When you hear the word "transformation," what do you think of? It sounds a lot like the word "change" and that word certainly makes us uncomfortable! As the old joke goes, "How many Presbyterians does it take to change a light bulb?" The answer…Change? Woodrow Wilson, the 28^th President of the United States—who was also a Presbyterian, by the way—once said, "If you want to make enemies, try to change something." Change certainly makes us uncomfortable and that word "transformation" sounds uncomfortably a lot like change.

But, I think a major difference might be stated that change often implies an action against something else, sometimes against the will or intent of someone else…see Woodrow Wilson’s statement above. Transformation on the other hand, seems to me at least to be more of a mutually agreed upon process, a working together as a team. The accident "changed" Beulah’s appearance…Beulah’s appearance was "transformed" through the wonders of plastic surgery.

I do think "transformation" is more the appropriate word when talking about discipleship. People who are close to accepting Christ often ask the question, "Do I have to change anything about my life?" The simple answer is "Yes!" A more appropriate answer, however, is that our lives will be transformed as we walk the discipleship journey with Jesus Christ.

This past week, Rosalie, Barbara and I spent two days at a conference on a small group study curriculum called, appropriately, Disciple. One of the things that attracted me to Disciple was its emphasis, as it name implies, on the journey of being a disciple. That journey includes the process of transformation—of growing, of participating in the change that occurs from where we were when we first came to Christ, to where we are now…and where we’ll be down the road of discipleship. In Disciples’ resource booklet on implementing Disciple, the editors write this: "Disciple offers…a challenge and a promise. The challenge is to see the regular, in-depth study of Scripture, designed to develop biblically nourished persons committed to discipleship, as the foundation for all congregational ministry. The promise is that all who come to Scripture allowing it to have its say will, with the aid of the Holy Spirit, experience a power that changes priorities and redirects lives. Disciple guides small groups of persons to submit themselves to examination by Scripture, to put themselves under the power of God’s Word, and to be changed by God’s Word. Transformation is central to the challenge and the promise of making Disciple Bible study the starting point for ministry." (Underline mine) It was wonderfully affirming to me to read that statement in the Disciple material because I think the understanding of transformation is so important in our faith journeys. It is true that God loves us exactly as we are. No matter what kind of history we bring to our relationship with God, no matter what kind of baggage we drag along, God loves us. God loves us! But, He doesn’t want to leave us where we are. He wants us to grow more and more into the image He desires for us. God wants us to be transformed more and more into the image of Jesus Christ, transformed through our relationship with God. As the statement from Disciple affirms, God’s Word and God’s Spirit at work in us are critical, essential elements of the transformation of discipleship. And our willing, diligent seeking of such a transformation is an important ingredient as well.

It is essentially the same thing that Paul has been saying to the Corinthians. Earlier, Paul wrote about the message of the cross being foolishness to those separated from God, but to those in relationship with God the message of the cross is the power of God. Paul added that this message—and its power—could not be received without help from God’s Spirit. Once that message was received, however, Paul states a foundation was laid in the believer’s life that transformed them from separated from God to restored with God. Additionally, Paul tells us how the believer then builds upon that foundation in his or her life brings them closer and closer to the transforming image of God in them.

In our Scripture passage for today, Paul continues to address things that are going on in the Corinthian church that have been brought to his attention and concern him a great deal. He is concerned about the weakening of their public witness for Christ by the disputes and quarrels that exist among them. Apparently, believers are taking other believers to court—church members suing other church members! We’re not told the context of those lawsuits, but Paul says the mere fact they exist brings defeat upon them already—no matter who wins and who loses the lawsuit. Their witness is destroyed by such actions and Paul says it would be better to suffer loss in the issue of the lawsuit than the loss of their witness to the transformed life of a follower of Christ. In other words—a Christian ought to look different to the rest of the world. The transformed life of a follower of Jesus Christ ought to raise puzzling questions to a non-follower. You would rather take the loss than take a fellow believer to court? You would rather suffer a little less profit in your business than cheat a bit on your taxes…or pay your employees a lesser wage? The believer, transformed by a life that seeks to follow and honor Christ, would answer, "Yes!"

But, more importantly, in the conclusion of this section of the letter where Paul addresses concerns the Corinthians didn’t want to raise with him, Paul seeks to remind them—and us—of the kind of transformation that’s possible for disciples of Christ. He writes, "Unjust people who don’t care about God will not be joining in His kingdom." And he goes on to list some of what an unjust person looks like. It’s a list that, frankly, includes areas of weakness for us all. Whether this list in I Corinthians, or weaknesses, sins, listed elsewhere, we’re all included. Here, people who use and abuse others in all types of relationships, or who use and abuse the earth. In I Timothy, Paul writes of people who lie or bear false witness. In Galatians, Paul’s list of acts of the sinful nature include "hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, and envy." Ever struggle with those? Or, how about gossip or mean speech? The apostle James will write of loose tongues—of gossips and hateful, mean speech—being far from what a disciple should look like, or talk like. Jesus himself will literally get to the heart of the matter when he says that our very thoughts—lust or anger—put us on equal sinful footing with the adulterer and murderer. The temptation is to look at such lists as these and point to others and the problem "they" have with the sinful nature. But, it’s true what they say—when you point to someone else, three fingers are pointing back at you. That’s where we are to begin in our analysis of injustice and those who are far from the kingdom of God—with ourselves. Paul sets the example for that when, in his first letter to Timothy, he refers to himself as the "worst among sinners." Yet, he doesn’t dwell there for very long for he knows that he has been transformed by Jesus Christ. The list of users and abusers in I Corinthians 6 is broad…and long. Somewhere in there we can find ourselves. "And," Paul says, "that is what some of you were. Then comes some great language about the transformation that is ours in Jesus Christ. "But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." Those are amazing words about the incredible transformation that takes place in the life of a follower of Jesus Christ.

