Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind...-Rom 12:2.
Whenever we come across a loved one who is into evil habits or bad manners, we keep asking him / her: "When are you reforming yourself?". "Nee eppa thirundhuvey?" in Tamil. Little do we realize that it is impossible for a person to reform oneself. The reason is the sinful nature in everyone of us that we have acquired from Adam. This sinful nature causes us to sin and do evil things continually. Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit says: "For, all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. There is none good. No, not one".
The natural man cannot reform himself as long as the sinful nature is in him. This has been so from the very day the first man Adam sold himself to Satan by believing his lie. Adam disobeyed God expecting to free himself from what he thought was the cords of slavery. Sin resulted because of the unbelief of Adam on the word of God. Eventually, Adam became a slave to sin and gave birth to a sinful mankind. Every one of his descendants, though born with a freewill to choose doing good, always chooses to do evil because the sinful nature is ingrained in the individual.
Here is the confession of Paul: "I am carnal, sold under sin. For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.". -Rom 7:14, 15. Paul continues: "it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwells in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwells no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwells in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members (organs). O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin". -Rom 7:17-25.
Every one of us can agree to this conflict that Paul faced. We want to do good but we can't. We keep doing evil. We are pigs trying to imitate a lamb and failing always. We love the slime and mire than being clean. We can't reform our ways. Something supernatural must happen.
And, it has happened! There is a statement that comes almost at the end of Paul's confession. "I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord". - Rom 7:25. What was impossible was made possible through the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. There was an exchange of humongous proportions that happened at Calvary. He took over my sins and has given me His righteousness. He has taken away my corrupt heart and has offered me a new clean one. He has gifted me His life in the place of death in my spirit. He instructs me to present my body as a living sacrifice so that I can live His life in this mortal body until the time of His return. Then, I will receive a new immortal body in which I will continue to live with Him forever. He enables me to live a life of a lamb as the life of the pig (the old man) is continually put to death on the cross.
I become a new creation as He makes out of me a 'one new man'; Christ is continually formed in me until I attain to His full stature. My soul submits to my spirit that is quickened by the Spirit of God and remains led by Him; I have the mind of Christ - I think like He does, I speak like Him and I walk in His footsteps to fulfill the purpose and plan of God for me.
I am not reformed, I am transformed. Thirundhavillai, maarivittaen.
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