Wednesday, January 17, 2024

Spiritual transformation.

Does it happen overnight? Not exactly, but wouldn’t that be great?

Salvation is instantaneous. The moment we privately confess that Christ is our Lord and Savior, we go from death to life, but that’s just the first step of our journey. Publicly declaring our faith through baptism is another important step, but it isn’t the end of our adventure either.

Spiritual transformation however, is a lifelong process. God will continue his good work in us until Jesus returns (Philippians 1:6). Did you catch that? It is his work, not ours, though we have a part to play.

Understanding this idea can take some time. For weeks, I went to church, paid attention to every one of Pastor Ben’s words, took notes, and studied to learn how to become who God says I am in Christ. I was as confused as Nicodemus when Jesus told him he must be born again.

John 3:3
Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”

How could I accomplish being born again?

John 3:6-7
⁶ “Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. ⁷ So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’”

I finally understood it was never about me transforming myself. The transformation process occurs through the Holy Spirit, not through human effort. Slowly, I learned to listen to the Holy Spirit as he pointed out areas in my life that needed to be changed. This is part of the spiritual process that comes along with becoming a Christian. You have to give up your old way of life to begin your new life following Jesus—that’s the rebirth!

My transformation continued as the Holy Spirit opened my ears to what was said during the weekend service and my heart as I discussed the message with my loved ones. And it deepened further when I went through GrowthTrack to learn my spiritual gifts, and then stepped into serving roles that put what God had taught me into practice. And God is still transforming me today.

It may seem desirable to have a spiritual transformation happen all at once, but as you join Jesus on the adventure, your relationship with God will deepen, giving you a rich and satisfying life (John 10:10).

Questions:
Have you begun your spiritual transformation? Where are you in the process? What’s your next step?

Next Steps:
Attend GrowthTrack to learn more about your purpose based on how God has gifted you. Keep attending weekend services to learn more about God, and join us for 21 Days of Prayer by texting “21days” to 419-419-0707.

21 Days of Prayer - Day 10—Connection
Today’s Prayer Focus: To Connect with God Relationally  (Romans 8:15)

Prayer:
Father, I come to you in prayer today, thankful that I am your child. You have forgiven me and adopted me as your own. You have made me righteous and restored our relationship. I am so grateful that you are my Father. Thank you for loving me. I love you. In Jesus' name, amen.

Series Theme Verse:

2 Peter 1:3
By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence.

This post was written by Casey Stengel, a regular contributor of the Living it Out.