We know two things beyond a shadow of doubt. God wants a personal relationship with us. God wants our lives to change. Usually, when we think a personal transformation, we think of it terms of change for the sake of God's glory, our ability to better represent him well, and not damage his reputation. Since, we think of the church as being his human representatives, transformation is meant to preserve the reputation of the church. If it is honored and highly regarded, God will be honored and highly regarded. (We will not stop to consider how the church is regarded here and now. We want to consider something else and will leave that for a later time.)
It is true that personal transformation is a factor in how God is perceived by those who do not follow Jesus. But there is another way to view this from God's perspective.
God designed people as personal beings. To fulfill our design requires living in harmonious, peaceful relations with others. Sin not only ruined our relationship with God, it ruined our relationships with people. We were designed to live one way. And the design is marred. Transformation leads us back to wholeness. It leads us back to living in agreement with the design. It leads us back to where God intended us to be.
We are like a car not running on all cylinders. We do not have enough power. We are wasting gas. And we are probably polluting the atmosphere. If we fix the car, it runs better, the world is better, and the car is probably happier.
God transforms us to produce holiness in our lives. Holiness is what we were designed for. Holiness produces happiness.
It is true that personal transformation is a factor in how God is perceived by those who do not follow Jesus. But there is another way to view this from God's perspective.
God designed people as personal beings. To fulfill our design requires living in harmonious, peaceful relations with others. Sin not only ruined our relationship with God, it ruined our relationships with people. We were designed to live one way. And the design is marred. Transformation leads us back to wholeness. It leads us back to living in agreement with the design. It leads us back to where God intended us to be.
We are like a car not running on all cylinders. We do not have enough power. We are wasting gas. And we are probably polluting the atmosphere. If we fix the car, it runs better, the world is better, and the car is probably happier.
God transforms us to produce holiness in our lives. Holiness is what we were designed for. Holiness produces happiness.
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