The Spiritual Transformation Necessary to Defeat Today’s Evil

Reverend Leo H. McCrary II

If you desire to inherit the kingdom of God, a spiritual transformation is necessary. Moreover, the issues of this present day also requires your transformation.

Introduction

In last week’s message, I focused on breaking the cycle of our failure to live in disobedience to God’s instructions.  You see, sin does not have to define us.  We know this because Christ charted a new path for us of holiness, with the hope that we’ll choose it over the path of sin.  If you choose to take the path of Christ, you must not look back to the path from whence you came; you must not fall back into sin.  No, we must learn and grow from sin – we must be transformed. 

Transformation vs. Conformation

In Romans 12:1-2, Paul called on his brethren to present their bodies a living sacrifice, not being conformed, but being transformed by the renewing of the mind to prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Now, the two words that jump out to us in this scripture will be Paul speaking about transformation and conformity.  Let us take a moment to understand what these two words should mean to believers.

Transformation, for the believer, is putting off our “old man,” which walked in futility (sinfully), to put on our “new man” who walks in holiness (Eph. 4:20-23).

Conformity, on the other hand, is an act of regression for the believer, as one would fall back into the way of sin, dwelling in it.

Hebrews 10:26 suggests that no one who is of sincere faith would fall back into sin.  The scripture tells us, “If we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment.”

The sincere believer will go before the throne of grace, seeking God’s mercy, not thinking themselves perfect.  One who goes before the throne of grace has taken action to move on and grow from sin, rather than turn back to sin.  This one step separates confessed believers from those who merely profess faith, but don’t truly move in it.

The Great Failure of “Christian” Conformity

The greatest failure of “professed Christianity” has been its conformity (acceptance/normalization) to wickedness.

Today, we can see its conformity to sexual immorality and the lust of the flesh.  We can see its acceptance of selfish ambition and greediness.  Today’s professed Christianity has normalized apathy (an uncaring nature) and bitterness.  Moreover, today’s professed Christianity accepts and rejoices in hateful speech and the malicious acts of hatred.

To be clear, the conformity of sin by professed Christianity is detrimental to society.  As professed believers normalize wickedness, they influence other believers to believe that the way of sin is acceptable, leading others into apostasy.  The normalization of sin helps sinners to feel justified in their sinful living, as they see a “believer” living like them.

What’s more detrimental is the fact that today’s conformity to sin by so-called believers is furthering wickedness into future generations.  A future generation is growing up today thinking hateful speech is fine, and murdering someone in the streets is OK.  A future generation is growing today, believing that selfish ambition and greed are good for society.

Call to Glorify the Lord

God did not give His only begotten Son for us to be conformed to sin!  Consider today:  Why was Christ given to the world?  We will answer:  “To save the world from sin.”

To the Corinthians, Paul wrote, “[We] were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s (1 Cor. 6:20).”  Yes, God gave His only begotten Son to redeem us, mankind.  However, I have an uncle who would tell you that our salvation came at a price.

We often take lightly that Christ laid down His life for us, shedding blood to atone for our sins.  Yet, who else would do such a thing for us?  Certainly, no other man nor woman would choose to take on God’s wrath, when innocent, to save you.  So, because Christ took on God’s wrath for us, shouldn’t we feel compelled to glorify God?

To the Romans, Paul urged them, again, saying, “Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.”  Rather than giving our bodies to sin, the call is for one to give their body to the Lord.

No, you may wonder, “Why does God need my body?”  Here is where I want to remind you of God’s will.  The will of God is for all who receive Christ to have everlasting life and be raised with Him at the last day (John 6:40).  You and I must not be selfish about the salvation of God, as that would not be Christ-like, would it?

God, through the Holy Spirit, will use our body as a vessel to communicate and testify to all of those who are around us.  God will use your mouth and your actions to speak to others of His grace, mercy, and salvation.  The child of God is to be a living testimony!

A Transformation Is Necessary

For one to be a living testimony and glorify God, a transformation is needed.  A transformation is needed in the soul because we are sinners who fall short of God’s glory.  

A transformation is needed for us to be able to endure in a world of sin and misery.  I must remind you of what I preached in my sermon – Reject the Spirit of Defeat and Move in Victory.   Satan attacks in a manner to beat down and wear down the soul.  The devil desires to break your spirit so that you will conform and give in to sin.  

I believe that the devil’s latest efforts are similar to what he has often used.  The pain and suffering in the world today are not by happenstance.  Satan continues to use pain and suffering so that we will begin to hate the one we see as the cause of the pain and suffering.

Again, a transformation is needed so that we may stand as stewards, representatives of the Lord.  Who is it that will heed God’s word coming from a hypocrite and sinner?  If we are given in to hate, who is going to listen?  

If we are given in to wicked actions, who is that will believe we are of the Lord?  All people know that the way of God is love, not hate!  Without a transformation in our souls, we would not be fit for the service, nonetheless, fit for the kingdom.

The Process of Transformation

Yes, a transformation is needed for the service of good, but do you desire to be transformed?

For the process to begin, you must choose the path of Christ.  Jesus told Peter, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me (John 13:8).”  Again, the soul must be washed by the shed blood of Christ because the soul is like a sponge, and as we live in this world of sin, it picks up sin.  Without being washed by the blood of Jesus, the soul will be like a filthy cloth that cannot be used.

