Who is the one who actually transforms a hell-bound sinner into a heaven-bound saint?
God Himself is the One who transforms a hell-bound sinner into a heaven-bound saint. No human effort can accomplish it; only God performs this miraculous salvation, creating a new mind, will, and emotion. He moves in as He did for Israel at the Red Sea, and the sinner can only stand still.
Les teaches that this is a divine metamorphosis: the One who causes it transfigures a hell-bound sinner into a heaven-bound saint. The sinner cannot do anything, but must stand stark naked before a Holy God and admit, "there's nothing I can do, I can't even move from where I am." God then moves in, just as He did with Israel on the shores of the Red Sea, where they were told to stand still, not scavenge driftwood or build a bridge. The unbeliever must come to that same place. Until God moves in and performs the miracle of salvation, he can do nothing. In this verse, God creates within us a whole new mind, will, and emotion; the personality is totally recreated. Old Adam must die, along with all its things concerning the world, and in his place God by a miraculous work gives us that transformed mind. Then the teaching returns to Romans chapter 12.
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.
More Questions
What can a person actually do to be saved or transformed?
We can do nothing to save or transform ourselves; all we can do is stand naked before a Holy God and admit we cannot even move from where we are.