Our transformation is a by-product of our redemption.
Scripture made us understand that there is nothing we can contribute to our salvation. Our salvation is based on what Christ has done, the sacrificial death of Christ and his resurrection.
Fundamentals of the Redemptive work of Christ:
1. The Redemptive work of Christ focuses on salvation from sin, penalty and power. Romans 3:24-27, Ephesians 1:7.
2. The Redemptive work of Christ is achieved through his death and his resurrection. It is God’s sole wish to rescue us from sin, its penalty and power.
1 Corinthians 15:3-4, 2 Corinthians 5:18-20.
3. The Redemptive work of Christ delivers us from the consequences of sin and Satan’s dominion. The effect of this is on our spirit and soul and it has eternal implications. We can’t be secured eternally and be struggling on earth.
Galatians 3:13, Colossians 1:13-14.
4. The Redemptive work of Christ restores us, restores our relationship with God, making us Children of God. Redemptive work of Christ is God’s responsibility. He did the work of redemption through his son. He does not require our participation. We are not involved, we only came to enjoy these things.
John 1:12, Romans 8:14-17
Our account was loaded and credited. We only came to enjoy what he (Christ) has done for us. We are reconciled, forgiven and chosen, and all of these happened through the redemptive work of Christ.
Regarding the transformative work of Christ, we must be ready and willing to learn Christ.
Ephesians 4:20 (KJV) But ye have not so learned Christ;
So there is a learning of Christ. We receive what Christ has done for us through his death and walk by faith and in faith, based on what he has done. By this, we automatically enjoy forgiveness, reconciliation, restoration into God’s family and all of that is our spiritual heritage and inheritance.
It is based on this that we receive the gift of the holy ghost. He is the seal of our salvation.
At salvation, we were reconciled and restored back to God’s family and importantly, the holy ghost was given to us. That is the total package of God’s redemptive work for us.
It is from this point a believer must be willing and ready to work with the holy ghost to ensure his transformation. The learning of Christ begins with our cooperation with the the holy spirit to teach us.
Salvation takes care of the consequences, penalty and power of sin; however, that experience does not automatically takes care of your character, behaviour or mindset. This is the reason why some believers are backward, or have poor relationships.
You must be willing to deliberately learn Christ, and allow the holy ghost to teach you inorder to bring out the virtues and work out your salvation.
Working readily, submitting, yielding and embracing this will influence your character which will now reflect what happened in your spirit.
Salvation happens in your spirit while learning Christ makes it reflect in your character through the words that you speak and how you say it.
The transformative work of Christ; learning Christ, focuses on the change, changing us into Christ’s likeness. Your language and words should be seasoned with grace and should glorify God. Your lifestyle, conduct and character should glorify God.
It is possible to emphasise all that Christ has done for us and completely neglect all that we should learn in following the words of Christ and his principles as well as embracing it.
This is what actually brings transformation to us. It doesn’t change what happens to our spirit or undo them. Having better marriages is not dependent on being a Christian marriage. It takes the submission of both spouses to the dictates and authority of God’s word, their consciousness of what Christ has done for them and conscious effort to work it out in their home.
The reason why we have poor characters as believers is because we are not deliberate to submit to the dictates of God’s word. Receiving Christ is a different thing and learning Christ is another thing.
There are people who have received Christ into their heart by faith but they have refused to learn. They are babies, and are carnal in their actions, deeds and operations.
Some people think they are above certain things. That shows pride and it’s rude of a believer to do so. As a believer, the words that proceed from your mouth should be healthy, seasoned with salt and should glorify people. We only achieve that by learning Christ. It’s not the sacrifice of Christ on the cross of Calvary that brings that to us.
Although Jesus died to get you saved, you have to cooperate with the Holy Ghost that he gave you as your teacher to keep learning.
As you submit to the Holy Ghost and keep yielding to him, those bad attitudes drop off overtime.
The amount of time spent in Church and in Christ does not guarantee that people are learning Christ. Christ served his disciples. When you see a generation emphasising redemption over transformation, the other is a sign of spiritual attack because such people will be spiritual but reckless.
The transformative work of Christ focuses on changing us while the redemptive work of Christ focuses on saving us, so we are saved but we should also change.
In Romans 8:29, we see the word “firstborn” which refers to a patterned son, a prototype, a mould. Which means that there is a son that we all should look like. Jesus is a prototype that everyone that comes into him must look like. Christ’s redemptive work saved us. For you to come into that reality, you must embrace the Holy Ghost as your teacher.
