In our last installment, we looked at how Eve caused a transformation (metamorphoō) by what she set her mind on when she was beguiled by the dragon. We saw that one can change/transform from being perfect beings into a fallen state by the power of the mind/heart. By that singular act, the entire perfect creation of God collapsed into what it is today. We also saw that by the same renewal of mind, man could transform himself from a fallen nature into a Glorious Perfected New Creation in Christ Jesus.
The Greek word for transformation which we focused on was metamorphoō from which we get metamorphosis.
Rom 12:2 (KJV) And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed (metamorphoō) by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Today we shall continue to look at the transformation of natures but this time we will look at this mystery of transformation using another Greek word allassō.
The important thing is that whether it's metamorphoō or allassō transpiring, it is triggered and sustained by the way we use our minds.
Let us first define allassō and then we can go to our scriptural reference:
Thayer Definition: G236 | ἀλλάσσω | allassō
1) to change, to exchange one thing for another, to transform
G236 (Word Study) | ἀλλάσσω | allássō
To change the form or nature of a thing, to transform the voice or tone (Gal 4:20). To change for the better, in the pass. (1Co 15:51-52; Sept.: Jer 13:23). To change for the worse, to corrupt, cause to decay, e.g., the heavens
In both lexicons, we see that allássō is also translated as to transform.
ALLÁSSŌ
In the book Apostle, Paul wrote to the Romans in the very first chapter Paul uses the word allássō to explain a certain type of transformation. Years ago a young man I taught in the USA asked me a question—"if our forefathers did not have bibles or preachers, does that mean they would all end up in hell, having never had the gospel preached to them by missionaries?”.
My response was found in the following verses:
Rom 1:18-20 (AMPC)
18 For God's [holy] wrath and indignation are revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who in their wickedness repress and hinder the truth and make it inoperative.
19 For that which is known about God is evident to them and made plain in their inner consciousness because God [Himself] has shown it to them.
20 For ever since the creation of the world His invisible nature and attributes, that is, His eternal power and divinity, have been made intelligible and clearly discernible in and through the things that have been made (His handiworks). So [men] are without excuse [altogether without any defense or justification], [Psa 19:1-4]
My answer was that God’s first bible is nature. And God has always made:
- His invisible nature
- His Attributes
- His eternal power
- His Divinity
… intelligible and clearly discernible in and through the things that have been made (His handiworks). He did not make the following discernible through creation alone but he also made it plain in man’s inner consciousness. The Apostle hence ends v20 with “So [men] are without excuse [altogether without any defense or justification]”.
Having revealed himself to men through Creation and our inner consciousness, God expected mankind to set his mind on these attributes and give God thanks. How do we know God expected man to direct his thinking on these things? The next verses tell us so:
Rom 1:21-22 (AMPC)
21 Because when they knew and recognized Him as God, they did not honor and glorify Him as God or give Him thanks. But instead they became futile and godless in their thinking [with vain imaginings, foolish reasoning, and stupid speculations] and their senseless minds were darkened.
22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools [professing to be smart, they made simpletons of themselves].
V21 tells us that man misused his mind and focused his thinking, imaginings, reasons, and speculations on anything but God’s revealed nature. This is what led to the first transformation—" Claiming to be wise, they became fools [professing to be smart, they made simpletons of themselves].” v22 says their senseless MINDS were darkened instead of enlightened.
There are many who believe themselves wise—even in the church of God—but they have actually by the use of their minds become fools and simpletons.
But this is the first level to a transformation that is horrible and still plagues many. What can be more horrible than being transformed into fools?
Rom 1:23-27 (AMPC)
23 And by them the glory and majesty and excellence of the immortal God were exchanged (allássō) for and represented by images, resembling mortal man and birds and beasts and reptiles.
24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their [own] hearts to sexual impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves [abandoning them to the degrading power of sin],
25 Because they exchangedthe truth of God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, Who is blessed forever! Amen (so be it). [Jer 2:11]
26 For this reason God gave them over and abandoned them to vile affections and degrading passions. For their women exchanged their natural function for an unnatural and abnormal one,
27 And the men also turned from natural relations with women and were set ablaze (burning out, consumed) with lust for one another--men committing shameful acts with men and suffering in their own bodies and personalities the inevitable consequences and penalty of their wrong-doing and going astray, which was [their] fitting retribution.
