Real Change

Galatians 5:16-18

When you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses. (Galatians 5:18)

THERE ARE TWO WAYS TO try to live a godly life, and only one that actually works. The first is to apply cultural or religious standards to our behavior, inner thoughts, and motivations. We call this “legalism,” usually implying adherence to Old Testament law, but this really includes any effort to live up to outward norms—even the words of the New Testament or Jesus himself—by an act of the will. As multitudes can testify, this approach is futile. It offers enough successes to keep us working at it, but it’s ultimately a losing battle.

The other approach is to be transformed through fellowship and intimacy with God. Our vision of him and interactions with him change us so that we don’t have to willfully apply godly standards. Instead, we just live them. Transformed by his love, we do what comes naturally, letting his nature flow out of us because it has become part of us. This is a process, of course, and there may be moments when the transformation seems incomplete. We may have to fill in the gaps with self-discipline. But the goal is a steady inward renovation, a life of just being who we are as new creatures.

History is full of the first approach, and the world is weary and extremely suspicious of it. Almost all religions rely on external constraints, which have usually proven powerless to change the human heart. The gospel is different. It’s not a matter of living up to a standard; it’s a matter of getting in sync with God. Change that is only external will convince no one that the Good News of God’s Kingdom is any different than any other belief system. Real inward change, however, is another story. If the nature of the human heart can be radically transformed, there’s hope. That’s what the world is looking for, and it needs to see it in you. Your fellowship with the Spirit is one of the greatest gifts you can give to the people around you. It offers hope and changes lives—including yours.

{Holy Spirit, may I never have to fake the transforming influence of the gospel. Change me from within. Make me a testimony of your power. Amen.