"Be Transformed"

Last November, my daughter, Elizabeth and her husband, Michael gave me an early birthday present by paying my way to a women's retreat that I attended with Elizabeth. I have to tell you, that weekend changed so many beliefs that I have carried with me throughout my life!

Cheryl, the speaker at the retreat is an amazing women and truly touched my heart with her words! I posted about the retreat here.

I received an email from Cheryl the other day and wanted to share the contents of that message. Elizabeth and I have started a study together - meeting one night a week - on this same book that Cheryl talks about - both at the retreat and in this message, "Be Transformed".

On the Email loop, Rita asked me to explain about the book Be Transformed and why I liked it so much. I thought you might be interested in my response.

Resting in Grace,
Cheryl

Rita mentioned a book called Be Transformed and asked what I thought of it.
Anyone who has talked to me in the last year or who came to our retreat - knows what I think of this book.

It has powerfully impacted my life. It has affected the way I interact with my children, with other people, and absolutely how I teach God’s Word.
But most importantly of all, it has helped transform my relationship with Christ.
Why? Why would just a book have that much effect?

I will tell you.
GRACE

I am not simply talking about God’s grace that reached out through eternity and chose me and brought me to Himself and redeemed me apart from ANY merit or work on my own.

I understood that about Grace before.

I could cry about it and how thankful I was for His saving me through His Grace. But that was kinda where my understanding of Grace stopped.

Be Transformed explains HOW to LIVE in Grace.

You see, we are saved apart from following any rules or manmade plan or good works of ANY kind.

AND because of Grace, that is the way we are supposed to live. FREE in CHRIST – apart from any rules or manmade plan or good works of ANY kind.
I don’t want to PLEASE Him anymore. I don’t want to perform or meet any standard or list or do great works ANYMORE!

Because I want to live in Grace, as He planned. Letting HIM DO IT ALL!
My job is to know Him and to love Him and to Trust Him. THAT’S IT!
The more I know, and love and Trust Him, the more I will obey Him and follow Him and be transformed to be like Him.

But there is a HUGE difference between this and what I used to believe and do and how I used to live.

Before because I loved Him and appreciated all He did and does for me, I wanted to please Him and work HARD at it.

OH what a burden it was though. I was NEVER EVER even close to doing what I needed to do to please Him. I loved Him SO much. But I just couldn’t do enough to merit what I wanted to do for Him

But Grace changes all that!

I am free to love Him. And to trust Him. Then I am empowered and choose to obey.

The motivation behind TRYING TO PLEASE HIM and simply TRUSTING HIM is 10 Universes apart and has changed my life.

I spent an entire weekend at our retreat trying to illustrate and explain this. So of course, this email is inadequate.

Be Transformed is best done with someone who has been through it and understands living in Grace.

However, it is such TRUTH that I want everyone to read it and do it and ask the Spirit to show you Christ and teach you the Truth and introduce you into living in Grace. Just get a friend or two who would like to understand this idea and pray and do it together.

Your family will recognize and LOVE the difference in you. You will LOVE living in the freedom of Grace.

Some fear as they did in Romans 6 that this kind of teaching will lead to anarchy and an unproductive Christian life.

As Paul said, “May it NEVER be!”

I would contend that THIS is the way God intended for us to live – completely dependent on Him, living out of His life in me, trusting Him for every single thing in my life not because that’s the “good Christian way” but because I love Him and trust Him so much, I can’t do anything else. I choose to do nothing else!
I LOVE living like this!

So, Rita, I had a little to share about this book. But it isn’t the book that transforms lives. It simply explains it very well. It is the power of God working in a son or daughter who trusts Him and depends on Him.

I would love to hear from some of you whose lives have been changed by learning to LIVE in Grace not simply be saved by Grace!
Let me close with a few verses to encourage you.

1 Peter 5:12 I have written briefly to you, exhorting and declaring that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it
2 Peter 3:18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

(This is why I close my emails by saying…)
Resting in Grace,
Cheryl

In His Love and Blessings
annb