Living a transformed life.

2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come.” (NIV)

Romans 12:2 “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.” (NIV)

Complacency is a huge obstacle that a lot Christians face. A lot of us are contented to be where we are in our Christian lives, and we do not make the effort, or even have the desire to grow. Some of us feel that because God is a forgiving God, He will accept us no matter what, even if we make mistakes, He will always forgive us. That is very true. He will ALWAYS forgive. But just because God is a forgiving God, and knowing the He will always forgive us no matter how many times we mess up, doesn’t mean that we can just be content on living our lives that way, and not desire to change. I truly believe that when you become a child of God, and if the Holy Spirit is, indeed, in you, you eventually go through changes and start to find the things of this world more and more undesirable. I’m not saying that we should strive to be perfect, but we ought to strive to be Christ-like. Jesus, when He was here on earth, walked amongst sinners, but He didn’t compromise who He is, and who he is, is the Son of God. When we accept Christ as our Savior and Lord, we become God’s children. We carry His name everywhere we go, and in everything we do. So, we should live the way a child of the King should live, right?

Like I said, it’s not about striving to be perfect. As long as we are in this body, we will never be perfect. We will make mistakes, but hopefully we will learn from those mistakes and not do them again. But as Christians living in this world, we should be Christ-like. And we can set out to do that by saturating ourselves with the word of God (the Bible – “renewing of your mind”). I learn that everyday. I’m not perfect in anyway, and I mess up, a lot. I notice how I act and how I deal with things when I’m in the word, and when I’m not in the word. There’s a huge contrast. God speaks through you through His word, and through circumstances in your life. The Word truly equips you. And in reading the word, you also learn from the examples of our forefathers in the faith. As you get into the word of God each day, you do become transformed by the renewing of your mind, just as the Apostle Paul had said in Romans 12. What you saturate yourself with, eventually manifests in the way you live. If you fill your life with the things of the world, it will manifest in the way you live. And the same goes with the word of God. If you fill your life with God’s word and His teachings, it will manifest in the way you live your life. For some, the manifestation may be slow, and for others it may be fast, but it will always manifest in the way you live your life.

I firmly believe that when a person becomes a Christian, meaning, you accepted Jesus Christ as your Saviour and Lord, and you have the Holy Spirit in you, you’re going to want to change and not remain broken.

Jesus Christ gave His life on the cross for us, paid the ultimate sacrifice for our sins, the least we could do to show gratitude for what He’s done is to live our lives the way that shows how grateful we really are.