WEDNESDAY
Yesterday we recapped the glorious gospel of salvation. God has responded to our violation of the moral law by saving and redeeming his people from their sin. This is the beginning of God’s work in the life of the believer, but it is not the end. Once God saves he then begins a process of transformation.
The surprising good news in the gospel of transformation is that we cannot do this on our own but God has gifted us with the Spirit of God to make us new. He has given us a new identity and in Christ we become new creations. So transformation is simply living in who you truly are. Instead of relying on willpower and self-help material to change you, you can surrender to the work of the Holy Spirit in your life. Instead of entrusting others to change you, you can simply abide in Christ.
Ezekiel 36:26–27 26 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.
2 Corinthians 5:17 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
2 Corinthians 3:18 18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
Ephesians 2:10 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Colossians 3:9–10 9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.
Galatians 5:22–25 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.
John 15:5 5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
These are some of the most well-known verses in the Bible, yet in our prideful, self-oriented nature we seek to transform ourselves apart from God. This has led so many Christians to become disillusioned and frustrated. We are frustrated at our lack of spiritual growth so we try harder. This is not the biblical teaching of how we are transformed. Instead of trying harder, we are to surrender more! We are to listen to the Spirit more, be led by the Spirit more, walk with the Spirit more, abide in Christ more. This is the path to life change in the irresistible gospel of transformation.
Reflection
If you find yourself frustrated at your lack of spiritual growth, stop aiming for growth and start just aiming for God. Abide in Christ. Seek the Spirit. Worship the Father with all that you are. Trust him to produce fruit in you and surrender to his leading, whatever that may be.