Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
In the Greek, the scripture reads like this.
“Do not get on the plan this world system is hooked into.
Rather, buy into God’s plan which is to be metamorphosed into a new humanity which Jesus Christ has brought, by His death and resurrection.”
This is an odd term, metamorphosis!
What is it?
When we think of metamorphosis we think of the ugly caterpillar which became the beautiful butterfly!
Alas, this is Christianity!
Christianity is the upgrading and updating into a new version of humanity.
The current one is messed up.
Through sin it is dysfunctional.
So Jesus Christ, being God, became a human, redeemed humanity, and arose as Christ Jesus, in a new version of a fully functional and eternal humanity which He offers to us.
Christianity is a new version of humanity.
It’s a new operating system.
Current humanity is Version 1.0
Jesus Christ offers Version 2.0
If we don’t see Christianity as a new version of humanity, we have missed the point as to why we follow Christ.
Let’s get back to the caterpillar and the butterfly.
How does a caterpillar become a butterfly?
The caterpillar hangs upside down from a twig.
It spins a cocoon.
Within the cocoon, the caterpillar consumes itself through the discharge of potent enzymes which exist in him.
Everything is devoured by the enzymes except a group of cells which through division and multiplication creates the butterfly.
For the Christian, it’s the same process.
The Christian died with Christ.
The works of Christ are the enzymes which destroys the sinful nature.
Now a corpse, she disintegrates into dust, and the Christ who’s in her, is the spiritual cells which through multiplication brings her back to life and metamorphoses her into Humanity Version 2.0
Jesus Christ is the beautiful butterfly.
Fallen humanity is the ugly caterpillar.
How difficult is the process of metamorphosis?
It cost the caterpillar its life.
The requirement is that that it had to die, disintegrate, and be metamorphosed into a butterfly.
There are few Christians who are willing to go through, or comprehend the process of metamorphosis.
Yet, this procedure is essential if the person of Christ Jesus is to be displayed to the world.
On the failure to understand this one principle is why the church is stuck in spiritual quagmire.
If the caterpillar chose not to go through metamorphosis, we would have a world without butterflies.
Can you imagine a world void of butterflies?
Christians are the human butterflies who tell human caterpillars that they can also become butterflies!
But how can a butterfly tell a caterpillar to become a butterfly unless she is a butterfly?
This is the problem with the culture wars that the church engages in.
We call this legislating morality.
The church demands caterpillars to become butterflies when she is still disintegrating into the cocoon.
The unchurched look at the church and see the boring cocoon, half of the caterpillar still left, and the butterfly still not metamorphosed.
They say, “I am an ugly but having fun caterpillar, and you are demanding that I become this boring cocoon.”
Christian, become a butterfly and then you will draw caterpillars to want to become butterflies!
We don’t need to change anyone.
If we display free butterflies, caterpillars will want to become butterflies.
Bill Gates does not force people to purchase Windows!
Neither does Apple tell people to buy watches!
People see the upgrades and want them.
The transformed butterfly displays Jesus, Humanity 2.0, and everyone wants Him.
This is Christianity.
Jose and Mary Alvarez 