THE MAKING OF A SON

2Cor 3:18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, [even] as by the Spirit of the Lord.

Roma 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.

"Changed," "Transformed"...

metamorphoo {met-am-or-fo'-o}
Translated in the KJV as - transfigure, transform, change
1) to change into another form, to transform, to transfigure

The word METAMORPHOSIS comes from this Greek word translated as change and transform.

• A changing or transformation into a more mature state.
• Complete transformation of character, purpose and circumstance.
• Insects and amphibia experience a striking change in form or structure and shape, from one developmental stage to another, over a short period of time.
• The tadpole and insect larva dwell in completely different worlds from those of their adult forms.

The people of God possess a life within them, God's life, which comes forth more and more throughout their persons, if they are willing to allow the Lord to have His way. But there is a dramatic change that will occur in every christian which is the "changing" or "metamorphism" which Paul the Apostle spoke about.

• The prodigal Son is one of the two sons spoken of in the parable of Luke 15:11-32.
• This has often been used to show the blessing of seeing a backslider return to his/her place in the church, the Father's House.
• However, this is not altogether an entirely correct interpretation of this parable.
• More correctly, we should take from it the explanation of a "metamorphism" that must occur in every believer's life.
• So it is not speaking about backsliders only. It is that, PLUS a general account of the experience of the MAKING OF A SON AND DAUGHTER OF GOD.

Let me make it clear right off hand that one is actually a son or daughter of God as soon as one is born again.

• Acts 2:38 describes the born-again experience of repentance, water baptism in Jesus' name and reception of the Holy Ghost.
• We are children of God at that point.
• But what I am saying is that maturity into practical SONSHIP is the issue at hand.
• "Practical" is defined as pertaining to actual experience or use rather than speculation.
• Until you MOVE INTO the experience of Being God's child, the experience for yourself of what makes God's children DIFFERENT than the rest of the world, you only have speculation. Nothing is practical about it for you.
• If you are living a life that is empty of any practical experience due to being a Son, then you are on your way to a COCOON stage sooner or later.
• Your experiences will drastically change you.
• If your life in handling the problems of life is no different than how you handled it before you were saved, then PRACTICAL Christianity is not in you.
• The prodigal son went through that stage.
• Here it is:

The son was the YOUNGER son.

Luke 15:11-12 And he said, A certain man had two sons: And the younger of them said to [his] father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth [to me]. And he divided unto them [his] living.

• Youth implies immaturity.
• There are exciting times ahead for the youth who stick with God.
• A metamorphism is soon to occur.

• Paul was speaking not to sinners in Romans 12:2 and 2 COr 3:18.
• He was speaking to children of God.
• WE will experience this changing or transformation.
• It will mature us in our very thinking.
• A renewing of the MIND, Paul said.
• It will make a man out of a boy.

The prodigal son's thinking was going to change.

• He took his inheritance and wasted it in riotous living and squandered it.
• His own foolishness led him to a certain point.
• But at the same time he spent all his money, God did something.

Luke 15:13-14 And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.

• Only when he lost all his money did the FAMINE come.
• God moves into action at a certain point in our lives.
• He is going to make a boy into a man.
• The famine hit WHEN he entered poverty.
• Through the cocoon of the pigpen, the son would be made a "Son"
• He joined himself to a citizen of a far country for help.
• A far country in the bible represents another realm. (The parable of the talents involved a man who gave men talents and then left for a far country to return later and receive account of the investment. The far country was Jesus going to Heaven.
• So this far country was the world as opposed to the Kingdom of Heaven.
• The boy did not go to the Father.
• The one entering the cocoon of metamorphism goes to the world due to immature thinking and lack of understanding of who he is.
• He may try to forget he is a son, but he is still a son, and cannot fit in with the world.
• The citizen let him work in a pig-pen.
• Compared to the father's house the world is a pig-pen, or at least it will soon feel like one after a while.
• Time for a change had come.
• The circumstances we face will shake us and we will grow past immaturity into maturity and be made a Son or Daughter.
• After this is completed, when we relate to God again, pur relationship will be much different.
• We will receive one of the greatest revelations of our lives since we were born again.

This was not an outward CONFORMING. Most think it is.

• Many people think they can fit into a church and it sways and go along with the beliefs, never understanding it, and never hoping to understand it. And they take that as a transformation.
• No.
• That is CONFORMATION, not TRANSFORMATION.
• God alone can transform, while you can conform without him.
• Transformation is life from death.

Luke 15:32 It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.

Roma 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed...

• Paul said this is not an issue of being conformed
• It is transformed.
• "to the world"
• The world cannot be transformed by itself.
• It only conforms.
• It is "worldly" to merely conform to a religion.
• It is pretense.
• No real change.
• A Change, metamorphism, is of God.
• The caterpillar does not even know what is happening when it forms a cocoon. It just does.

