Transformation. When the last trumpet sounds, we shall be changed in the twinkling of an eye—from the perishable to the imperishable; from a mortal physical body to an immortal spiritual body.
Who can undergo this mysterious transformation? Those who have victory over the world through the Lord Jesus Christ. This final transformation is what gives the Christian hope and endurance in times of difficulty. But what does it really mean to conquer the world? Is it enough to say, “I believe that Jesus is my Savior? Is faith a personal belief or is faith made complete through actions?
If Noah had believed that God would send a flood, yet had built an ark according to his own dimensions and not God’s, would the ark have sunk? A firm declaration of believe is not enough—faith must be accompanied by the actions that support belief (Jas 2:17). Before giving instructions for the building of the sanctuary, God instructed Moses, “According to all that I show you, that is, the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furnishings, just so you shall make it?(Ex 25:9). Jesus told his disciples, “If you love Me, keep My commandments?(Jn 14:15).
Why is it so important to follow the pattern exactly, to keep God’s commandments? It affects our transformation from physical to spiritual, from mortal to immortal. If this were not so, God would not have emphasized it. Therefore, to make our hope of eternal life a reality, we must follow the truth contained in the Bible. Otherwise, our hope, lacking substance, would be merely an intangible, faraway dream. To make the final transformation to eternal life, we must change our life on earth. This requires not only belief in Jesus, but also a change in lifestyle. Our lifelong goal should be to strive to transform our lives through prayer and the power of the Holy Spirit. Only then can the pattern of our lives be made complete so that we may undergo the glorious transformation at the last trumpet.
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