Today’s text is about the change that
occurs with the new birth, transformation God wants to bring about in our
lives, making us a new creation. To be in
Christ is to have everything changed!
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 2 Corinthians 5:17(KJV)
There are two very important
considerations to remember about exchanging the old person we were for the new
person Christ offers.
The first is about how it all begins:
The surrendered life is begun when a person bows in obedience
to the Word of God. Foremost in that experience is the prominent
surrender to Christ as we accept His free offer of salvation.
Most people have (at least) a rudimentary
understanding that you can’t put the cart before the horse in this.
Some people do this, trying to live the Christian life
by going to church, being nice, always helping, giving money, and even serving
the church and community; but that is attempting to earn God’s approval, not
follow His instruction.
God’s instruction is to empty oneself of whatever
goodness we think we have, and trust what Christ in HIS goodness
did for us in dying for our sins. THAT’S
what it means to accept Christ as savior.
You confess, or surrender your sins to Him so His blood sacrifice can
cleanse you from everything you’ve ever done against God’s will, and makes you
unfit for heaven:
But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. 1 John 1:9
The surrender of your sins is
the beginning of your life with Christ, but there’s more…much more….so
much more it takes a lifetime of learning and doing.
This initial surrender is also a daily
surrender (to which we’re surrendering).
Each day is a day of choosing to obey the will and
call of God to trust and obey in every intention, thought and act of
life.
That’s how the change happens, when we bend our will
to match His!
New Birth comes by surrendering my sins,
and then,
New Life
comes from God’s Spirit Transforming Me
In all the surrendering and obedience there is an
ongoing incremental change of character happening in the human soul. As you walk with Christ you become more like
Him.
That’s true of us humans. Isn’t it so that when you lie down with the
dogs you get up with fleas? In the same
way (but opposite) isn’t it true that when you hang-out with the Son of God who
is good, gentle, peaceful, long-suffering, joyful, loving, patient, kind and
faithful, you get up covered in the Fruit of the Spirit?
This is transformation is a
matter of being formed day by day, step by step, into His image.
For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Romans 8:29(KJV)
Your character is being changed; the sin with which
you struggled (and mostly lost) is being conquered. Temptation still
comes after you, but now the very thing you once could not resist has become
repulsive, and you turn your back on it. Instead you are being prepared
by God’s Spirit to walk joyfully freed, ready to help and serve others.
Choosing to surrender my sins (past, present, and
future) to Christ is the first step in the way God deals with us on the
inside. Paul knew the value of making this definite
choice. Some choices are vital, and you get fairly instant feedback.
The feedback I get when I choose to give up my sin is
usually that way. It’s like grabbing a
live, bare electric wire; you KNOW something
happened. Satan is a master at giving
negative feedback when you choose for God.
I used to hate smoking. (Actually I loved it, a lot…about 3 packs a
day kind of love!) But I wanted to
quit…needed to quit. My witness for
Christ demanded so, and so did my health (not to mention my breath). Every time I tried to quit the negative
feedback came. The feedback was fear –
what was I going to do to stop the craving?
What if I couldn’t do it? Why is
it necessary, anyway?
After so many started (and failed) attempts to quit, I
gave up. I confessed to God that I just
couldn’t, and if He wanted me to give up the security I felt each time I
satisfied that craving, God was going to have to give me strength I’d never
known before. And, so, that’s how I
prayed…and then I gave it another shot – this time in faith. My last cigarette was 43 years ago.
In writing to the Corinthian believers the
apostle was stating a basic tenet of the faith: when you make that
definite choice to follow Christ it will have an instant effect, but it will
also change the future.
The old life is going to be history, and
the new life will transform us into spiritually-aware children of God who not
only act differently, our perception of, and focus on everything becomes
different.
·
Our desires change from worldly to heavenly.
·
Our view of self transforms from selfish pride to humility and
generosity.
·
Our priority changes from doing, getting and having to being.
That’s quite a change; more than worm
to butterfly:
·
it’s a change from emptiness to sharing in the kingdom!
·
It’s the difference between a child playing with trucks or dolls, to an
adult unlocking the secrets of the universe.
But this change/transformation will not
happen if we put our faith in this world’s culture and values, instead of God’s
Word.
Paul addressed that too:
Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Romans 12:2
C.S. Lewis wrote:
·
Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and, if true, of infinite
importance. The one thing it cannot be is moderately important.[i]
C.S. Lewis was saying to us, listen up…if
Christianity is true, act like it; go all-in, or go home. Let Him have all of you or admit you really DON’T
believe! When it comes to the King of
Kings, lukewarm doesn’t cut it at all!
