Last week, my son asked me, "Dad, you you dream any more?" His question made me laugh. What is it about my middle age that implies I've become a drone, plodding though the days without any dreams? And his question made me think, too. What do I dream of? A retirement home in Florida? No way! Winning the lottery and quitting my job? No. (Well, that could an occasional escapist fantasy.) The dream that keeps me going is finding opportunities to help others develop joyful, rich lives that are truly different as a result of knowing Jesus Christ! I've found the answer and my dream is to share it with anybody who wants to hear it. I believe that Christianity is the hope of the world and my cause is to share Jesus with people in a way that leads to spiritual transformation. Transformed people are blessed, happy, productive, and eternally alive.
One of my favorite authors writes - "A Christian's aim is not just to act differently, but to become different in his inner being. We're not just learning to become nicer versions of our old selves. We're dealing radically with the fundamental wrongness of human life that is left to itself and introducing the kingdom of righteousness that comes from Christ into the depths of our heart. The inner life.... that is where profound transformation must occur." (Revolution of Character, Dallas Willard)
We're not just learning to become nicer versions of our selves! There lies the challenge for us who claim to be followers of Jesus. Do we really get down to transformation of ourselves or are we content with a superficial religion that leaves us a bit nicer on the outside? Have we seen a vision of who we can be in Christ that is compelling enough to cause us to take up the challenge of engaging with the Spirit of God in a way that disturbs everything about our lives and leads to the emergence of a new godly person?
Jesus says, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it." (Luke 9:23-24, NLT) Later He raised the bar with this declaration - "Anyone who comes to me but refuses to let go of father, mother, spouse, children, brothers, sisters—yes, even one’s own self!—can’t be my disciple. Anyone who won’t shoulder his own cross and follow behind me can’t be my disciple." (Luke 14:26-27, The Message) And what would cause us to take up such a life? The promise of life to the full, something more than just making money, building a reputation, and scratching out an existence. In Christ, we become sons and daughter of God, people of destiny with an eternal home. We stop hating and love others. We stop being greedy and become generous. We bring light to a dark world.
By that measure, many who claim to be Christians are either spiritually immature, or they just have a religion of rules!
Why do I say that? Because too often there is little genuine love, generosity, or light coming from their lives. They are just nice, not really transformed!
Dear friend, are you a transforming person? Have you been 'born again,' to use Jesus' phrase?
Jesus' people are revolutionaries. History is replete with examples of men and women who knelt before the Lord, give away their life (which they couldn't really save anyway), and stood up as a new person, full of the Spirit. The implications of that 'newness of life' are worked out over time as those who believe draw on the Spirit's life. Jesus said, "A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. A tree is identified by its fruit. Figs are never gathered from thornbushes, and grapes are not picked from bramble bushes." (Luke 6:43-44, NLT) Just look at the fruit of your life and you can determine if Self or Holy Spirit is the life inside of you. If you're constantly fighting with others, serving your appetites: it's time to ask yourself, am I really a Christ follower, or am I just religious? The fruit of your life is revealing the true nature of your heart. Conversely, if you're loving, generous, serving others with no calculation of self-benefit - you know that the Spirit is giving you life.
Now, there's a challenge. Take it up!
Enter into the process of change, inside out, and begin to "reflect the Lord’s glory, ... being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." (2 Corinthians 3:18, NIV)
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