Wednesday 4 May 2022 – Transformed week 1

4 But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.

As I read this short passage, I am led to cast my memory back and thing about myself as a young teenager, before I committed my life to Christ.

How similar or different am I to that person that I once was?

I certainly still identify with that person. I have the same name, same biological family of origin, same memories. My body has changed a bit though the process of growth and ageing, but there is continuity there.

Some of my behavioural traits are similar too. I’ve improved in many areas, but there are probably a few areas where I could have made more change!

Perhaps I am being too hard on myself. But the point I’m trying to make is that I’m not completely changed as a person. What has changed completely though is my spiritual identity. I no longer identify with belonging to the spiritually dead things that this world offers, but my identity is with Christ and heaven.

Also, what has been made new is my spiritual record.

I once got pulled over for speeding. It was more than 4 years ago, so that mistake doesn’t impact my licence, or insurance or anything now, but the reality is, the instance of that speeding fine will always be there on my driving record. If I ever wanted a job that required a perfect driving record, I would be unable to apply. It’s like this with my spiritual record. Even if I were able to live my life from this point forward and never sin again, those sins from my past are still there. They can’t be fixed by my own effort. BUT because I belong to Christ, when the heavenly motor registry looks up my spiritual record, Jesus’s record shows up in place of mine!

Lord thank You that I am both made new and being made new. Please help me to grasp more fully the beauty of the transformation you have made in me, and also accelerate the process of making me into Christ’s image.

Written by Ps. Justin Ware