In the New Testament, the term used for transformed is a Greek word from which our English word metamorphosis comes. It means radical change from one form to another. Probably the most common example of such change in the natural world is the striking metamorphosis of a caterpillar into a butterfly—a transformation so radical that it is entirely inexplicable. The caterpillar takes on an amazing new form as the result of metamorphosis. Not only is the butterfly a much more beautiful creature, but it also behaves differently. No longer is it confined to merely crawling around; now it can fly!

Well, it’s not too hard to see how such a dramatic transformation might apply to our initiation as that “new creature” in Christ.(2 Corinthians 5:17) But it’s a little more difficult to understand how the concept of metamorphosis might apply to a change in our character. Just how are we “transformed by the renewing of our mind?” And more puzzling yet, how is it that our old self can co-exist right alongside our dynamic new self? Yet this is nothing more than the core question we’ve been grappling with right along, isn’t it?

Our old self doesn’t simply evaporate once we’re saved. It hangs on, not only as an ever-present reminder of our humanity but as an impediment to our spiritual growth as well. So this can’t help but raise a legitimate question: if we can never altogether get rid of the old self, how can we ever claim to be genuinely transformed?

Interestingly, the metamorphosis of the caterpillar into the butterfly sheds some light here. You see, though radically changed, the genetic make-up of the butterfly hasn’t changed at all; it still retains the DNA of the caterpillar. In like manner, our life now rooted in the new self maintains the stamp of our humanity. But we’ve gone to flying instead of merely being limited to crawling around!

Excerpted from: Free from the Power of Sin: The Keys to Growing in God in Spite of Yourself