the character of those reformed by God

Thought Life: Men, women and children who are spiritually transformed naturally think about God—He is never out of the mind! They love to dwell upon God and his character: His power, His love, His mercy, His grace, His wonder, etc.; they adore God in nature, in history, in His Son and in the church. Those transformed by God are “God-intoxicated” (Acts 2:13, Ephesians 5:18); no one has a stronger sense of reality and practicality than they do, and their minds are filled with biblical expressions of God’s nature, God’s actions, and God’s plans for them in His world. Those who are transformed by the Spirit naturally do not dwell on evil; it’s not a big thing in their thoughts, and they are sure of its defeat. Since their minds are transformed by God, they instinctively embody Philippians 4:8; they are positive, realistically so, based upon the nature of God as they know it.

“Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse.” – Philippians 4:8

Feelings: These people are full of insanely deep love, love lots of good thing and they love people, love their life, love who they are, and are thankful for their life—even though it may contain many difficulties, persecution, even martyrdom. They receive life and all it contains as God’s gift, or at least as His allowance, where they will know His goodness and greatness and go on to live with Him forever in paradise. Joy and peace ride shotgun even in the hardest of times—even when suffering unjustly. They are confident and hopeful and do not indulge thoughts of rejection, failure, and hopelessness because, simply, they know better. When they do fall into sin, they don’t wallow in guilt forever, but rather take on the joy of their salvation, confessing their sins and gratefully taking the forgiveness of Christ (John 1:9).

Will (spirit, heart): They really are devoted to doing what is good and right; their spirit and heart are habitually attuned to doing good, just as the mind and emotions are honed in to God. They are paying special attention to rightness, to kindness, to goodwill, and they are purposefully knowledgeable about life, about what people need, about how to do what is right and good in appropriate ways. Wisdom sleeps in their bed. They do not think of themselves first, do not focus on what they want, and actually they care very little about getting their own way. Servant hood, self-surrender, crucifying the sinful nature and radiating the Spirit nature, and neighborly love are natural for them. Abandoned to God’s will, they do not struggle and deliberate as to whether they will do what they know to be wrong; really, they do not hesitate to do what they know is right. Doing right becomes so natural to them that they do it instinctively and even without knowing they’re doing it; now sin looks horrible and unappetizing and it is something they honestly try to avoid out of hatred for it. It is harder for them to sin than it is for them to practice righteousness.

Body: They are poised to do good without thinking, do not automatically move into what is wrong, even if doing good is contrary to resolves and intentions, before they can think to not do it; it is no longer true that their “spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41); they know this statement of Jesus is not an irreversible condition of humanity, but a sickness to be healed. They do not allow themselves to be imprisoned by the memories of their past life, are not trapped by their past actions, and they avoid paths of temptation. The bodies of these people even look different: there is a freshness about them, a kind of quiet strength, a transparency. They are rested and playful in a bodily strength that is from God. Yes, the Spirit has brought them to life in more ways than one.

Social relations: Those transformed by God are socially transparent; because they walk in goodness, they have no use for darkness, and achieve real contact or fellowship with others, especially other apprentices of Jesus. They do not conceal their thoughts and feelings (nor do they impose them on everyone), and do not try to manipulate and manage others. They do not go on the attack or on the hunt, intending to use or hurt others; they are completely noncondemning, while at the same time they do not participate in evil—patient and joyful nonparticipation They do not reject or distance themselves from the people who may be involved in evil situations; they know how to “love the sinner and hate the sin” gracefully and effectively. As Christ spent time with the people, that is how they spend time with the people.

Soul: As one comes to know these people—though those who know only the human powers of the flesh will never be able to understand them (1 Corinthians 2:14)—you see that all of the above is not just at the surface: it is deep and it is effortless, it flows. They do not try to have a renovated being, they are a renovated being. This is the outcome of spiritual formation in Christlikeness—not perfection, but a person whose soul is whole: a person who, through the integrity of the law of God and the direction of the Gospel and the Spirit, has a restored soul; every aspect of his or her being will function as God originally intended. That is the keynote of spiritual transformation.