For many people, coming to know and accept Christ is a life-changing event. For example, immediately after he met and talked with Jesus, the entire life of Zacchaeus the tax collector was turned around (Luke 19:1–10). In a matter of days, Saul went from “threatening with every breath and eager to destroy every Christian” (Acts 9:1 TLB) to preaching the gospel as the apostle Paul. More recently, many people have been known to be freed from addictions or other bad habits on the spot.
Although few converts experience such an earth-shattering change, we know that God wants believers to grow. As Billy Graham said, “Being a Christian is more than just an instantaneous conversion—it is a daily process whereby you grow to be more and more like Christ.” For his part Paul said: “Throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life … Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature … truly righteous and holy” (Ephesians 4:22–24 NLT).
Of course, no one is perfect; that is a fact of life. However, we have a God who is both omniscient—He knows our future and can prepare us for the changes we’ll be faced with—and omnipotent. He also loves us unconditionally and wants to help us succeed.
All of us are changed through Christ and become new creations, with the ability to live in a new way. Of course, our personality, our mind, and our emotions don’t instantly change when we find Jesus. He lives in us, but it is our responsibility to let Him be seen and heard through us. This means learning about God through prayer and reading His Word, and then striving to think, speak, and act in a Christlike manner, so that others can come to know Him too.
We hope this issue will be a blessing to you as you work to become more like the Master and let His light shine through you into a dark world.