"If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." 2 Corinthians 5:17

I sometimes wonder if we really believe that the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ can truly transform our lives? The way some of "God’s people" live is a betrayal of Paul’s glorious statement in 2 Corinthians 5:17 that a man in Christ is a new creation. Where Paul believed that the Lord Jesus can truly transform the life, we seem content with the bare minimum of change. The Word of God is very clear on the matter. When Christ enters a person’s life, the new life that is imparted will radically alter every single aspect of that life in attitude and behaviour.

One of the great songs that has come out of Hills Christian Life Centre in Australia (Hillsongs) is one written by Geoff Bullock called ‘I Will Never Be.’ The opening verse of the song manages to encapsulate Paul’s words to the Corinthian believers:

You don’t have to be a theologian or a Bible school student to discover in the Gospels that those who came face to face with the Lord Jesus were never the same again. People from all walks of life were transformed by the touch of His hand or the word of His mouth. These people went away rejoicing in a new found faith and a blessed assurance of their sins forgiven and a sweet salvation that they had experienced. Others like the Pharisees and Saducees changed, but not for the better. Their hearts became embittered toward Him. They hated the very mention of His name and on meeting Him they went away hating Him even more, so much so that they purposed in their hearts to put Him to death.

Has your life changed as a result of meeting the Lord Jesus? Has it changed for the better like those who rejoiced in Him, or has it changed for the worse like the hearts of those evil Pharisees and Saducees who despised Him?

Geoff Bullock’s song throws up a few truths that relate to the transformed life that Jesus brings to the soul. Of course these are only a few, whole books have been written explaining this life. We shall content ourselves with these few and hope that you will search the scriptures to discover more and more truths about the new life that Christ has given to you.

1. To ‘never be the same again’ means that you have become a Christian. Just changing your behaviour will not do. How many people have deceived themselves with the notion that an outward reformation of character will make them acceptable in the sight of God! It is a lie of the devil! This glorious change begins in the heart and permeates the inside attitudes and then reaches the outside behaviour of the person. The outward manifestation of obedience to God is a proof of the new life that dwells in the heart. When the Spirit of God works in the hearts of men they will never be the same again, especially when He reaches out in grace to save their never dying souls.

2. There is a determination to put behind the life that we once lived. True repentance and faith in Christ will bring about such a change of heart that we will no longer seek to live a life of sin but desire what God wants. There can be no return to that life once you have set your feet on the path to follow Christ. The door is indeed closed to the world, the flesh and the devil!

3. There is also a desire to live a life that is pleasing in God’s sight. Where once we lived to please ourselves, the new heart within us yearns with great hunger to receive the blessing of God as life is lived in obedience to Him. ‘I will walk the path, I’ll run the race’ are the passions that move the child of God. More than anything in the world the disciple of Christ wants to do the will of God.

The result of all of this is ‘I’ll never be the same again.’ Can you say that? Do you believe that Jesus can transform your life as He has done for hundreds of thousands of folks down through the ages? With His help I trust that you will be able to say yes to those two questions and that as you live for Him you will be able to testify that you will never be the same because Jesus is living in your heart.