I have met a lot of people in more than 7
decades of living.
·
I have met those who do not believe that
Christianity is true…more than, say, the tooth fairy.
·
I have also met those who believe Christianity is so important they are
what most of us would classify as fanatics.
(I just call them genuine, all-in
believers)
·
And there are those I’ve met who believe Christianity is absolutely true
and of utmost importance, but treat it as if it were only an addendum to their
life; it’s something we need not get too fanatical about…the kind of faith that
is simply, as C.S. Lewis wrote, moderately important. They go to church on Sunday, give some money,
sing a song, even sing in choirs. They
help out in church and the community….just really good people.
Here’s the question before the house
today:
Which one are YOU?
Do you add Christ to your life…or do you give your life to Christ so He can transform you completely?
Evidently change (transformation)
is not the most popular word in the English language. Some of us react to
change like it is a plague to be avoided.
It can get a little absurd; like the man who
stood at his church board meeting and proposed a change to
the church bylaws that, from this moment on, there is to be no change
under penalty of excommunication!
Most of us do not like change! And, I admit, the older I get, the more this
probably describes me too! But in his
letter to the Corinthian church Paul was advocating keeping the change.
That change is the newness of life in
Christ that happens as a gift from God, when, in repentance we give our heart
and will to Him. The change, specifically in that transaction, is a
reconciling; a sinner is forgiven, and reckoned a saint
in God’s eyes.
Now, that part of the transaction is
wonderful; if you’ve experienced that, you are already shaking your head in
agreement. But that’s only part of the transaction. The other part
is living that change, keeping the change fresh and in
focus daily, and passing the change along to others. A person who truly surrenders
his sins EXPECTS to surrender for life!
This is what Paul had in mind when he said
we are Christ’s ambassadors. We are given this wonderful
ministry of inviting people to remember that image of God stamped on their
souls; we are given the change melody to play loudly for
our friends, neighbors and acquaintances. And we are to play that music
until the whole of humanity, like a giant orchestra, is all attuned to the
Master’s grand score.
Keeping the change isn’t about rearranging the furniture in
the church, or getting new music forms, different styles of worship, clothes,
cars, or hairstyles.
Keeping the change also isn’t about policing other peoples’
behavior; God knows if I teach my dog Wellie to use an iPad for his
entertainment, and to express his feelings in a daily dog-blog,
it might look like I’ve changed his whole orientation…but in the end, when I’m
not looking, he’ll still be chasing lizards out on the patio. He is,
after all, a dog!
(More well-behaved and intelligent perhaps than yours, but, nonetheless
a dog).
That’s not change.
And so, enough about what is NOT
keeping the change…here’s what it IS…
Keeping the change is offering Christ in word and deed, as
we live this new creation existence of forgiven and thankful sinners who
recognize what a gift we’ve been given.
I was privileged to meet Dr. Vance Havner
during our last year in seminary. He had been invited to conduct a series
of lectures, and I was like the other 1200 students who wouldn’t miss the
opportunity to listen to this wonderful man who communicated Gospel truth in
“plain speak”! I took plenty of notes that week!
One of those notes is dated April 23,
1981. Speaking on ministry and ministers who burn-out, Dr. Havner said we
all face three choices, and I believe these choices are for all believers, not
just ministers:
When life is tough and you don’t see how you can keep going you can…
·
Resign – You can
give up; just quit. People do that; they
quit church, family, and everything else they can.
·
Resign yourself
to it – You can just accept your difficult life as well, this is just the
way it is…ho-hum, yawn…same ol’, same ol’.
·
Re-Sign – Let God
put a fresh stamp of His mark on you…let Him re-sign you
inside and out.
God has used that bit of advice over the years
to keep me going in difficult times. But mostly it has been that kind of
thought that keeps me focused on always believing there’s a fresh start with
God.
That’s what being a new creation in
Christ is all about.
God can take a person who is used
up, broken down, stale and wasted,
and, as we daily surrender our sins in confession to Christ, there is new life
and a new beginning every day as he re-signs
our ministry and life by the transforming power of God’s Holy Spirit.
An invitation to
Consider
If it’s been awhile, take some time to
look back at the pathway of transformation in your life.
·
See where Christ has taken the old person.
·
Rejoice today that when He saved you, He didn’t just take away the
penalty of sin – He also started the process of sanctifying you, and taking
away even the desire to sin.
·
He’s giving you a heart of fire like His own!
And if these are not some things you can
celebrate today, perhaps it’s time to truly surrender and open
up your heart to God’s transforming power.
In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit…Let it be so in
each of our lives!
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