Peanut butter and Jelly, chocolate and coffee, brownies and ice cream--some things just come in pairs. There are biblical truths that are meant to go together, too, like fear of the Lord and wisdom, knowledge and understanding, dying to self and being raised in Christ, conviction and transformation.
Conviction is defined as firm belief; transformation is defined as change in condition. We can’t have one without the other. Humanity longs for individuality, and yet pushes for conformity. This is the enemy of transformation.
As Christ-followers, the way we live our lives should indicate that a different heart beats inside our chest. That’s transformed living. How do we move from speaking about our beliefs to living our beliefs?
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God gives us a thorough list to examine our lives by and see where we need His transforming touch in Galatians 5:19-21. At times, it is difficult to see our failures written in black and white, but He doesn’t condemn us. Instead, He guides us into a new way and new choices. Choose peace instead of anger, collaboration instead of rivalry, purity over impurity. Small decisions turn into big ones until we create a habit of saying yes to the behaviors that line up with God’s heart.
As we behold God’s glory, we’re transformed, bit by bit, as we find in 2 Corinthians 3:18. It’s like picking up a grain of sand, then a handful, and then a bucketful, until you look up and view the vast expanse of a beach. The ocean draws you and you marvel at how the sand never seems to run out but continues on and on. You decide the beach is a glorious place to be and do all you can to return back to it, time and time again. Beholding God’s glory is like returning to a place of beauty and refreshment. You behold His glory, and as you do, you’re transformed.
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Your mind is a busy place. It’s aware of the sunlight falling over your shoulder, the sound of the lawn mower, the carpet under your feet, and the sip of coffee. Romans 12:2 tells us to be transformed by the renewing of our mind. God invades our spirit when we say yes to Him, and then we are no longer our own. The body, mind, will, and emotions each have habits and attitudes that need transformation. In order to know this transformation, we must renew our minds. Do we treat others with respect, honor, and kindness? What are the things we think about ourselves? These questions can guide us in being transformed as we answer them with God’s word and standard.
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The armor of God makes us effective in moving from conviction to transformation. Covered in the belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, shoes of peace, helmet of salvation, shield of faith, and the sword of the Spirit, we can stand firm. Truth, righteousness, peace, salvation, faith, and the word of God enable us to remain rooted against the attacks of the enemy who would seek to destroy our souls. The enemy will use whatever means he can to make sure we stay in our place of conviction: knowing what we believe and then never acting on it and moving into transformation.
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In order to turn our convictions into transformations, we have to learn to capture our thoughts. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 lays out the battle plan for us. It reminds us that the battle wages in our minds and we must be aware of what we’re thinking. Examine your thoughts. Do they conform to the word of God? If not, then capture them and turn them around. For example, “I hope that person gets what’s coming to them,” (revenge) to “Lord, work in that person’s heart so that they might know you and what pleases you,” (blessing). Be aware. Capture. Make obedient.
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Every choice we make that lines up with God’s principles is worship to Him, and that transforms us. Worship reminds me that I am not “all that,” but He is. It’s when I choose to worship Him with both my voice and my heart that the truths that I know about Him, in my head, grow roots down to my heart. When I begin to believe and act on those truths, my convictions transform. Psalm 145 is full of praise, adoration, and true worship; if you let it, it can train your heart how to worship.
In order to move from conviction to transformation, we must grow in knowledge. When I would give instructions to my kids, they would say, “I know,” and my response would be, “Then act like it.” The Hebrew meaning for knowledge is defined as living in conformity to God’s will. Proverbs 9:10: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.” How many of us need insight, not so we can know, but so we can act? Insight is actionable information. Knowledge is living in conformity to God’s will.
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Knowledge and understanding relate to one another, and yet each has a different role. If knowledge guides our actions, then understanding guides our hearts. Proverbs 2:2 tells us, “Making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding,” and verse 9, “Then you will understand righteousness and justice and equity, and every good path.” Our motives get tangled up with self-exaltation and our hearts are easily deceived. Understanding gives us perceptive insight to discern our motives for why we do what we do, and then helps us bring them in line with God’s heart.
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Paul writes in Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” It takes faith to take what we believe and put it into practice. Our flesh fails us. Sin entangles us. Our efforts exhaust us. When we trust God to work in us, that’s faith. God loves you and gave himself for you. It’s time to walk by faith and put your convictions into practice. Do you believe God loves you? Act on it. Do you believe God when He says He wants you to love your enemy? Then, do it. What about forgiveness? Forgive and trust God to do the work in you. That’s faith.
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“I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can you do nothing,” John 15:5. Abiding in Christ is key to moving from conviction to transformed living. We can’t save ourselves, we can’t affect righteousness in our lives, and we can’t make ourselves holy. The only thing we can do is abide in Christ. Abiding means that we don’t abandon His teachings when life gets hard, but learn that suffering draws us closer to Him.
When we abide with Him, we turn our eyes to eternal things such as the fruit of the spirit, rather than temporal things such as home, money, and material goods. You grow as a believer and your life is changed when you abide in Christ.
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Moving from conviction to transformed living is a journey that takes us through deep ravines and high mountains, meandering meadows and rushing waters. It’s a life filled with deep satisfaction, purpose, and authenticity.
As you put on the armor of God, capture your thoughts, worship with your whole self, grow in knowledge, gain understanding, live by faith, and abide in Christ you will find your convictions grow to the point that you will move into transformed living.
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