When one has chosen the path of Christ and commits to His path, the transformation process continues through the receiving of the Holy Spirit.  When you receive the Holy Spirit, He goes to work with the renewing of your mind, restoring your soul to its former glory.

You see, when God made mankind and breathed into our nostrils, He did not breathe sin into us.  No, the soul that God breathed into mankind was that of His own.  Man was made in the image of God, according to His likeness, having His glory.  That glory was lost due to sin, but the Spirit takes on the task of transforming our souls by renewing our minds.

The transformative work of renewing your mind is most needed, especially in today’s regressing world.  We live in a world of wickedness, surrounded by the temptation of falling back into sin.  Here’s where the Holy Spirit steps in to help you with putting off your former conduct, so that you do not fall into the devil’s snare of your former conduct.

To help keep us from the temptation of reverting back to our old selves, the Holy Spirit directs our path into all truth and righteousness (John 16:13).  What this means is that the Holy Spirit guides us in the spirit of truth and error, so that we aren’t deceived.  Again, keep in mind, the devil is a liar, and he looks to deceive you so that you will fall into his snare.

So, you and I, on the path of Christ, must heed the Holy Spirit.  To heed the Holy Spirit, Paul said that one must not think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to all of us a measure of faith (Rom. 12:3).  

We must not be self-righteous in our way!  As Paul said to the Philippians, we must humble ourselves in awareness, acknowledging who we are.  Who are we?  We are sinners in need of the Lord’s help and mercy!  We must submit to God, fully opening ourselves to Him, so that we may receive Him and His much-needed gifts!

Our Transformation Is Needed

You see, our transformation is needed in today’s world because God’s gospel is needed!  Some may not understand why the gospel of God is needed today, so let me lay it out for you as to why the gospel is needed today.

Because the gospel is needed

The gospel of God is needed today because of the continued efforts of evil;   Many are suffering because of their efforts.  The gospel helps to bring truth to light in the midst of lies, conspiracies, and deceptions.  The truth is that God is real, that He is love, and that He will help to lift you up in all of your trials and tribulations.

The gospel is needed to help empower those who have been deceived.  Where the wicked sets out to drown out and drain all hope, the gospel is a message that there is hope and deliverance.  The gospel is a message that through faith in Christ, you will overcome the wicked because He has already overcome and won the victory (John 16:33).  

Evil must be confronted

Our transformation is needed today because evil must be confronted.  No child of God should be conforming to evil; we have been called on to confront the dark with the light of God!

In Romans 12:9-13, Paul wrote that love should be without hypocrisy; it should be sincere if you say that you’re a child of God!  Paul then said that one should abhor (despise) what is evil and cling to good.  Does this mean we should confront evil with hate?  Absolutely not!

We must not confront evil from a place of hatred because such hatred will only beget more hate!  To confront hate, Paul tells us to cling to doing what is good.  Doing what is good will further prove the devil as the liar that he is!

To do good, Paul advises us to be kindly affectionate to one another in brotherly love, giving preference to one another.  This was Paul telling believers to move with compassion!  Let us note that giving preference to one another is the complete opposite of selfish greed.  Selfish greed, I will repeat, is why we, mankind, have not prospered.

With that compassion, we can further confront evil, Paul said, not lagging in diligence, which is to say, we must be persistent in our compassion for each other.  Satan loves the chaos of the day.  The devil very much loves it when we spite each other, as it holds mankind from fulfilling God’s great desire for us to flourish together.  When you hear someone speaking against love, know that they have shown you that their spirit is not of the Lord.

Do not let the wicked and evil work their misery into your soul, not for one second!  If you’re miserable, then you cannot produce the fruits of the Spirit, doing the good work.  Paul said that we must be fervent in spirit, serving the Lord.

We confront evil by rejoicing in hope, being patient in tribulation, and continuing steadfastly in prayer.  I can’t make it any clearer to you today than when you hear one speaking against prayer, especially in this moment, that you need to shut that voice out.  The devil knows the power of prayer and does not want you talking to God.  

The devil desires for you to act irrationally, as acting irrationally hurts yourself, and once again, will hurt those around you.  I will repeat to all of you, again, Satan does not want us to flourish!  This is why he desires for you to stop calling on the name of God, but don’t you stop!  

The transformed heart can succeed

Only the transformed heart can truly confront evil in a manner that will be successful.  I say that because evil can only be confronted with the light of God, which is love.  Evil spreads in darkness, and if you’re confronting evil out of darkness, know that you’re enabling it.  

Those who have chosen not to take the path of Christ underestimate the light of God because we don’t fully understand the power of love.  Love is seen as being soft and gentle.  But repeatedly throughout scripture, the power of love has been shown to overcome those who think of themselves as gods.  Just ask Pharaoh, Nebuchadnezzar, the scribes, and Pharisees of Jesus’ day.

If we were to confront evil in the manner that God has prescribed, we would not only prove the devil wrong, but we would humiliate him.  Those who confront evil in the name of God will heap coals on the heads of the wicked, further disgracing them and putting them to shame.  When the wicked are put to shame, it defeats them.