One of the most amazing transformations in God’s creation is when a caterpillar spins itself into a silky cocoon. Inside of that cocoon, that caterpillar radically transforms. And when it emerges from the cocoon, what once was an ugly caterpillar is now a beautiful butterfly. Before it spins itself into that cocoon, it is a caterpillar and crawls around on it’s many legs. However, once it emerges from that transformation, it now has wings and can fly!
You know we as Christians are supposed to be transformed as well. We are to change the way we live, the way we think, the way we act, and all about us once we become a true follower of Jesus Christ. Paul wrote to the church at Rome, “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12:1,2)
Just as a butterfly is completely changed by the transformation it undergoes, we also are to change. Notice Paul said “do not be conformed to this world.” As a true Christian, we CANNOT go on living like we used to live.
Notice what Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:1-5, “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved).”
He tells the believers at Ephesus, You WERE DEAD! You FORMERLY walked according to the course of this world. FORMERLY lived in the lusts of our flesh. Just as the caterpillar ONCE crawled around on the ground, AFTER the transformation into a butterfly it DOESN’T do that anymore, if we TRULY follow Jesus Christ, we CANNOT continue to live the way we did BEFORE salvation.
Too many people who claim to be Christians seem to think that becoming a follower of Jesus Christ is like joining a private club or something. They become members of this “club” and when they are at the club, they act a certain way – but the rest of their life goes on just as it did before, continuing to indulge the lusts of their flesh and living the same way the world lives. NOT SO!! The Bible CLEARLY tells us, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Now, the caterpillar spins itself into a cocoon to begin the beautiful transformation that it undergoes. How do WE begin the transformation of our lives? Well, Paul tells us back in Romans 12:2, “be transformed by the renewing of your mind”. The word “renew” means to renovate, change. It’s like when someone buys an old house and renovates it. They tear out all the old stuff that is warped and ruined and put in NEW stuff that is clean and fresh and new! We MUST transform our lives by RENEWING our minds. In other words, we CANNOT go on thinking like the world does and following the “wisdom” of this world. We have to NOW begin to think and follow GOD’S wisdom. We read and study God’s Word, we seek wisdom and guidance FROM HIM! We DO NOT make provision for our flesh and allow it to rule our lives any longer!
Just like the transformation of a caterpillar into a butterfly takes time, so does the transformation we MUST undergo if we TRULY want to know Jesus Christ and follow Him. BUT – it all begins when the caterpillar spins itself into it’s cocoon. What about YOU? Have you started the transformation of your life? Stop thinking like the world, stop following the wisdom and philosophy of this world and learn to trust and follow God and HIS WORD! His Word will TRANSFORM our lives when we submit to It’s authority and realize God is Who He said He is and He WILL do what He promised.
A caterpillar can NEVER fly until it is transformed into a butterfly! And WE can NEVER truly know Jesus Christ and His Power in our lives UNTIL we are TRANSFORMED into a NEW LIFE and begin to TRUST and OBEY His Word.