Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
Christians have some pet words. We use them to describe how Christianity should affect us. One of those words is ‘transformation.’
Transformation is defined as ‘a thorough or dramatic change in form or appearance.’
We say that Jesus Christ will transform us if we accept His claims of being the Messiah, the Son of God. Transformation is proof that Jesus is real and has the power to change a life. If transformation is a word that best describes our faith in God, then does the way we live out our lives in our culture represent ‘transformation?’ Good question.
Not too long ago I wrote a blog on the idea that ‘Christianity is Dangerous.’ The point of the blog was simple, ‘If you believe in what Jesus taught,’ you will be a dangerous person in confronting the ideas found in our culture. If you live out a New Testament witness in accordance with the teachings in the New Testament, you will be a marked person who is different in every way from most people we encounter every day.
Transformation is defined by the difference people see in you. People usually swear … you don’t. People have casual sex partners … you don’t participate. People gossip and destroy the character of others … you don’t go there. People do drugs or get drunk … that isn't anything you do. Your transformation is not only seen in what you don't do but also in what you do.
For example, you don’t worry about things you cannot control because God is in control. You are assured that where this world is going is described in the Scriptures, and God is the final victor in all things. You stay positive when all is negative. You show a spirit of joy in your conversations. You know that nothing can overtake you because greater is He within you than what is in our world. Transformation is not only seen in our attitude and behavior, but it is in what we say and how we say it. It is our witness that comes from our words. As powerful as words can be, they mean little without the demonstration of a life that supports our words. You cannot be a witness in words only … you must make your life comply with your words before using them.
Transformation is the witness we want to portray to our world. We are different because our lives have been changed by the God of the universe and nothing can compare with Him. That is why Christianity is dangerous. If we are transformed people living out the radical ideas of faith, truth, and power through a close relationship with God and His Word, what can be more influential? Society is changed by ideas, and the propagation of these ideas is what changes our minds.
Our world has heard the ideas of Christ before … they are not new. But I think the world is waiting for people to live out the ideas of Christ and show what transformed people do to illustrate the radical ideas of Scriptures. They want to see what forgiveness can do to change a life. They want to see how love is acted out on enemies without bias or judgment. They want to see people whose convictions will not compromise. They want to see people whose joy remains constant regardless of circumstances.
Transformation is our witness. Transformation is our story of how the Gospel has changed our thinking, our behavior, and our attitude about all that matters in this life. We go to church, participate in small groups, read blogs, and listen to sermons … all to improve how our story can continue to be a transformational witness in our world.
To see American culture transformed will require a time of Christians and pastors devoted to repentance and the Scriptures, unlike anything we have seen in more than a century. ~George Barna
Your story has to become a living example of transformation, and when it does, you will become dangerous to the darkness around you. ~Larry Kutzler
Challenging the Culture with Truth … Larry Kutzler