Conformed "Christians"

Today at BCBC we will be starting our new series "Conformation/Transformation". Too often we who call ourselves Christians are conforming instead of being transformed by the Holy Spirit. We may not even know the difference.

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (2 Corinthians 5:17-21 NAS)

When we have been transformed, we are a new creation, not the old creation trying to be good Christians. We are different. The chief difference? Reconciliation. We will have been reconciled and therefore we will be in the ministry of reconciliation. Expressing the love of God to everyone around us.
John 13:34-35; Matthew 5:44-46; John 15:9-12; Romans 13:8; 1 Cor. 13.
That is only a sample of the verses that I could reference.  When we treat others without love, when we abandon reconciliation, we put the lie to our claims of being in Christ.  Oh we can still talk spiritual and quote the Bible, but that is covered in 1 Corinthians 13.  There is no profit in it.   There are those Christians who will point to the wrongs that have been committed against them as justification for ceasing to try to love, to seek reconciliation.  To this all we have to say is, Luke 23:34;  Acts 7:60.

1 John 3:10-14, when we say "I won't forgive" or act that way without saying it, when we withhold love, we have a problem.  This is GOOD.  It can show us that perhaps we have been conforming rather than allowing the Holy Spirit to truly transform us.  This is a challenging concept.  God has been working hard on my own heart, making sure that any hard spots get identified and softened.  May I always have the door WIDE OPEN to reconciliation and always be eager to love ALL, even those whom loving brings pain.  Let my love be without hypocrisy (Rom. 12:9).

Finally, this morning we will discuss "Plastic Fruit."  That will have to be a future blog post.  :)