Life Transformation

Life Transformation

“Growing towards the Light”

Transformation starts with Repentance

Pslam 51 –

Have mercy on me o God

Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin!

For I know my transgressions, my sin is ever before me

We understand that our sin is of our own doing and is against God

Sin is Serious

Sin is offensive

51:4 Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight

The most serious effect of sin is not the harm it has caused to those around us, but rather the defiance to God that is is.

Sin is destructive

Sin caused David to get Uriah drunk

Sin caused David to have Uriah murdered

Sin caused Bathsheba to lose her husband

Sin not only caused Uriah’s murder, but it also caused the death of many others because of desire to see Uriah dead.

Even though David made Bathsheba his with we see in 2 Samuel 11:27 “But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord.”

‘Why have you despised the word of the Lord to do what is evil in his sight?”

Wow, we see that the conviction of sin does not originate for the pain that we have caused others, because even those who do not believe in God feel guilt, rather as those who love the Lord, he takes offense at the disregard that we have viewed him with.

God says in 2 Samuel 12:11 – I will rise up evil against you

Ssx s

Sin would have sown

I have no excuses for my sin and I take responsibility for it.

There is an understanding of the divide that sin creates between us and God, not because it is wrong, but because it is an attack against him.

Confession of Sin

Rejoicing in Brokenness

Why is this so important?

It shows that we understand God has found us where we are.

It shows that in our sin we still realize God loves us.

It reveals our understanding that in spite of our sin, God is not finished with us yet.

I think back over my life that when I was reminded most of my sin, when I was confronted over sin, when I confessed sin, they are not marked with guilt and shame, but rather with rejoicing over how God had redeemed me.

Throughout the Old Testament, we see God’s people suffer for a lack of brokenness. They rebel and do what they want because they believe they know best, better yet, they have no understanding of what they are doing wrong.

We saw in Haggai 1 that the people had been released from exile, returned to Jerusalem, laid the foundation of the temple and thought wow look how great we are, time to kick our feet up and relax surely we have done our part.

Why is brokenness so important? It moves us to action. Better yet, it moves us to align our action with the purpose that God has before us.

Was God opposed to the people building and dwelling in paneled houses? Was God opposed to their prosperity? Was God opposed to their relationships with the countries surrounding them?

By no means, God was promising all of these things, to a far greater degree than the people could have ever imagined. But rather than waiting on God to provide these things, they chose a different path.

The people chose to do what suited them in the present. Regardless of the trials they faced. Regardless of the lack of fruit they more, literally and figuratively. In spite of their dwindling size and influence, they convinced themselves that they were a success!

God finally has to come down and let the people know that what they are considering a success is no success at all, as a matter of fact God has been withholding their success because of unwillingness to be obedient to what he has called them to!

You and I as individuals and churches as well fall into this same trap. We assume that what faithfulness looks like today is the same thing as 5 years ago, as 10 years ago, as 30 years ago, but the truth is our faithfulness to what God has called us to do in one season can just as easily become idolatry in the next. Although God calls us to good things in a season, to continue in those ways after God’s provision has left is a fruitless endeavor.

Create in me a clean heart, renew a right Spirit within me!