Agape. Transformation.

Could these words be the reason for Isaiah’s dilemma and ultimate transformation when he cried, “Woe to me! I am ruined! For…my eyes have seen the King the LORD Almighty.”

Does he, in fact, have a Moses-like experience of seeing God’s true nature, His DNA, as his eyes behold for the first time the Father who loves (agapes) all? Isaiah knew deeply of God, but then suddenly he realizes he has never met this Father. And when he does, he knows he is ruined to the core. The old ways will not suffice. Seeing the King and that much love ruins a man and transforms his heart.

It was Moses who pleaded with God, “I have to know you. Show me who you are.” And God does because He knows that when His true nature is revealed, His agape is irresistible. He answers Moses, “I will let you see my all-encompassing goodness—compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving–so you will want to imitate me with the same qualities.”

Only God can transform a human to make him human as He intended. Only God can impregnate a man with His seed/DNA and cause him to be ruined forever when he sees the King and, in the process, receive a whole new identity with new values and a new sense of worth.

This transforming Seed is the simplest of all messages. You don’t even have to try to sell or market it. It sells itself because the evidence of the maturing Seed in a life is so astounding and blatantly supernatural that the world takes notice. The world is weary of religion trying to impose change, but never transforming. It has learned how to manipulate the systems of man by feigning change on the outside. But a person that has God’s seed growing from the inside out, and who is suddenly becoming compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, loving, faithful, and forgiving, well, even the world recognizes that as a miracle.

It takes time for this kind of maturity. It takes time because it’s totally supernatural and we are not comfortable being supernatural. It takes time to see the difference between a Kingdom and the masquerading kingdoms of this world. God does it–matures us–and is doing it, night and day, in every circumstance, whenever, however and to whomever He chooses.

This transformation is not so noticeable at first. But that’s how the Seed is. Then one day everything changes. The neighbors can’t help but notice something rather amazing on the block. An unlikely neighbor down the street is acting strangely; he is forgiving and his anger is subsiding. He actually seems compassionate instead of judgmental, and yes, even loving. The Seed in this one transforming person is now taking root and spreading through the neighborhood. What John wrote becomes a reality: God moves into the neighborhood, becoming flesh and blood so that all might know Him and imitate Him with the same encompassing goodness. Soon the community is infected with agape, which vibrates throughout the city. Then a nation begins transforming to imitate the Father.

In the early 60’s, the muse of musician Bob Dylan reflected on the power of that time: “In that era we had something to say, not something to sell.” Religion and the systems of man have a hard sell. The world has heard all it has to say…and has stopped believing it, for the most part. But the story of a supernatural transformation from above is a story worth telling and one the world will believe and repeat. It’s hard not to believe the evidence when the evidence is lives transformed with the DNA of God.

Can you imagine a Christianity with nothing to sell, nothing to prove, no agenda to push, no angry God to perform for. Just being who God created us to be, loving Him and loving our neighbor. No striving because it really is all about a supernatural and eternal Seed filled with all the goodness of a loving Father that keeps growing, growing, growing, and transforming us all in His good time.

Oh, may we be quickly ruined and forever transformed all because we met the Father and found Him to be Love.

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