V23 says when our minds are set on the wrong things, man’s nature can be allássō into that of resembling mortal man and birds and beasts and reptiles. This is where idolatry stems from and why men worship such idols in the shape of a fish (Dagon) or some other animalistic shape.
As if that were not enough, v24-26 shows that this wrong use of the mind leads to LGBTQ conduct—"women exchanged their natural function for an unnatural and abnormal one. And the men also turned from natural relations with women and were set ablaze (burning out, consumed) with lust for one another—men committing shameful acts with men and suffering in their own bodies and personalities the inevitable consequences”.
Rom 1:26 (TPT) (26-27) For this reason God gave them over to their own disgraceful and vile passions. Enflamed with lust for one another, men and women ignored the natural order and exchanged normal sexual relations for homosexuality. Women engaged in lesbian conduct and men committed shameful acts with men, receiving in themselves the due penalty for their deviation.
This is a source of the LGBTQ lifestyle. It all begins with the use of the mind—that triggers a negative transformation.
Rom 1:28 (TPT) And because they thought it was worthless to embrace the true knowledge of God, God gave them over to a worthless mind-set, to break all rules of proper conduct.
Verse 28 says because men refused to embrace the true knowledge of God, they suffered these things. Where does one have knowledge? In the mind! See the following verse.
2Co 10:5 (KJV) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
This verse says we should rather embrace the knowledge of God in our imaginations and thought life and cast down any imaginations, arguments and thoughts that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God.
Those who think “it is worthless to embrace the true knowledge of God, God gives them over to a worthless mind-set, to break all rules of proper conduct—resulting in part, in idolatry, LGBTQ conduct, and other wiles such as we see in the continuing verses:
Rom 1:29-32 (KJV)
29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
All of the above is a consequence of a transformation triggered by how mankind uses his mind.
Allássō however can be positive if we focus our minds or set them on the right things—such as
(I) Set our minds on the knowledge of God
(II) Know and recognized Him as God
(III) Honor and glorify Him as God
(IV) Give Him thanks
(V) Be Godly in your thinking, imaginings, reasoning, and speculations
The above will cause the hearts of our understanding or our minds to be flooded with the light of God rather than to be darkened as we see in v21.
As a side note, there are many Christians who still live in the Law—not knowing that Jesus came to allássō the customs which Moses gave—transforming from shadows to realities—law to grace and righteousness, Old to the New Covenant in His Blood.
Act 6:14 (KJV) For we have heard him say, that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place, and shall change (allássō) the customs which Moses delivered us.
Col 2:16-17 (AMPC)
16 Therefore let no one sit in judgment on you in matters of food and drink, or with regard to a feast day or a New Moon or a Sabbath.
17 Such [things] are only the shadow of things that are to come, and they have only a symbolic value. But the reality (the substance, the solid fact of what is foreshadowed, the body of it) belongs to Christ.
As for the allássō from Moses to Christ, we shall teach that some other time. Suffice to say that we should use our minds in such a way that they are flooded with light so that it leads to a metamorphoō of our spirits from one level of the glory and majesty of God to another increasing level of God’s glory and majesty (2 Cor 3:18)—rather than being transformed (allássō) from the glory and majesty and excellence of the immortal God to that of animals.
Put differently, Man was created in the image and likeness of God. He was created to bear the glory and majesty and excellence of the immortal God. This is why man was never to die. Death is an anomaly introduced by the fall of man—specifically the introduction of sin. Jesus came to rectify this anomaly. With the restoration, the New Creature in Christ must move from one level of the glory and majesty and excellence of the immortal God to another but unfortunately some men chose by the operation of their minds a transformation of the nature of God given to them into that of mortal man and birds and beasts and reptiles.
Why walk on earth with the glory of animal when you were destined to bear the glory and majesty and excellence of the immortal God from one level of glory to another?
Rom 1:23 (KJV) And changed (allássō) the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
2Co 3:18 (KJV) But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed (metamorphoō) into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
These two exist. We choose by the operation of our minds. This is why true meditation is critical to the christian walk.
