Transient – that seems to describe everything that surrounds me in this world. Temporary, lasting only for a short time, impermanent – that’s transient. Seems like those words define just about everything around me. In Isaiah I read –

“The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.” (Isaiah 40:8)

Jesus told His disciples this – “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.” (Matthew 24:35)

So, it’s not my imagination. I am living in a transient world. Nothing seems to last. I find myself tired of the temporary, weary, longing and looking for that which lasts – that which is eternal. But in order to experience the eternal, I need to be changed. I need to be transformed. Fortunately, God specializes in transformations. That’s one of His superpowers. And God’s transformations are dramatic and complete. In Isaiah God issues this invitation to me and to you,

” ‘Come now, let us reason together,’ says the Lord. ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.’ ” (Isaiah 1:18)

That’s transformation! So is this –

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Part of my transformation includes a transplant of my most vital organ, my heart. God promises to do this for me and for you, for anyone who will receive this life-saving, life-changing transplant that He offers us for free. God says –

“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit in you and move you to follow My decrees and be careful to keep My laws.” (Ezekiel 37:26-27)

That heart transplant has been an essential part of my transformation. Having a heart of flesh allows the seed of God’s living Word to take root and grow in me, which is necessary before any transformation can take place. Something else that is a necessary part of my transformation is the transfer of my sins (transgressions) from myself to my Savior, Jesus. Isaiah explains the transfer this way –

“Surely He (Jesus) took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered Him stricken by God, smitten by Him, and afflicted. But He was pierced for our (my) transgressions, He was crushed for our (my) iniquities; the punishment that brought us (me) peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are (I am) healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:4-6)

So there you have it. All my transgressions were transferred to Christ on the cross and He paid the price for me that my sins deserve. Jesus knows it is a price I have no ability to pay now or ever. It is this transfer of my sin that paves the way for my new life in Christ, my transformation. This is a continuing process for me as I endeavor to follow this advice from Paul’s letter to the church in Rome –

“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – His good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12:2)

Today, my transformation in Christ continues (I am a work in progress) while I eagerly await the day I will be transported to the home He is preparing for me and for you and for all who believe on His name. This event is described in 1 Corinthians 15:51-53 in this way –

“But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies.”

I read about this same promise of being transported and transformed in Philippians 3:21 where I read that Jesus –

“will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like His glorious body.”

Complete transformation and complete transparency are achieved when our transport to our heavenly home is complete.

“For now I see through a glass darkly, but then I shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.” (1 Corinthians 13:12)

That’s transparency!

Today, trans is a popular word when connected with the changing of one’s gender. We are living in a time when people are confused about their identity, dissatisfied with who they are, searching for a sense of self, struggling to find their place in this world and this has led many to attempt to transform themselves – to fashion themselves into something or someone of their own making, in their own image with less than satisfactory results as the painful process leaves them still dissatisfied and searching for the transformation they so desire but cannot seem to achieve on their own.

The good news is that we are each created in the image of the eternal, invisible God and are of infinite value as His creation. As God’s creation and dearly loved children, we have already been given identity, value, a place and a purpose – simply because we are His.

“Know that the Lord is God. It is He who made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people, the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name. For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations.” (Psalm 100:3-5)

He who created us will also transform us by His infinite power. God transferred our transgressions to His only Son, Jesus and crucified them on that cross.

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.” (Romans 8:1-2)

We receive a new heart and a new life – free gifts from our Heavenly Father. Our eternal transformation will be completed “in the twinkling of an eye” and it will be permanent.

“Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (Revelation 21:3-4)

We will be transported to this place when our transformation is complete. No longer surrounded by the transient, we will be in eternity with our Creator, God.

sincerely, Grace Day