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The Beginning of Transformation

Transformation begins with salvation. In Luke 19:10 Jesus gave us a glimpse into His mission, “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” The purpose of His death burial and resurrection was to provide salvation to lost humanity. II Peter 3:9 says, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”

To be saved is to experience the new birth. The theological term for the new birth is regeneration. Regeneration means to be generated again. Easton’s Bible Dictionary defines regeneration as “being born again.”  In John 3:5 we learn, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”  Dr. H. L. Willmington in His book The Doctrine of Salvation defines regeneration as “the process whereby God, through a second birth, imparts to the believing sinner a new nature.”[I]



When we are born again our nature is changed. We experience transformation. This is the beginning of the transformation process. II Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” To be born again by the Spirit of God is to pass from spiritual death into spiritual life. There is a new creation that takes place when we prayer to receive Jesus as our Savior and Lord by faith.  


We are transformed. We are no longer the person we once were. We have a new nature. I John 3:9 says those who are born again are holy seed. John 3:8 says regeneration is produced by the Holy Spirit. We are called out of darkness into the marvelous light of His love. We are transformed, changed and made new. 2 Peter 1:4 says, “by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”


When we experience this transformational salvation there are a number of things that happen simultaneous in our lives. We are adopted into the family of God. We are justified, which means our standing with God is changed. We are redeemed, which means that we are extracted out of the slavery of sin.  

And we are regenerated, which means that all things become new to us through the new birth. Transformation begins with salvation.



[i] Willmington, H. L., The Doctrine of Salvation, Liberty Universtiy, Lynchburg, VA, 1977, page 69. 


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