Growing up – The process of change
Growing up is a bit of a nuisance –
Most of us – I think would prefer not to have grown up.
When you were small you could scream and shout and get your own way and people would let you get away with it because you didn't really understand what you were doing; you weren't responsible for your actions.
At some point, when you wised up to the fact that people bowed to your every whim, you probably started to take advantage; and your parents or care givers picked up on that and started to teach you responsibility.
Throwing food on the floor was naughty.
Biting people was unacceptable.
You weren't allowed to just grab the things that amused you.
* * *
Later on in life – being a grown up means paying the bills, it means looking after kids… It means in a word – being responsible.
* * *
Taking responsibility
We quite easily take responsibility for the obvious elements of our lives, paying bills, setting aside something for retirement – checking our tyre pressure, driving at the speed limit, stopping at stop streets…
We make sure that our houses don't leak and the light bulbs get changed.
Some of us even take responsibility for our health.
Although we take responsibility for these things… (We'd be in serious trouble if we didn't).
It's much easier to stop taking responsibility for the less obvious things in our lives. Our relationships with our family and friends… no one forces us to take responsibility for those.
Our relationship with our spouse or children or brothers and sisters…
We notice too late when those relationships haven't been maintained properly – there's no traffic cop who'll give us a ticket, no lawyer who will write a letter of demand, no dripping water from the ceiling to remind us of the fact that we are responsible.
Growing up means taking responsibility for all of these things…
When we're children we are not responsible for many of our actions – but when we become adults we are held accountable…
* * *
Our transformation
We've been talking about repentance – the fact that it is a process of transformation, of change.
We've been talking about it for the last four weeks… preparing through the season of lent, for Easter.
We spoke about giving up, giving up our old habits of thought - learning to think differently and to see things differently.
We spoke about being born again so that we can give out, becoming a new person, part of God's family – born into this world to be a blessing, to realise God's love.
We spoke about the possibility of change – how Jesus sees potential in the most unlikely of us and enables us through his love to become the people we are called to be.
Last week we looked at getting real – the power of acceptance… how when we learn to bring our whole selves to God; to know that God accepts us 'warts and all' – we begin to be powerfully transformed by his grace and love.
We also realise that when we love and accept others for who they are and where they are – without even wanting to change them – somehow, love transforms them – and they are enabled to become the people God created them to be.
We've spoken about some of the wonderful truths of our relationship with God. About the possibility of being transformed by God – following Paul's instruction in Romans 12:2 – "…be transformed by the renewing of your minds."
But it's not just something that happens to us as we stand by and wait. Yes God works in us, changing us from the inside… our whole identity is transformed when we are loved by the creator of the universe…
But each of us has the freedom to choose to be transformed.
Romans 8
In Romans chapter 8 Paul sets out some pointers towards being transformed by God. In the letter he explains how the whole nature of our reality is changed because of who Jesus is and what Jesus does… Romans 8 is just a snippet.
What God has done:
He begins in 8:1 with what God has done…
"There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."
Paul has just been speaking (in the previous chapters) about the battle which constantly wages within us – a battle between Spirit and flesh. We want to do good – but we do evil.
Here in 8:1 – he tells us that – in spite of all our sin, there is no longer any condemnation. Our past is forgiven.
Because of Christ.
There is no condemnation – as sinful as we are, we are loved by God and not condemned.
* * *
Not only is there no condemnation but in verse 2 Paul tells us that we are set free from the "law of sin and of death."
The rules we used to live by have changed… We used to sin, go against God's will – we just couldn't help it, we were locked in a kind of addictive pattern… But now, with what Jesus has done, all of that is fundamentally changed.
Because of Christ we can now be people of the Spirit, not of the flesh.
Our response
Although, as Paul has explained to us, this new attitude and way of life is possible, it is not automatic. Our way of life is our choice – growing up spiritually means taking responsibility.
In verses 5-8 Paul explains the choice between living in the flesh – and by the spirit.
To him the choice is plain… he puts it bluntly in verse 6:
"To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace."
The choice, according to Paul is between death on the one hand – and life and peace on the other.
As long as we choose to only live for the flesh we will be only half alive… When we choose to live in the Spirit we will have what Jesus calls life in all it's fullness – "real life."
What we should do:
We've been talking about 'being transformed,' the act of repenting – changing our minds and our actions.
Now I wish transformation was as easy as those strange belts you put on your tummy and you end up looking like Ken or Barbie… But it isn't, it involves some effort on our own part.
* * *
When Jesus speaks to Nicodemus about being born again (we spoke about this a few weeks ago) he refers to ritual and spiritual rebirth… Water – referring to the ritual of Baptism, and Spirit – referring to God's life giving spirit working within us.
An action and God's Spirit. When Jesus calls Lazarus to life – out of the tomb.. he says Lazarus, "Get up." Lazarus does the getting up – Jesus does the calling.
* * *
How can we participate in God's transformation of us as we learn to live in the Spirit – and not in the flesh, as Paul puts it.
In Christian tradition we speak of the 'means of grace.' Actions and practices ordained by God in scripture that help us to be transformed into Christ likeness…
For some of us these actions might have become meaningless rituals… on their own they have no power at all. But when we participate in them, asking God to transform us, wanting to be transformed – we will begin to see ourselves changed.
* * *
Firstly (and most importantly) Prayer; Not just words, but prayer with intent… prayer that pours our hearts out to God and asks and allows God to transform us. Jesus assures us that these prayers will be answered… (Ask and you will receive…)
Second, searching the scriptures – not just ritual reading late at night before we go to bed… as if looking at the words of the Bible will somehow magically transform us. But searching – looking for Jesus in them, learning about who God is and what God is like, revealed in Christ – so that we might become more like him. John 5 39, Jesus tells people: "The scriptures testify on my behalf…"
Third, participating in the Lord's supper… Communion is a learning and teaching event for us in which the reality of Christ's life and death are brought home physically as we eat and drink in remembrance of him – as he has commanded us to do.
* * *
These are the main means of grace, the main ways in which God works in us to transform us… they are not effective as rituals; they are effective when we participate in them asking God to transform us.
Wesley commends these to us and some more:
Fasting; Christian Community (accountability to each other); Doing Good; Visiting the Sick & the Imprisoned, Feeding & Clothing those in need.
All of these are actions that we can participate in – that help us to be transformed by God.
* * *
Our transformation is largely dependent on our growing up… growing up means taking responsibility for ourselves, especially for our spiritual lives. It's not a passive activity.
When – on purpose, taking responsibility we participate in God's transformation of us we will be transformed.
When we are transformed we will begin to truly see the Kingdom of God in this place.
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