PERFECT CHANGE

Romans 8:28-30; 1 John 3:1-3

Someone once asked the question, how do you eat an elephant? The answer: one bite at a time! My question is, how do you implement change in you life? The answer: one step at a time. As we have emphasized last Sunday, change in our lives will not happen overnight. It would take a slow process, but every believer must be a work in progress. We must be transformed consistently into the image of Jesus Christ.

This morning, I would like to speak about Perfect Change. This is the culmination of the transformational change that would take place in the believer. I believe understanding this Biblical truth will cause us to have a better appreciation of our salvation in Christ. Let me explain the relationship. When you study the salvation we have received in Christ, it has three important phases:

1. Past – deliverance from the penalty of sin.
2. Present – deliverance from the power of sin.
3. Future- deliverance from the presence of sin.

The three phases of salvation has the same application with transformational change. In theology, the process is called Sanctification. The word Sanctification is simply defined as the process whereby the believer is separated from sin:

1. Past – Positional Change = we received the righteousness of Christ as a covering. We can longer be condemned for our sins.
   2 Corinthians 5:21

   God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

2. Present – Progressive Change = although we still sin, we should sin less and less.
   2 Corinthians 3:18

   And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

3. Future – Perfect Change = we literally become just like Jesus Christ. Sin is finally removed from us. Let me explain this process further by looking at three major truths:

I     THE CONFORMATION:

First and foremost, we should highlight verse 29 of Romans 8. The Lord allows us to see His ultimate goal for every believer - For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

Clearly, right from the start, God has committed himself to conform us, or in other words to make us in the same form in nature or being as Jesus Christ.

This is truly significant when we remember what man had lost because of sin. Originally, man was fashioned in His image:

It is God’s plan to fill the earth with people who look just like himself. But sin ruined this plan. Only in Christ can this plan be restored.

With this mind, the familiar Romans 8: 28 has a foundation. God is using our circumstances in life to continually shape us. So whatever happens to us, we should be confident that God is using it for our advantage.

Then, when you moved to verse 30, the apostle Paul brings in the idea of GLORIFICATION. The basic idea of Glory means brightness, or splendor. Jesus Christ possesses this extraordinary brightness, and every believer will be transformed into this same glory. We should not miss the grammatical emphasis in verse 30. Although we are not yet in this state of glorification, the word is rendered in past tense (glorified) implying as if this is already a reality. John Walvoord, former President of Dallas Theological Seminary, explains the usage:

God completes His plan without slippage. “Glorified” is in the past tense because this final step is so certain that in God’s eyes it is as good as done.

Establishing the connection between our future glorification and our present circumstances, which God is using to shape us, we have 2 Corinthians 4:17:

For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.

Our future glory is far more superior compared to all the present sufferings we have. We can look forward to this blessed experience.

II    THE COMPLETION:

Moving to our next text in 1 John 3: 1-2, the apostle John expounds the fact that the completion of transformation awaits the sight of Jesus Christ. No matter how much progress we may have made in this present life with regards to holiness, our conformity to Christ will only be realized when we see the Lord.

I love the logical presentation in our text: first, John reminds us how blessed we are that we are regarded as children of God. However, looking at our present conditions, others may doubt who we really are. Well, we should not worry, God has set a day of revelation! Everyone will know exactly who we are. They won’t miss it because we will be just like Him – Jesus Christ!

In another New Testament passage, Paul describes it as:

The second coming of Jesus Christ will surely be very special. If we have died prior to His coming, we will be resurrected into his image. If in case, we are still alive, we will simply be changed. No wonder the early believers regarded Christ’s second coming as a blessed hope:

We should not ignore John’s exhortation in verse 3 as we wait for Christ’s coming. If we are hoping to be like Him, let’s continue to purify ourselves while we wait because He is pure. Meaning if you are serious of becoming like Him, allow His life to shape you by setting Him as your pattern today. Just like who wear the tag – WWJD (What would Jesus DO). It would certainly make a difference, if we are conscious of Jesus Christ every single day.

III   THE CONFIRMATION:

Lastly, there are some Christians who would like to find out if there is still a possibility of falling into sin after we have been transformed into the image of Jesus. The basis of this dilemma comes from the fall of Adam and Eve who fell into sin despite being created in perfection. The best biblical response can be taken from:

The context of this passage is for people who have been placed in their final destiny. Once a person is sent to hell, there is no more hope for him or her. There destiny is final. Likewise, for those who went to heaven, they will remain in their state of holiness. Each one will be confirmed in the state of righteousness. No more falling away.

Making us just like Jesus is not just a wishful desire on the part of God, He is committed to make it happen. For the meantime, we all need to cooperate with God and set some goals to become a much better person. You can ask yourself these questions:

• What would God like to see change in my character?
• What character quality – if developed- would make me a better parent, son or daughter, friend, employee and so on?
• What sin do I need to really overcome in my life?:

David Livingstone, the great missionary, once said, “I will go anywhere, provided it be forward.” May we have the same aspiration while waiting for Christ coming.