Romans 12 gave us a clue to our conformity which is the renewing of the mind. Jesus did not die on the cross to renew your mind, he died to save your soul and your transformation is attached to renewal.
If we all embrace this truth there will be less conflicts among us. Does this mean there will be absence of offence? Of course not.
Transformation helps us handle those issues better. The only way to manage ourselves and live peacefully is intentionally working on our mind.
After redemption and salvation the next thing the father expects to see is conformity which also means transformation. A church whose main focus is only on the redemptive benefits will only produce believers with bad character.
God forgives and forgets. Unlike humans who do not trust one another because of being offended at first. After salvation what matters is the transformation. The fact that Jesus shed His blood is not a platform for transformation. It is the platform for salvation and forgiveness.
It is high time we begin to understand that salvation and redemption journey is very key. Our conformity can be done by the renewal of our mind.
We keep renewing our mind. It is not age in church or duration. It is not a position.
We can genuinely be guaranteed as transformed when our fellow believers have seen genuine transformation.
We must be conformed to the image of God. His likeness and image perfected us.
It is achieved through Holy Spirit conformity to our life.
The basis of transformation is that we keep beholding. It is a man beholding his face in the mirror.
The transformation is by the Spirit of the Lord. If the Father got us saved and did not put His Spirit, then salvation will be a waste.
It is the Spirit that will do the progressive work of Christ. Our duty is to allow Him. When He puts His fingers into the areas of our life, He has details and knows.
We get conformed to the image from glory to glory by the help of the Holy Ghost.
Philippians 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
There are two things the Spirit does. The will and the doing of God’s word. It is the operation of God on our inside.
He is the guarantee of our salvation. The only way to be born again is to check the things that come from us. What people are waiting for is to bring out our salvation. It is God who works in us.
It is the progressive work of Christ. It does not deny the work of salvation.
We must continue to make the new life fully manifest. The new life is a function of the transformative of the Spirit in our lives.
This can be seen in Romans 12:2 and Galatians 5:20-25.
If the father got us saved without His spirit in us then it’s a wasted investment; but He knew that so after getting us saved He put his spirit in us cause it’s His spirit that does what we call the continued work of Christ.
Hence there’s something called the continous or progressive work of Christ and the Finished work of Christ.
- The Holy Ghost enables us to lie a pleasing life to God; bearing fruit and glorifying Him (ref: Rom 12 vs 1&2; Gal 5 vs 22-25)
- It equips us to live out our salvation; demonstrating God’s love and grace Philippians 2 : 12
Living out salvation means we get to manifest this life of God that we have received; we live it out demonstrating God’s love and grace Titus 2 :11-14
- It involves character transformation, mind renewal and empowerment for service Ephesians 4 :22-24
Paul understood that even though the church in Ephesus was saved they had a lifestyle they had to put off in other words they had to go through a character change.
Hence you need to put off concerning your former conduct. Renewal is a mind thing; it’s an attitude that doesn’t negate the fact that you are saved, so the phrase the scripture uses to portray it is “renewed in the spirit of your mind”.
As you go through these renewal ( you keep learning and exposing yourself to the truth of God’s word) your putting off and putting on
So there’s a PUTTING OFF (the old man) and a PUTTING ON (the new man).
Jesus did not die for lies, it’s you who has to stop lying.
He did not die for stealing but rather said He that steals should steal no more. This is where learning comes in.
PUTTING ON and PUTTING OFF is not done at the cross but rather at the feet of Jesus; it’s done in the place of continous teaching and learning; continous beholding.
And this is why we come to church, we come to behold; we read and study our bibles to keep beholding.
The things we talk about now will help us in marriage, business, workplace and family.
You should ensure you are growing and getting transformed by the day.
You may have been in church for years and have a title which doesn’t guarantee maturity in faith.
What matters is that you have a consistent walk and growth with God. You are submitting to the Holy Ghost. Your deliberateness and intentionality to learn Christ.
That you come to a point where you tell yourself that you can forgive and let go no matter the weight of the offence.
Sometimes people do wrong and find themselves in situations they can’t help.
You must have a bowel of compassion and mercy.
How you know you are growing is that someone offends you and you are able to still love them regardless.
We are brothers and sisters. The only way we can bring many to Christ is by letting them see us forgive.
You must have boundaries and know how far you can go.
There are some people who you need fervent charity to live with and tolerate. However, they can’t determine how you live your life.
You have an allegiance to the Lord. Get to the point that you know this and know peace.
Everyone of us will stand before Jesus to give account.
There is no couple’s account. You would give account individually of your stewardship.