Transfigured. “To change the appearance of in a very great degree, usually in a pleasing way.” (The New Lexicon Webster’s Dictionary Of The English Language?Encyclopedic Edition)
The Biblical word transfigure is derived from the Greek word Metamorphoo which is, “to be transformed”. In the current English vernacular we use the word morphed. Which comes from the word Metamorphosis, which means:
“A marked change of form and structure, a transformation of one structure into another.” (The New English Lexicon Webster’s Dictionary Of The English Language…Encyclopedic Edition)
Jesus taught us saying… “Verily, verily I say to you that, unless a man be born again, he can not see the Kingdom of God.”
(John3:3)
Paul taught us writing, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: Old things have passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Jesus, reconciling the world to Himself, Not imputing their trespasses to them. (Not blaming them for their sins.) And has committed to us the word of reconciliation.”
(2 Corinthians 5:17-19)
Paul also taught us writing, “I beseech (Strongly Urge) you therefore brothers, by the mercies of God , that you present your bodies as a living sacrifice…(Paul urges us to put down our flesh and live by the Spirit)… which is your reasonable service.”
“And be not conformed to the patterns of this world; BUT BE YOU TRANSFORMED, by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
(Romans 12:1&2)
In this teaching, Paul instructs us to:
(1)Put down our flesh and live in the Spirit. This, he instructs, us is only our fair service to the Lord.
(2)Paul charges us to not be conformed to the patterns of this world. We are in this world but not of it. We are Spirits living in a body that has a soul. We are to live in the world as an example to others of a Godly life.
(3)Paul teaches us that the way to do this; is to be transformed. And, that to be transformed we must have our minds renewed. The way we have our minds renewed is by consuming the flesh of Jesus. We make the Word of Jesus the power source of our lives, by making a decision to believe them beyond the shadow of a doubt. Then we drink the blood of Jesus by making a decision to believe that Jesus guaranteed the truth of all of His Word’s with His Blood.
Jesus taught us: “Verily, verily, I say to you, Except you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is meat indeed and my blood is drink indeed. He that eats my flesh, and drinks my blood dwells in me and I in him.”
“It is the spirit that makes alive; the flesh counts for nothing. The words that I speak to you they are spirit, and they are life. But there are some of you who do not believe.”
(John 6:53-56&63-64)
To be transfigured is to be transformed from a person lead of the flesh to a person lead of the spirit. The evidence of which, is newness of life. That transformation comes from ingesting the Word’s of Jesus and making a decision to believe that they are true beyond the shadow of a doubt, And that they are guaranteed by the blood of Jesus. If we do so, we will be changed drastically.
Following are the examples of how stark a change transfiguration brings:
“And after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John His brother, and brought them up into an high mountain apart, And was transfigured before them: and His face did shine as the sun, and His raiment (especially fine clothing) was white as the light. And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah talking with Him.”
“Then answered Peter, and said to Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if you wish, let us make here three tabernacles; one for you, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
“While he yet spoke, behold a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear you Him.”
(Matthew 17:1-5)
It amazes me that Peter was able to speak or think after seeing Jesus transfigured into His heavenly position. Jesus would have had to dig me out from under the nearest and biggest rock. Even more astonishing is the report of John from the aisle of Patmos; where John had been exiled from Ephesus for teaching the Gospel. Imagine yourself in this situation. You are filled with the Holy Spirit almost to the point of being in a trance. Then suddenly the following happens:
“I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, Saying, “I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last; and What you see, write in a book, and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia (Modern day Turkey), to Ephesus, and to Smyrna, and to Pergamos, and to Thyatira, and to Sardis, and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.”
“And I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; And in the midst of the candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot and wrapped about the paps with a golden girdle. His head and His hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; His eyes were like a flame of fire; and his feet were like fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and His voice as the sound of many waters.”
