How Much Change Is Enough?

by Steven Davis

“I am the Lord, and I do not change.” — Malachi 3:6

Lately Dr. Randy has focused on a theme: change. Change in you. Change in me. And there is no greater change that can happen than when we accept Christ as Savior and Lord. That is eternal change.

But somewhere along the way, our culture made salvation into just another option in a sea of options. It got watered down, marginalized, trivialized and saturated with the mundane rather than the divine. Why?

Part of the problem is our inability to see the necessity of change. Especially complete, total and absolute change. We don’t take sin seriously.

We procrastinate accepting the realization that we need to change.

“For he says, ‘In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.’ Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” (2 Corinthians 6:2)

“Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man. They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.” (Luke 17:26-27)

 

We play down how our sin personally affects us. It’s much worse than we think.

“None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one. Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive… There is no fear of God before their eyes.” (Romans 3:10-13,18)

“Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” (Romans 7:24)

 

But, don’t forget Jesus paid the cost.

“But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.” (Romans 5:8,10)

This brings about a huge change in our lives.

“Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life.” (Romans 6:13)

“For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.” (Ephesians 5:8)

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

 

So… sin is way worse than we think. Each one of us must make a choice. Christ paid for my sins and yours. And being a Christ-follower is HUGE. It’s a total overhaul. But how can we possibly make that change?

“The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.” (Romans 8:11 NLT)

The same power—the same Spirit—that raised Jesus from the dead lives in you. You can do it, because of Who He is: “I can do all things through him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).