I believe that the message of the Gospel has been watered down to the point that many Christians have missed purpose of salvation. We assume that salvation is about “saving us from sin” and “going to heaven” when we die.
What if I told you there is more?
If the Gospel is just about having our ticket punched for heaven, then there is little motivation to have a transformed life now. The great transformation will happen when Jesus returns and we go to heaven.
But that is not the hope of the Gospel.
The hope of the Gospel is for transformation to happen right now. For God’s Kingdom to come and His will be done here on earth, today, just as it is done in heaven. The part of this great transformation that we have control over is the change that takes place in our lives.
22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there.25 Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.26 Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another. (Galatians 5:22-26; NLT)
The way transformation happens in our lives is when we follow the Holy Spirit’s leading and allow him to bring healing to our hearts.
We are to be living with love, joy, peace, patience, and the rest of these qualities today. This is not a description of what our lives are to look like in the future, but what they are supposed to be like right now.
The bad news in this message is that you and I are unable to bring about the transformation of our lives on our own. Our addictions and our habits and our culture are too strong.
The good news of this message is that the Holy Spirit is our divine helper in this task. We need the power of the Holy Spirit to bring change to our lives.
The goal of salvation is wholeness and holiness. With the help of the Holy Spirit this can happen.
The Fruit of the Spirit is nothing less than a description of a life that has been made whole and holy. It is the type of life that you and I were created to live.
Take 3 minutes and listen to what John Eldredge has to say about wholeness and holiness.
As we experience wholeness and live in holiness the world around us begins to be transformed.
That is why this message is important. Followers of Jesus are not to sit back and patiently wait for his return. We are to pursue the transformation of the world by being transformed.
By pursuing transformation we will experience purpose and contentment. These two realities will bring a welcomed relief to our lives.
Instead of trying to create life by our own power we will be living the life that God created us to live.
That is a very hopeful thought.
Thank you very much for this message. I had never really considered the points you make here but I think you are spot on!
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