http://bible.com/events/45874900

The Gospel of Christ is a Gospel of transformation. This series has been a deeper dive into the transforming work of God in our lives, both in a moment and through a process.  Today we conclude our series speaking about the culmination of God’s transforming work in our lives.   

From the moment that sin entered into the world through the garden of Eden, humanity has longed to return to Eden. Eden represents a place where all is as God created it to be and where we  experience the fullness of God’s glory.  The story of God shows us this journey:

-The Tower of Babel is built as man attempts to reach heaven. (Genesis 11) 

-God promises to bless Abraham and make him a great nation.  Later the author of Hebrews notes how Abraham longed for a place ( “For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.” Hebrews 11:10)

-Moses leads the children of Israel out of captivity towards the land God has promised, in spite of their disobedience and rebellion.  (Exodus 4-40) 

-The children of Israel established Jerusalem as the city of God.  This is an incomplete picture of Eden as people worship idols  and rebel against God. 

-Jerusalem is conquered and plundered by the Babylonians, and so the cycle continues on throughout the story. 

-As we see so much chaos and brokenness in our world today, we continue to long for God’s reception and return to Eden. 

Revelation 20:11-15

11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15 Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.

Revelation 21:1-5a

21 Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. ² I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. ³ And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ⁴ ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

⁵ He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” 

-A new heaven and a new earth suggest that in that final day, what will happen is a transformation. 

-Transformation is not just a past tense reality, or a present tense reality….it is a future reality 

-Heaven is the ultimate transformation in the life of the believer 

There’s a lot I used to think about when I thought about heaven 

Two realities of heaven: 

1 . We will see Jesus face-to-face.

-John 14:1-3 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. ² My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? ³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you 

to be with me that you also may be where I am.”

-In heaven we will stand in the presence of Jesus, our Lord and Savior 

-We will worship Him and experience his glory and goodnesses like never before 

2. What He says goes, finally and forever.

-It often feels like the hurt and pain of this world has the final word, but in heaven we know that He will have the final word.  

-In this Gospel of transformation, our God of Transformation has the final word. All things will be made new! 

Bottom Line:

Our final transformation is our firm hope

Other Texts for Study/Reflection:

1 Corinthians 13:11-12

11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

http://bible.com/events/44825376

Changed to Change: Our Mission in Action, Part 3

Our transformation is both the MOMENT and the PROCESS

We absolutely believe in the power of God to transform us in a moment AND in the power of God to transform us over time. 

Philippians 1:3-6NIV

3 I thank my God every time I remember you.  4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy  5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now,  6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. 

God who “began” and God who will “carry it on to completion”

This Greek word here epiteleō means to “perfect, finish, bring to an end”

Note that HE started the work and He will complete it. The only question is whether we will surrender to that work.

We are experiencing the NOW and NOT YET of the kingdom of God 

The now represents God moving in the moment. The not yet represents waiting on God and trusting His timing. 

Our theology is deeply impacted by the power of transformation. 

-The moment you confess your sin to God, you turn from your sin, and you put your faith in Him, you are forgiven. This is the moment of salvation. 

-We believe that the Spirit desires to do a deeper work of not just delivering us from our acts of sin but cleansing our hearts from the desire to sin. 

-There is a different between acknowledging Him as Savior and acknowledging Him as Lord. 

-The moment you invite Him to lead your life, purify your heart, you are sanctified. This is the moment of sanctification. 

-Because He has worked in the moment of salvation and the moment of sanctification does not mean that God is done working. 

For the rest of your life God will continue to work to refine your character, molding and shaping you into Christlikeness. This is the ongoing process of transformation. 

Philippians 3:14NIV

14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. 

Philippians 2:12NIV

12 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 

Romans 8:28NIV

28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 

Romans 12:1NIV

1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 

The mistake we often make is to allow our emotions dictate the terms of our transformation. We value transformation on God’s terms. 

The challenge is to believe God can transform us in a moment and He can transform us through His process. We trust in His decision about which one applies to us in each moment.

For further study/reflection:

Philippians 2:12-13NIV

12 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling,  13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. 

2 Corinthians 3:18NIV

18 And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. 

Philippians 3:14NIV

14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. 

Nazarene Position on Entire Sanctification:

https://2017.manual.nazarene.org/section/christian-holiness-and-entire-sanctification/

http://bible.com/events/43903065

Changed to Change: Our Mission in Action, Part 2

Our mission:

Transformed by God to bring hope to others through Christ.

Transformed defined:

1. To change in composition or structure

2. To change the outward form or appearance of

3. To change in character or condition

There are two dimensions of transformation:

1. We believe God can and does act in an instant to transform us

2. We also believe that transformation is an ongoing process

Today’s focus is going to be on the instantaneous transformation, the NOW.

2 Corinthians 5:14-17NIV

14 For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.  15 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.  16 So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer.  17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 

Human beings were created for a purpose, a purpose far beyond just being good little boys and girls in God’s garden.

N.T. Wright says, “Humans were made to be ‘mage-bearers’, to reflect the praises of creation back to the Creator and to reflect the Creator’s wise and loving stewardship into the world.”

Romans 6:19-23NIV

19 I am using an example from everyday life because of your human limitations. Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness.  20 When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness.  21 What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death!  22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

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We believe that Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection is the only hope of transformation that we have

Prevenient grace is drawing us towards repentance.

The Church of the Nazarene says, “Repentance is a sincere and thorough change of the mind with regard to sin, involving a sense of personal guilt and a voluntary turning away from sin.”

1. We are justified, which means we are forgiven of our sins and declared not guilty before God. We are reconciled, brought back into relationship with him.

2. We are regenerated– this is the act of the Holy Spirit in our life when we are made spiritually alive.

3. We are adopted into the family of God. We have been transferred from relationship with the world to relationship with God.

Colossians 3:1-14NIV

1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.  2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.  3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.  4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.  5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.  6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.  7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived.  8 But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.  9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices  10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.  11 Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.  12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.  14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.