Transformational Christianity

Introduction

It’s common for us to take a survey of our lives at the end of every year. We evaluate what we are doing and estimate where we are currently heading in life. The dawning of the new year as a breakpoint that gives us an opportunity to make significant changes in our lives. We begin new healthy habits, like diets and exercise. Perhaps we decide to attempt to stick to a financial budget in the new year. 

No matter what our New Year’s resolutions are, we have determined that the path we were on in the last year wasn’t good and that a significant change is needed. This is very similar to the path that our lives take when we become Christians. We realized that something was missing in our old self-absorbed lives. Something that the world couldn’t give us no matter how much money we made or how much drugs and sexual immorality we engaged in. 

The God-Sized Hole

We sometimes describe what was missing as a “God-sized” hole right in the middle of us. This is us realizing that we were made for something more. We were made to be in relationship with the one true and living God who is the creator of all. It’s only this relationship that we have with our God, the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, that gives our lives ultimate everlasting meaning and hope. 

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Transformational Faith

Unfortunately, we often misunderstand the conversion that occurs when we decide to become a follower of Christ. In fact, the problem is that we often view this as simply a “change” in the same sense that we make New Year’s resolutions. We decide we will try to treat people a little better, maybe stop saying so many curse words, etc. However, becoming a follower of Christ isn’t just a change, it’s TRANSFORMATIONAL.

Born Again

This is what Jesus meant in Jn. 3:3 when He tells Nicodemus “You must be born again”. He isn’t telling Nicodemus that he needs to make a few changes in his life. Jesus is talking about transformation to put away the old person and to become something new. We are to become less like our old selves and become more like Christ. 

A New Creation

The Apostle Paul calls those who are in Christ a “new creation” or “new creature”, depending on which English Bible translation you use (2 Cor. 5:17). This is radically different than just a few changes that I can try through my own efforts. We are called to be transformed people. 

It’s common to hear it said in the church today to, “come as you are.” There is truth to this sentiment. We aren’t to get right and them come to God any more than we get healthy before we go to the doctor. That’s not possible. We can come to Him as the sinners we are, but He loves us too much to leave us that way.

Repentance

We are called to repent and turn to Jesus. Both John the Baptist and Jesus during their ministries frequently called for repentance. To repent is to do more than seek forgiveness. Repent means to turn away from our sin and to turn to God. We cannot continue to live in our unrepentant sin and truly follow Christ (Rom. 6:1-2). Paul tells us in Romans 12:2 that we are to put away the ways of the world and to be changed so that we can begin to know and follow the ways of God.

Sanctification

Repentance is a step in the transformation process of those who choose to follow Jesus. The change that is made in us causes us to begin to grow in our adoption of Christ’s view of sin. We begin to detest it. It’s through this growing change in our view of sin that we can submit to the leading of the Holy Spirit who helps us to avoid sin more and more. We also grow closer to Christ and become more and more Christ-like. This is a lifelong process that we call “Sanctification”. 

What it’s All About

What are we really saying when we make a decision for Jesus? Do we just want to be a better person? Are we looking for hope? Do we want to go to heaven where we can see streets of gold? All of these, and more, are benefits of becoming a true follower of Christ. However, these are not at the center of what we are saying when we choose Jesus.

Our decision for Christ is one of relationship. We are deciding that we want to live in the very presence of God, to have a relationship with Him, and for Him to be the Lord of our lives (Lev. 26:11-12, Jer. 32:38, Rev. 21:3). THIS is what heaven is. 

What Jesus Accomplished

Jesus’ death and resurrection makes this possible in two ways. First, He has atoned for all our sins, satisfying the perfect justice of God. Our sin is no longer an insurmountable barrier to our return to relationship  with our Heavenly Father. 

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Second, Jesus has now restored the decision that we were given in the Garden. He still doesn’t force us into His presence against our will. He restored our ability to decide, “Do we want to be with God and submit to His Lordship or do we want to reject God’s Lordship and follow our own path to try to be gods unto ourselves”.

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Jesus’ atonement was effective for all sin, past present, and future; however, He gives us a choice whether or not we want to accept the free gift that He has made available to us.

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The Holy Spirit

When we choose to follow Christ, He seals us with His Holy Spirit and begins the lifelong transforming process to prepare us for His holy kingdom. This is a daily battle for us because our sin natures are not yet changed. This is why Jesus said that we must deny ourselves daily, take up our cross, and follow Him. 

Conclusion

We don’t have to do it alone. The Holy Spirit is our aid. It is through His indwelling power that we can be changed. The Spirit transforms our will and desires so that they align with Christ. We cease to desire our own selfish wills and begin to desire God’s will to be done. It’s this change that transforms our behavior more effectively than we ever could on our own.

A December 2023 Forbes magazine article claims that the average New Year’s Resolution lasts just 3.74 months. This demonstrates how ineffective we are at accomplishing our own personal change. 

The transformation that the Bible talks about isn’t done under human power. It is accomplished through the work of the Holy Spirit within us. Our daily prayer and focus should be for God’s Holy Spirit to help us submit to His leading and to work within us to make us more like Christ every day.

Happy New Year