This past Sunday we celebrated the greatest day of human history when Christ came back to life again after defeating the powers of death. Now, in the aftermath of such an event, we must ask, now what? What do we do with such an event, and how should it affect us today as believers? The straightforward answer is…transformation! We are to be transformed ourselves and also in the business of transforming this world.
The hardest person to look at and hold accountable is ourselves. Yet, we are to be transformed into living and looking like Jesus. The Bible says anyone who confesses faith in Christ should live as Jesus did. 1 John 2:6 We are to consider our lives and do inventory of our behaviors, thought processes, desires, and bring them under the control of God’s Spirit that now lives in us. We are to be transformed before we can begin to look at helping others in their transformation. Before we go further we must realize that our complete transformation will not take place until Christ returns. So as we begin to assist others, we need also to let others assist us, and all of it needs to be done through Christ’s love.
The second element is to begin transforming this world with the atmosphere of Heaven through how we as Christ followers live in this world. Christ’s message was self-giving love that was sacrificial to the needs of others beyond one’s self. In the same way, Jesus said the night He was betrayed that this is how the world will know and recognize you as my disciples in how you love one another. The key element is allowing ourselves to be transformed and in doing that it will have a broader impact on our world. Instead of looking at what others need to change, unless done in extreme humility, we need to allow God’s Spirit to shape us in such a way that Christ resurrected life is evident in how we give ourselves, show ourselves, lead ourselves so that we administer the life of Heaven right here and right now on the earth which is the purpose of the Lord’s prayer.
Romans 12:1-2
Therefore,
I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living
sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do
not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the
renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s
will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. [1]
[1] The Holy Bible: New International Version. (1984). (Ro 12:1–2). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
0 Comments