Transformation, Not Information

UV 4271/10000 Transformation, Not Information To open their spiritual eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness and release from their sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified ( set apart, made holy) by faith in Me. Acts 26 v 18 Paul describes accurately the benefits of the gospel- our spiritual eyes are opened. We turn from darkness to light with all the attendant benefits. We have moved from the sway or influence of satan, our common enemy to experiencing the agape love, power and grace of God. We receive forgiveness as well as our chains or bondage to sin are broken. We are sanctified by the power and help of the Holy Spirit and the word that washes us like water. All this due to only one cause- faith in Jesus. One reason yielding five eternal benefits – so the seed of faith is a high yielding variety. The question is -are we returning to the darkness off and on, due to our flesh nature’s pull, the attractions or seductions of this world? Or have we made a clean break from sin and its consequences by the grace of Christ outworking in our lives? Are we partly living in darkness and partly in light? We need to have checklist to test if we are living in accordance with the calling of our faith in Jesus: did we dabble in any darkness today? Which are the areas that satan continues to influence us? Which are the areas God’s control, leadership and influence needs to increase in our lives? Which are the chains of old, the dead habits that need to change in our lives? Are we grateful for the forgiveness we have received and are our actions and words in accordance with the fruit of repentance? Are we reflecting the fruit of sanctification, the fruit of the Spirit in our daily lives? The gospel or faith in Jesus is not about information but about transformation. All the patterns of our lives, habits, speech, attitudes change under the influence of Jesus. We are no longer to conform to the patterns of this world but to the patterns of the kingdom of God, demonstrated in the lives of countless witnesses through the ages. We are complete in Christ. He provides what we lack in terms of inner strength and ends the hamartia or the gap of shortcoming and shortfall in our lives. He moves us from the experience of a desert to a garden, from a spiritual famine to spiritual abundance, from curse to be blessed and to be a blessing to many.