Someone has said that ‘change is the only
constant’; everywhere around us we see change. Yes, even in our worship and
songs, I can look back and see how we have evolved and grown in maturity in our
spirit. Few weeks past, our Pastor Joseph gave us the promise for year 2012-the
year of change, in accordance to the verses in 2 Cor. 3:18 – a change from
glory to glory. And amidst all these changes, there is One who changes not:
Mal. 3:6 says, “For I am the LORD, I do not change…”
Everyone and everything else requires
change- and so in the promise verse of year 2012, I see a great challenge and a
great opportunity for each one of us-for change, which excites me. Our good Lord wants to
give freely, liberally, and without partiality, to everyone who is willing-but
we have to be ready enough to receive it! Pastor Philip too, shared about how
we ought to have an honest appraisal of ourselves at this time of
year-remembering where we started and how much (if at all) have we grown
spiritually.
Everyone I know wants change-some change,
whether the unbeliever, the believer, the successful or the not-so-successful!
And I believe this is a gift of God-the knowledge that we can be better! And so
we strive to do better, and practice to become better. But, as a believer, our
passion to become better must be much more intense; because our spirit part is
made alive and it requires changes in those areas of our life, which are
otherwise neglected-the deep secrets of the heart. So, for us, it is not just
the ‘quality of life’ as the world sees it-in the futile material things, but a
fruitful life as the LORD would love us have!
1. You
change by choice
The things that you tolerate in your life
will not help you change. Some believers have a satisfied outlook about their
spiritual condition. They compare themselves with others and may feel that they
are better off, and therefore no need to change. “Why change? I am happy where
I am right now”-this is their question. But our only comparison and ideal is, and should be,
our Lord Jesus Christ. Heb. 1:3 says that Jesus is our perfect and only example: who being the
brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all
things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat
down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.
If you are not willing, God is not going to force you. But, with Jesus as our example, all of us can see a great potential and opportunity for change. And growth NEEDS change; look at any plant in the garden-it is not the same a year from now, and it is an effortless change there! It is natural! And that is the way of the spirit-if you are planted by the rivers of living water, you will bear fruit in its season; and whatever you do shall prosper: this is what Psalm 1 talks about. So, the spiritual change is the result of yielding to His Spirit, rather than striving in your spirit.
2. You
change by grace-the spirit change
1 Thess. 5:23 makes it clear that each one of
us are made in three parts-spirit, soul and body. And each part needs change!
Our spirit change is in an instant according to 2 Cor. 5:17, “Therefore, if
anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold,
all things have become new.”
In a way, we can say that this is 1/3rd
the change required in you, in your goal to become like Jesus. The phrase ‘in
Christ’ appears more than 300 times in the New Testament-clearly indicating the
vital union and relationship of man with God.And so, we are (spirit) saved, by grace, through the ‘faith
gift’ of God (Eph. 2:8).
And there is no change in our
soul, or the body-immediately. We look the same and feel the same; think about
the same old things we used to think about, and practice the things that we
used to do before. But once we are saved in our spirit (born-again), we have
been made alive to a whole new world-the spiritual realm! As it is written in James
2:26: For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is
dead also. Also in Gal. 4:6 that says: And because you are sons, God has sent
forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!”
And so, you have the fullness of love, joy,
and peace poured out into your hearts (spirit), and all the potential to will
and to do His pleasure. But then comes the second part of change that is
required!
3. You
change by knowledge-the soul change
This soul part, they say, consists of mind,
will and emotions. The Bible clearly talks about renewal of the mind in Romans
12:2. And you can find God’s will in His written word-and align your ways and
will accordingly. It is His word that will help us know and help us grow; and
produce the change in our soul that is required of us. That is why it is
important to read, study, meditate and practice God’s word. God’s word is a
mirror that reflects God’s will and purposes for you. And 2 Cor. 3:18 says: But
we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are
being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the
Spirit of the Lord.
And our soul must find nourishment from His
word-for His words are spirit and they are life (John 6:63). Paul in 2 Cor. 3:18
is referring to the veil over Moses’ face, while coming down from Mt. Sinai, covering
the glory of his encounter with God (Ex. 34). The ‘religion’ and 'law' are the veils that
Paul is referring to! IF we see with unveiled face, then we can see the grace
of God. And we can know that we have not only become brand new and forgiven of
our sins, but now have put on the righteousness of God-This is not available in
the law of Moses!
A mirror is supposed to reflect and show
the person standing before it; in the same way, when we stand in His promises and
look at His word, we see the glory within us shining through, and we can be
confident of this thing, that He who has begun a good work in us, will complete
it until the day of Jesus Christ (Phil. 1:6). The veil is taken away, the plain
mirror stands before you; the mystery, which has been hidden for ages, is now revealed
to His saints, for your soul-change-Christ in you, the hope of glory. (Col.
1:27)
All this change in the soul is gradual-from
glory to glory, from step to faithful step in obedience. The Bible when it
talks about renewal and transformation (of verses in Romans 12:2 and 2 Cor.
3:18) reflects more than just a casual knowledge of the Savior-Jesus Christ.
The word is derived from the Greek word which is the root for ‘metamorphosis’,
a term singularly used to identify a significant (marked) change-that of a
larvae (cater-pillar) to a butterfly. When you look at the cater-pillar and
then the butterfly, you really wonder if they are at all related! That is the
change possible in the soul- a gradual and sometimes painful process, leading
to the visible fruit out of your life-of love, joy and peace.
4. You
become what you behold-the final change
A mirror not only shows how we are, but
also helps us think how better we can be. Yes, and the mirror of God’s word
reflects His character, and as often as we come before it, we can see the glory
of Christ, slowly being revealed in us. The Bible says, as a man thinks in his
heart, so is he! [Prov. 23:7]. And so even though our outward man is perishing,
we can see the inward man growing. The Psalmist puts this is perspective when
he says: As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied
when I awake in Your likeness. (Psalm 17:15) Yes, this is the final change-when
we see Him, we shall be like Him!
And so the gradual change must proceed-it
is not Sunday sudden ‘revelations’ and spirit-filled worship ‘experience’; it
is day-by-day submission to God and His word-‘Not my will, but Yours be done’!
I wish I could, but there is no way that I can put this mildly, and acceptable to all ‘believers’. This
is the hard truth-change is necessary, change is gradual, change is by
submission.
Now, do you want change, and growth? Let us
be people who are willing and obedient. And let there be, in this year of
change 2012, many butterflies flying up in the sky, growing up and out of those
crawling cater-pillar years. Let us do it, in Jesus name. Amen.
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