John 12:24-25 Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.

• It is losing life in the cocoon, to gain it again.
• This is not a reference to initial salvation.
• So many people err with this passage.
• They think loving your life and losing it is not getting saved to go to hell.
• If that be so, and losing your life is going to hell, the we must go to hell to be saved, because we must LOSE our lives to gain them.
• No, it is speaking about Christians once again.
• Losing your life to save it is the METAMORPHISM we all must experience, when we change from immaturity where we enjoy the world, to maturity when we let go of the world and lose our souls' joy in the worldly pleasures. We gain the joy of the things of God !!

The son CAME TO HIMSELF.

Luke 15:17 And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!

• His eyes were opened to see what had been done to him.
• He was ready for a revelation now.
• He went home to tell his father he was not worthy to be called a son, but he was then more equipped for sonship (practical honour of a son) than ever before.
• He was always a son, but not usefully!
• Notice his humility:

Luke 15:21 And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.

Then he heard a revelation:

Luke 15:22-24 But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put [it] on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on [his] feet: And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill [it]; and let us eat, and be merry: For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.

• It was not the words as much as what they implied.
• He thought he was not WORTHY to be called son. but the father called him son anyhow.
• He got the revelation!
• He came out of his cocoon, and received revelation that changed his entire life.
• Until that point, he had it all wrong.
• His idea was worthiness.
• From immature squandering, he soon became concerned about his relationship with the father.
• He ran his course and came to the end of his rope.
• He experienced the making of a SON.
• His mind was renewed and he was changed.

• The caterpillar became a beautiful butterfly when it escaped the cocoon.
• Different than the lost sheep and the lost coin, told before in this same chapter, nobody went out looking for the lost son.
• This is needful.
• The son knows where home is,.
• He knows how to get there.
• No one needs to tell a backslider how to go home.
• He must come on his own by a mature act of change.
• The father will not go to the pigpen to get him.

His mind was renewed.

• Caterpillars crawl and inch along while butterflies fly!
• They that WAIT upon the Lord will mount up with wings as eagles.
• Some backslide and stay in church, watching all others fly.
• They only spectate, and need a cocoon experience.
• Some are in the cocoon as they watch others enjoy God.
• God will allow someone to hurt you! It is his will you be broken.
• Here is where it gets critical.
• You cannot open a cocoon before its time, or it will kill the life.
• If you turn against God in all this experience after someone hurts you, and hate God, you will be destroyed.

Jacob went through a change.

• From a cheating brat, too soft for the fields, things became desperate when he had to face vengeful Esau.
• God was the God of Abraham and Isaac, but Jacob had to experience God for himself this time.
• Mom and dad knew him, but not Jacob.
• Then the miracle occurred.
• An angel appeared after he saw a dream of a ladder, leading from one step to a higher step of maturity.

The angel broke his sinew.

Gene 32:24-28 And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day. And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him. And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. And he said unto him, What [is] thy name? And he said, Jacob. And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.

• Until the breaking of the day, they fought.
• A new day dawns when the butterfly comes from the cocoon.

Even Paul was immature in his early days.

Acts 9:29-31 And he spake boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus, and disputed against the Grecians: but they went about to slay him. [Which] when the brethren knew, they brought him down to Caesarea, and sent him forth to Tarsus. Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied.

• Paul did not care what anyone thought.
• He preached until they wanted to kill him.
• Paul was immature.
• The apostles sent him home to Tarsus.
• Then the churches had rest.
• Paul stirred up unnecessary trouble.
• Then Paul went into a cocoon.

Gala 1:15-18 But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called [me] by his grace, To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood: Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus. Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days.

• Three years in a cocoon.
• He was not ready to preach.
• Same amount of time the apostles spent with Jesus, personally. Three years.
• Christ called him to preach, but not until Christ was revealed in Him.
• To reveal his son in me THAT I MIGHT PREACH.
• He experienced a change that matured him.
• Then he could preach.
• He was God's child, but only a caterpillar.
• Christ came forth from him!

2Cor 3:18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, [even] as by the Spirit of the Lord.

• Somehow we will get serious about God.
• We will then catch a glimpse of Jesus, and that vision will change us into that same image.
• Christ then comes forth revealed in us.
• Only the people of God can experience this.
• And you can tell fake conforming from true transformation.

2Cor 1:3-5 Blessed [be] God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.

2Cor 2:14-15 Now thanks [be] unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place. For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish:

• Paul said that suffering brings along God's consolation, so that we may comfort others.
• A sweet savour of Christ comes forth in a son's cocoon of trouble and loneliness.
• Victory through the trial is there since God gives consolation through it all.
• The world as well as the believer sees it!

Let us be renewed in the mind! Transformed. The making of a son.