“And He had in His right hand seven stars: and his countenance was as the sun shines in His strength. And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. And He laid His right hand upon me, saying to me, “Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am He that lives and was dead; and behold, I am alive forevermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.”
(Revelation 1:10-18)
WOW!!!!!!! John saw Jesus in life, in death, in resurrected form and finally in His current state as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Many of us have been taught to visualize Jesus as the babe in the manger, or in rags, or as the blonde haired blue eyed Jesus at the last supper. We have been taught that Jesus is the Lamb of God. The Jesus whom we serve, is the transfigured glorified God that John saw.
John fell at Jesus’ feet as dead. All of us would also. I hear many people declare what they will do when they see Jesus. “I am going to march right up to Jesus and ask Him who shot JFK.”Right! We will swoon at the sight of His majesty and His glory. He is alive and in our midst right now, but not as a baby in a manger. He is with us in all His might and power.
He wants us to relate to Him in His fullness and power. He died for us so that we could also be transfigured into His likeness. Jesus wants us to be transfigured just as He is. If we believe Him we will be.
Imagine a world full of transfigured Christians believing and walking in the glory of Jesus.
Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that, if you would believe, you should see the glory of God.”
(John 11:40)
Have you been transfigured? Check your belief level:
“If you abide in me, and my Words abide in you, you shall ask what you wish and it shall be done unto you. In this is my Father glorified, that you should bear much fruit; so shall you be my disciples.”
(John 15:7&8)
“Verily, verily, I say to you, He that believes on me the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works that these shall he do; because I go to my Father. And whatsoever you shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you shall ask anything in my name, I will do it.” (John 14: 12-14)
“Until now, you have asked nothing in my name: ask, and you shall receive, that your joy may be full.”
(John 16:24)
“Verily, verily, I say to you, whatsoever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. “
(Matthew 18:18)
“Again I say to you, that if two or more of you shall agree as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three of you are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of you.”
(Matthew 18:19-20)
“Have faith in God. For verily I say to you, That whosoever shall say to this mountain, Be you removed and cast into the sea; and does not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he says shall come to pass, he shall have whatsoever he says. Therefore, I say to you, whatsoever things you desire, when you pray, believe that you receive them and you shall have them.”
(Mark 11:22-24)
“And these signs shall follow those who believe; in my name they shall cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents and if they drink any deadly thing it shall not hurt them; (this means that those who believe will overcome the strongest powers of the evil one, not play with snakes and drink poison.) They shall lay hands on the sick and the sick shall recover.”
(Mark 16:17&18)
And he said to them, “I beheld satan as lightning fall from heaven. Behold, I give to you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, (Jesus gave us power over the strongest powers of satan.) and over all the powers of the enemy; and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”
(Luke 10:18)
If you believe these scriptures, you will be transfigured. Here are a few more life changing good news scriptures:
“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For you have not received the sprit of bondage again to fear; but you have received the Spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father. The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit, that we are children of God and we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs and if heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus.”
(Romans 8: 15-17)
Think about the meaning of being a joint heir with Jesus.
“And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, all power is given to me in heaven and in the earth.”
(Matthew 28:18)
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose. For whom He did fore-know, He did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first born among many brothers. Moreover whom He did predestine, them He also called: And whom He called them He also justified; and whom He justified, He glorified.”
“What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him freely give us all things?”
“No in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
(Romans 8:28-32 and 37-39)
These scriptures are life changing and transfiguring. Finally; one last blessing from Paul our appointed teacher:
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Jesus. According as he has chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love.”
(Ephesians 1:3&4)
How much would we be changed in a pleasant way from one structure to another if we chose to be fully persuaded beyond the shadow of a doubt that these Words are true and put them into practice?
I pray that this teaching has blessed you. If you have been blessed, please pass it to another who will be blessed.
Pastor Allen,
Write to me at www.throneofgraceministries.com or at Throne of Grace Ministries, P.O.BOX 669153 Marietta, Georgia 30066.
