One evening our oldest son, Blake, came to have dinner with us. He tends to show up when it is time to eat! He came straight from work and while we were waiting on the food to be ready he slipped into the shower. As we sat down to eat I noticed he was wearing the same clothes he had on when he arrived at our house. So I asked a futile question, “Blake, did you put the dirty clothes on after your shower?” His naive response, “Yeah, why?”
Why? Because that doesn’t make any sense! Why would one put their dirty clothes on after getting a clean shower? But perhaps we do this every day without even realizing it. Paul says we do:
…You’re done with that old life. It’s like a filthy set of ill-fitting clothes you’ve stripped off and put in the fire. Now you’re dressed in a new wardrobe. Every item of your new way of life is custom-made by the Creator, with his label on it. All the old fashions are now obsolete. Words like Jewish and non-Jewish, religious and irreligious, insider and outsider, uncivilized and uncouth, slave and free, mean nothing. From now on everyone is defined by Christ, everyone is included in Christ. Colossians 3:9-11 (The Message)
In school, we learned how a caterpillar builds a cocoon and, over time through a process known as chrysalis, emerges as a butterfly. While inside the cocoon, the caterpillar is growing and changing, and when it comes out, the change becomes apparent to anyone who sees it. The butterfly cannot go back and become a caterpillar again. That wouldn’t make any sense.
Spiritual changes happen in much the same way. Jesus accepts us as we are, but He loves us too much to let us stay that way. Over time, Jesus changes us from the inside out. This transformation doesn’t happen overnight, but in time, everyone around us can see that we are not who we used to be. Once the new begins to take its place, we can’t go back to the old. That wouldn’t make any sense.
Think about it…
Ryan
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