Transformed people

We humans often don't feel comfortable in our own skins. And when we get together with some people and characters, we sometimes find it really difficult to relax and be satisfied. This is due to our preferences, attitudes, experience, interests and upbringing. Some people overwhelm us, some make us feel aggressive or bore us. It was probably not much different, to what it is today, in Jesus' time. We also misjudge people for being simply too unsuitable or stupid to share our interests. These pre-conceived convictions surely portray our own arrogance and hardness of heart. However, maybe it is true in some circumstances? We choose our own friends and often also hope to be chosen. Jesus had different priorities and intentions. He was concerned with truth and righteousness. God is concerned with the interior of man and not the exterior, or our fickle, human preferences. He sees people in a different manner to how we see them. God knew that no man could come into His presence and know that they belonged, without Him and His righteousness. There were none too good or too bad, too clever or too stupid, but all were, due to their sins, disqualified, unsuitable and useless for God and His heavenly Kingdom. It was about more than just superficial preferences or common interests. It was about God establishing and purchasing His family. In Titus 2:11-14, we read: “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” Because God transforms believers, changes them and bringing them into His presence, they become pleasing and acceptable to Him. The Almighty God therefore has absolutely no uneasiness or misgiving with coming to us and accepting us into His arms with His total love, grace and truth.

We humans are sometimes ashamed of each other, but God, Who has more grounds than any of us to turn from us, reconciled us to Himself, in that He redeemed us through Jesus Christ, purified us and made us holy and righteous (2 Corinthians 5:19). Only therefore are we so loved and accepted. And only therefore we should regard others and act towards them in like manner. God loves to reveal His Presence to us, and even confirmed His identification with the redeemed by giving us His Holy Spirit. Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:17-22 “ And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. For through Him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.” We, in turn, should also now profess that we belong to God and not be ashamed that we believe in Jesus Christ and only through Him receive our salvation, blessings and eternal future. We should take serious that which is written in Luke 9:26: “For whosoever shall be ashamed of Me and of My words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when He shall come in His own glory, and in His Father's, and of the holy angels.” We have no reason to be ashamed. The world is not the measuring stick for right and wrong, valuable or worthless, but God has united all authority and truth in Himself. The truth frees us to see our Heavenly Father in God and to love Him for that which He did for us. The forgiveness of sin through Jesus Christ gives us God's complete and perfect love and full attention. We belong to God eternally – Hallelujah!

Jörg Bauer