature that he was changed.

[00:07:29] Like Jacob, we often wrestle with our past, our insecurities, and our doubts.

[00:07:36] But it is through these struggles that we come to a place of submission,

[00:07:40] where God can truly transform us.

[00:07:45] While the transformations of Paul, Abraham, and Jacob were different,

[00:07:50] they share common threads.

[00:07:53] Number one, faith.

[00:07:55] All three men had to believe in the promises of God,

[00:07:59] whether it was Paul's faith in the risen Christ,

[00:08:03] Abraham's trust in God's promise to make him a great nation,

[00:08:07] or Jacob's faith that God had a plan for his life.

[00:08:12] Transformation begins with faith.

[00:08:16] Number two, trust.

[00:08:19] Each of these men had to trust that God knew what he was doing,

[00:08:23] even when it didn't make sense.

[00:08:26] They had to let go of their own plans and follow God's lead.

[00:08:32] And finally, submission.

[00:08:35] Ultimately, transformation requires submission.

[00:08:40] Paul submitted to God's will.

[00:08:42] Abraham submitted to God's tests.

[00:08:45] And Jacob submitted to God after a long time of wrestling.

[00:08:50] Submission is the key to allowing God to transform us into the people he called us to be.

[00:08:57] Second Corinthians 5 and 17 reminds us.

[00:09:02] Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature.

[00:09:07] Old things are passed away.

[00:09:09] Behold, all things are become new.

[00:09:12] God's transformation is not about improving the old, but creating something entirely new.

[00:09:20] Paul, Abraham, and Jacob each had to let go of their old selves to embrace the new life God had for them.

[00:09:30] Brothers and sisters, as we've seen in the lives of Paul, Abraham, and Jacob,

[00:09:36] transformation is a process, not a one-time event.

[00:09:41] It begins with faith, grows through trust, and is completed through submission.

[00:09:48] God desires to transform each of us just as he did these great men of faith

[00:09:55] so that we can fulfill our purpose in his kingdom.

[00:09:59] I thank you for joining me on today, and I look forward to our conversation on tomorrow.

[00:10:06] Until then, God bless.

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