To begin with, to be "justified" means that we are transformed from guilty to innocent. Unable to make a defense for ourselves—our thoughts, words and deeds clearly mark us as guilty, of falling short of God’s standards—Christ brings a verdict of innocence by standing in our place and paying the penalty for our sins. It is the foundation of our faith about which we spoke last Sunday. Once we were guilty of being unjust people unable to participate in the kingdom of God. But, we have been transformed into justified people through Jesus Christ our Savior. When anyone or anything attempts to bring discouragement or doubt to you about your guilt or innocence before God, remember who you are. Once, you were guilty. But, you have been transformed to innocence, justified through Jesus Christ.

The waters of baptism are a sign and a seal of our justification in Christ. Once, we were dirty with the guilt and stain of sin in our lives. But, we have been washed in the waters of baptism in Jesus Christ. When anyone or anything tries to make permanent the stain of sin in your life, remember who you are. You have been washed and made clean through baptism in Jesus Christ.

Finally, there is the transforming process of sanctification in our lives. To be sanctified means to be holy. While the transformation of justification and baptism is a "once for always" change in our lives—the foundation and the seal for our faith—the transformation of sanctification—becoming more and more holy—is an ongoing journey of discipleship. It is the building we do upon the foundation of faith. God wants us to be more holy, to grow more and more Christlike as we seek to follow Christ as Lord. Frankly, there are days when we are better at that than others. We find ourselves growing as a disciple, showing more and more to the world the kind of character and integrity that distinguishes us from the world’s standards. But, sometimes, we give in to the temptations around us; we are far from the kind of holy people God desires us to be. Our transformation has been slowed, we’ve taken a step backwards on the journey of discipleship. Yet, God is gracious, offering us forgiveness, maintaining our status of innocence before Him, signed and sealed in the waters of baptism, and encouraging us on to pursue holiness. When we fail, when we give in to temptation, remember who we are—people who remain justified before God because of Jesus Christ. And when temptation comes our way, remember who we are, a people seeking holiness in our lives and a people with the power to resist temptation and grow more and more sanctified, more and more holy through Jesus Christ and His Spirit in our lives.

It may well be that the idea of transformation seems beyond our reach. Memories of attempts at overcoming temptations, and failing miserably, haunt us. We’ve tried, and failed, and don’t think we can do it. But, remember who you are. You are sanctified in the name of Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

John Ortberg, pastor and author, writes some helpful words concerning our growing as disciples and being transformed more and more into the holiness of Christ. In the Summer, 2002 edition of Leadership Journal, Ortberg writes, "Significant human transformation always involves training, not just trying. Spiritual transformation is a long-term endeavor. It involves both God and us. I liken it to crossing an ocean. Some people try, day after day, to be good, to become spiritually mature. That’s like taking a rowboat across the ocean. It’s exhausting and usually unsuccessful. Others have given up trying and throw themselves entirely on ‘relying on God’s grace.’ They’re like drifters on a raft. They do nothing but hang on and hope God gets them there. Neither trying nor drifting are effective in bringing about spiritual transformation. A better image is the sailboat, which it if moves at all, it’s a gift of the wind. We can’t control the wind, but a good sailor discerns where the wind is blowing and adjusts the sails accordingly. Working with the Holy Spirit, which Jesus likened to the wind in John 3, means we have a part in discerning the winds, in knowing the direction we need to go, and in training our sails to catch the breezes that God provides. That’s true transformation.

I don’t want to be a "rowboat Christian," and I don’t want you to be a "rowboat Christian," exhausting ourselves in trying, without training, to bring about transformation in our lives. I don’t want to be, and I don’t want you to be a "raft Christian," drifting about aimlessly and offering nothing to God towards our transformation. I want to be, and I want you to be a "sailor Christian," working with God through the Holy Spirit to experience true transformation in our lives.

And so Paul, with some help from John Ortberg, gives us a rule for life—remember who you are. If ever you feel distant and separated from God, remember you are justified in Christ. If your past tries to label you dirty and unworthy of God, remember you’ve been cleansed in Christ. And, whenever life and its temptations seem too much to overcome, circumstances too difficult to change, remember you are a disciple of Jesus Christ, a sailor being transformed through the Spirit’s movement in your life—and your seeking that movement! Once you were an unjust person, distant from God and unable to participate in the kingdom of God. But now, remember who you are. You are justified, washed and sanctified through Jesus Christ and His Spirit.