The power to change.

Yesterday we celebrated the glorious truth that Jesus Christ rose from the dead. He conquered death, sin, the grave, to give us life.

What does that life look like?

According to Scripture, when we believe the gospel and trust Christ, we are actually a new creation.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation. The old had gone, the new is here! (2 Corinthians 5:17)

We aren’t just a sort of cleaned up version of ourselves, we are new selves. As Priscilla Shirer says, we aren’t merely changed, we’re exchanged. And this new exchanged creation is being continually renewed, or changed, day by day, and transformed into the image of Christ.

But here’s the thing: The majority of Christians don’t look like a new creation. They don’t actually look or behave any different from the non-believers around them. For example, divorce rates in America are exactly the same between Christians and non-Christians.

Now, this is sad because divorce is sad and because it’s tragic that people can profess Christ and yet still be living lives of defeat and discouragement, but even more so, the fact that professing Christians live lives that do not reflect the power of Christ to make them a new creation actually denies the power and existence of God.

There is a website devoted to proving that God is imaginary. On the sidebar they have ten “proofs” that God is imaginary. One of their proofs? Divorce statistics. The fact that Christians get divorced just as much as non-Christians (even though our faith forbids it!) “proves to them” that all this God-stuff is just imaginary fluff.

That’s why it matters that we change—our lives are the only Bible some people will read. It matters that our lives change because that is what the world sees. A watching world wants to know – is this Jesus stuff for real? Do their lives really change? Do they really have hope? Are they really freed from addictions? Do they really have something that I want?

If our lives aren’t radically changed—transformed—by the gospel of grace then what is the gospel for?

Is the gospel powerful enough to save us but not powerful enough to change us? Is it powerful enough to save us from sin and eternal damnation but not powerful enough to save us from bad habits? From besetting sins? From selfishness?

Paul prayed for the believers in Ephesus,

“that [you would] have the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know … what is the immeasurable greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His great might that He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead…” Eph. 1:18-20

Yesterday we celebrated the greatest day in history. The day that God raised Jesus from the dead with His immeasurable power.

That same power is working in you now. The same resurrection power is at work in your life. Paul said it too:

“If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.” Romans 8:11

Do you think we have the power to change? Absolutely. 

Why is it so critical that they do?

Because the whole world is watching.  Right after Jesus rose from the dead He gives the command to:

Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation. (Mark 16:15)

What do our lives “preach” about the gospel? Do they tell the world that God is imaginary? Or do they tell the world that He is the most powerful, transforming, life-changing Being in the universe. What conclusions would they draw about God based on your life? What would make your life attractive and compelling to an unbelieving world?

The world is reading your life.

What does it say?

{Changing, growing, with you. Thanks for reading.}