DIVINE TRANSFORMATION

Genesis 32:27-28 MSG

The man said, “What’s your name?” He answered, “Jacob.” [28] The man said, “But no longer. Your name is no longer Jacob. From now on it’s Israel (God-Wrestler); you’ve wrestled with God and you’ve come through.”


Transformation is a process by which one figure, expression, or function is converted into another one of similar value. It is the marked change in form, nature, or appearance. Divine transformation means the change or renewal from a life that no longer conforms to that of the world to one that pleases God, according to Romans 12:2. Divine transformation is accomplished by the renewing of the mind, an inward spiritual transformation that manifests itself outwardly.

When divine transformation takes place, everything about a person changes. Sometimes, even a new name is taken to identify with the transformed person, just as God did with Jacob, changing his name to Israel. This transformation is an ongoing process, where the Holy Spirit works within us to conform us to the likeness of Christ. The more we fix our gaze on Jesus, the more His character and nature will be reflected in our lives. Our transformation brings glory to God, and it is a testament to the transformative power of His Spirit at work within us.

We are constantly struggling with things—if it’s not identity, it’s looks, possessions, character, ability, and much more. We sometimes will do anything in our power to overcome that struggle, to prevail against them, but only in Christ do we overcome. With God, we have the power to prevail! When we weep, when we’re broken and pleading, when we’re clinging and our heads are bowed and completely crippled, that is when the Lord steps in and transforms us. As Revelation 12:11 puts it, we conquer and prevail by the blood of the Lamb. Every time we conquer, we are transformed.

For years, Jacob schemed and manipulated the outcome of things, lied to get his way, trampling on others without care. But God, merciful and gracious, gave Jacob another chance and did the work of transformation. No matter the muck we’re coming from, no matter how messed up we are, no matter how many bad actions and decisions we have made, God can and will transform us when we encounter and allow Him free reign over our lives.

When we receive Christ, as 2 Corinthians 5:17 states, Christ begins to transform us into the redeemed people made into His image, people who no longer allow the past to hold them down, back, or determine their future, as stated in Isaiah 43:18-19. God asked about Jacob’s name in verse twenty-seven, a question that was more about Jacob’s character than identity, and Jacob confirmed his nature by giving his name. Before God transforms and blesses us, like Jacob, we have to acknowledge who we are, as he did, for God to transform us.

The Lord is always fighting with us, as He did with Jacob, to get us on track with His will and purpose. Only then can He begin to fight for us. Transformed lives begin with the gospel message of Christ, for in it is the power of God. This power of transformation comes from one source, according to 1 Corinthians 1:18, in which Paul said, “For the message of the cross [the gospel] is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”

Transformation takes place when we are alone with God, as we see with Jacob. There was nothing to distract him. When we are hungry for God, like Jacob was, we become honest, as he too was, knowing that brokenness is the means of transformation.

Are you right now wrestling with God over your life, destiny, health, or something else? Sadly, we must all wrestle with God to receive His blessings, so keep struggling in the place of prayer to receive the transformation that precedes blessings and favor.

PRAYER: Lord, transform me from the self-absorbed, self-centered, vain person I might have been to a transformed person meant for Your glory. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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SHALOM


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