Life Change
"If any man be in Christ, he is a new creation." (2 Corinthians 5:17).
I was saved 56 years ago, and one of the hallmarks of my born again experience was the life change that followed. Not that I was perfect, nor did not at times continue to sin; but overall my life was overhauled by the grace of God. Those who knew me, saints and sinners alike, talked about the "new Roger." They witnessed a transformation in my overall character. For example, I was a prolific cusser before I got saved. Jesus cleaned up my mouth. I loved to aggravate my siblings and get them into trouble before I met Jesus. Afterwards, I became kind, loving and easy to be around.
My overall countenance changed from being negative and forlorn to being contemplative and spiritually-driven. I loved to go to church and nothing kept me away. Jesus made such an obvious, wonderful difference in my behavior and attitude. The "old was exchanged for the new" (2 Corinthians 5:17); and how I praise Him for His glorious salvation.
I believe the reason was my "repentance level." I saw my sin as God saw it, and how He hated, not me, but my sin. He put within me a God-like hatred for sin, and a God-like love for righteousness. No one had to tell me it was wrong to drink alcoholic beverages, especially getting drunk, gossip, take illicit drugs, lie, promote drama, regularly miss church on Sunday, solely hang out with ungodly people, date unbelievers, go to questionable places, or have sex before marriage, among other past issues. The Holy Spirit inside me led me into "righteous living." I fell in love with Jesus and quit dating the world! 1 John 2:15 became my hallmark verse: "Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him."
My friend, true salvation brings life change. I'm not talking about perfection, I'm referring to an obvious difference in character, attitude, speech, activities, habits, and "love meter." Christians are characterized by their love. "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:35).
Sadly, I'm witnessing opposite scenarios in today's church. Praying a prescribed prayer or raising our hand in church does not necessarily mean that true salvation has occurred. If repentance does not happen, or if we do not mix our faith with the Word of God, then we may be duped to believe that we are truly saved. If overall life change fails to result, then we may need to re-think our Christian experience. I can't tell anyone if they're saved or not, but I can look at subsequent fruit. The Bible says, "So then, you will know them by their fruits" (Matthew 7:20).
I'm concerned. Has our "easy believism," "greasy grace," and lack of true repentance robbed many from mandatory life change? Yes, we all grow in the Lord at different levels and different paces; however, no or little life change should make all of us question our experience. God's people, whether newly saved or seasoned in faith, should be able to look back and say, "I'm not where I should be, but I'm a far distance from where I began!"
What besetting sin needs to fall out of your life? It's probably time to quit making excuses, genuinely repent, and become "Exhibit A" for life change. Remember, Paul compares us with "living letters" in 2 Corinthians 3:2-3, "You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men, being manifested that you are a letter of Christ, cared for by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts." In other words, we are "walking Bibles." What are family members, our friends and neighbors reading when they "read" our life?