Transforming human beings is central to the Lord’s purpose on earth. As the apostle Paul notes, God yearns for each of us to be “transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory” (2 Cor. 3:18 NIV).
Aligning ourselves with this purpose, InterVarsity exists to see students and faculty transformed by the gospel of Jesus Christ. Such transformation is foundational to all that we do. As Robert Coleman reflects in his classic book The Master Plan of Evangelism: “One cannot transform the world except as individuals in the world are transformed.”
Transformation occurs on at least three levels.
From Unbeliever to Believer
The first and foremost transformation is that of conversion. The Gospel of John comments, “The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit” (John 3:8 NIV). We marvel at how God’s Spirit moves when we witness a student from a cultic upbringing come to faith in Jesus at North Carolina State, or when we see a party-sotted fraternity student at Purdue meet the Lord at a Bible Study in his fraternity house. And we sing with the angels when we observe an international student at University of California—Davis move from unbeliever to believer and can only praise God’s persistence and grace.
Proclaiming the good news is InterVarsity’s “core within the core”—the seed out of which all other transformation grows.
From Believer to Disciple
From the seed of conversion sprout roots of discipleship. The RSV translation of 2 Corinthians 3:18 catches this notion well: “We all . . . are being changed into this likeness from one degree of glory to another.” The apostle Peter comes to mind as someone who was transformed from one degree to the next over a long period of time. The Holy Spirit just kept working on him.
Likewise, InterVarsity’s vision for students and faculty is that they will move along the sanctification continuum as they become more obedient disciples. Such a process leads through submission to the lordship of Christ, spiritual formation (e.g., quiet times, prayer, and Scripture), and active participation in a Christian community.
Recently I had the joy of being in the home of a Chicago area staff member. During our visit, he introduced me to a faculty member with whom he has been regularly reading Scripture. It was so exciting to experience the exuberance of the professor’s faith—nominal at best the year before, but now coming to life.
As the central light of the gospel message passes through the prism of individuals’ lives, the various colors that emerge create a beautiful picture of God’s people engaging society—fulfilling God’s purposes for the world and expressing his love for people of every ethnicity and culture.
From Disciple to Leader
Finally, we yearn for our students and faculty to become risk-taking leaders. Matt, a sophomore at the University of Richmond in Virginia, moved from the big adjustment of being a shy freshman to submitting to God’s call to being a leader. He is leading the freshman Bible study. Matt says “God always has a perfect plan. His constant grace and mercy, his ultimate love and comfort, and his awe-inspiring power and strength are the source of my joy, my peace, and my purpose.”
I regularly meet InterVarsity alumni who laud our campus staff for having challenged them to step into leadership roles as students long before they felt ready. These stretching experiences helped them to mature, take risks and discover their gifts in the kingdom of God.
InterVarsity is called to campus witness, and our staff, students, and faculty are God’s agents of transformation. It is a high calling, one that the Lord himself will equip us to do.
