Be Changed

I had planned to just focus on how we become joined to God through Christ, being born again, and what that means. However, with the senseless killing of George Floyd and the aftermath of pain, anger, protest and violence, I would be remiss if I didn’t weigh in on the topic at hand, and that is things need to change.

The tragic and irrational killing of African Americans in recent weeks is unacceptable. The racial divide seems to be getting worse instead of better. People are demanding that things change. Some realize that it is not just systems and policies that need to be different, but people need to be changed. One of the mantras I keep hearing during this challenging time is “be the change.” This saying is not only directed toward racism, but to many other pressing problems in our world. The saying is often attributed to Gandhi. He didn’t exactly say those three words; here is the quote this short phrase is thought to be taken from:

We but mirror the world. All the tendencies present in the outer world are to be found in the world of our body. If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him. This is the divine mystery supreme. A wonderful thing it is and the source of our happiness. We need not wait to see what others do. (Mahatma Gandhi)

There is truth in this statement by a wise man; the tendencies of the world are found in our nature. Unfortunately, his remedy is unrealistic. Actually, it is unrealizable. There is only one way to change our nature, and we can’t do it ourselves. Sadly, the way to change often brings as much ridicule and hatred as we are experiencing with the racial problems of today. Nevertheless, I must say it.

The only permanent way out of this mess is through Jesus Christ. I am not talking about religion, and I don’t want to get caught up in the word Christianity, as it has negative associations for so many. I am talking about the person of Jesus, the living savior of the world. But before we get to the good news we must be realistic about the state of humanity:

But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these. For among them are those who enter into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. (2 Timothy 3:1-7, NASB®)

The fact is, these are the last days. The description above, along with others in the Bible, indicates the true nature of man without Christ. We are, by nature, children of wrath. It is difficult to accept that we are wicked at heart, but as we say “be the change,” we must realize we need to be changed. We need to be saved – saved from ourselves. Jesus came for this reason. Regrettably, many people resist Jesus. Some think that He never came, and most don’t think about His imminent return. This is nothing new, the Apostle Peter recognized this fact almost two thousand years ago:

Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.” For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water, through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water. But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:3-9, NASB®)

In these last days, things will get worse before they get better. We can choose to believe this or not, but the evidence speaks for itself. Fortunately, we are also in the Anno Domini, the year of the Lord. We are in the days of salvation. Jesus said that He didn’t come to judge the world, He came to save it. By His death on the cross and His resurrection three days later, we can experience the death of our old nature and the life of a new birth.

Make no mistake, Jesus will return for judgment. It has been a long time since His first coming, but we should be glad for His patience so that more people can be saved. We can experience real change, but only by God's grace through the renewal by the Holy Spirit of Christ. This is the good news the Bible talks about.

I could write a tome on why people reject Jesus. Perhaps another time. Suffice it to say people have all sorts of reasons why they don’t believe. Rather than focus on the people who reject Jesus, I would like to help those who recognize that they must be changed and desire to know how to do it.

The first step is to seek with an open heart and mind. “And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him (Hebrews 11:6, NASB®).” Belief is the beginning of the change:

·      But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:12, NASB®)

·      if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. (Romans 10:9-10, NASB®)

·      Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved. (Romans 10:13, NASB®)

We must believe in Jesus, but we must also receive Him. We believe He is who He said He is, and then we call on Him to save us. As we see from the passage in John 1 above, believing gives us the right to become children of God, but it is God who changes us. You may be thinking you can change yourself; I suppose you would be right to some degree. You can change some of your behavior, and even some of your ways of thinking, but you cannot change your nature. We don’t just need to be better; we need to be different.

When we are born of God, He gives us a new nature. We are born again, born from above, and born of the Spirit. This is the divine mystery to which Gandhi unknowingly referred. The term born again isn’t often used to describe Christians today, but when it is, it is sometimes used mockingly by those who oppose Christ. However, this term beautifully describes what happens to those who receive Jesus. “So then, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; what is old has passed away—look, what is new has come (2 Corinthians 5:17, NET)!”

The change or rebirth of those in Christ brings us back to the humanity God intended from the beginning. The change is miraculous and gives us a new heart capable of love for God and people. Sadly, some Christians don’t experience the fullness of the change because they don’t understand it. They don’t understand it because too often the teachers in the church don’t explain it.

In my next post, I will do my best to show what the change means. I know I stated I would address this subject here, I’m sorry, but I felt a discussion on change was more important at this critical time. I will try again next time. Please pray for me to explain our new nature with truth and clarity.