Transforming the Whole, not the Half....or the Third....or the Tenth...

When Christ draws a person to Himself, He transforms the entire person. Granted, we are left with the battle against sin, but He has changed who we are, where our identity lies, with whom we are now identified. But often, I believe we flee to our old identity in hopes of feeling familiar and "comfortable" in our lives. Oftentimes I think we forget our new identity - and we fall back on our past - what we know.



But what we know is no longer a part of us. Sin still entices, pulls, tempts, but Christ has conquered it. He has given us the liberty to say no to this sin which so easily and quickly pulls us down. He has given us the ability to choose righteousness (which we now serve) rather than choose sin. Sin is no longer a part of our identity, so if we are characterized by it, while calling ourselves followers of Christ - what has changed?



If the life I live is colored by sin, not by grace and obedience to righteousness, then how has it been washed clean? If the picture of my life is still black, and not changed to white by the washing of His blood, what looks different?



We cannot compartmentalize our life so that only part of us changes. The whole of us must be changed. Compartmentalization is not a lifestyle that the Christ of the Bible knew. He knew the lifestyle in which faith in God filtered into every area of life. In our spiritual life, we cannot only focus on Scripture memorization or Bible study or prayer, though these things are extremely critical. We must focus as well on how our faith affects every area of our life. Because it does. Our principle of loving the brothers must include the brothers that do not attend our specific church. Our principle of honesty must also deal directly with our economic/business ethics.

Medically we treat people holistically (or at least we should). Why would it not be the same way in Christianity? Why would Christ not holistically transform our hearts? Why would He ever just change a part of us? Despite the cheesiness, if we were to look at a pie chart to tell us how much has changed since Christ entered our lives in a very real way, it should show 100%.

I fear though, that often it does not. It shows the areas we are comfortable with allowing change in, but not the areas which we already like. I am afraid that too often we show only a small percentage of change, not the whole person.

I challenge you (and myself) to do a self-evaluation and see where maybe we have been resisting His changes. Of course it is the job of the Holy Spirit to convict, not mine, but perhaps this is something we can all take some time to look at, pray about, and fall deeper in love with Christ, who is changing each and every one of us who have been so graciously called to life in Him.