“…work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure” Phil. 2:12-13.
Our Spiritual Makeover begins when we say YES to Jesus and He comes into our hearts and forgives us.
“Therefore if any man be in Christ he is a new creature, old things are passed away – behold all things are become new” II Cor. 5:17.
God sees us complete in Christ, made in His image. We lack nothing as we abide in His Son. God sees our potential, who we are in Jesus. It’s reassuring to know that God sees the end of our makeover from the beginning. Isaiah 46:10 speaks of God “declaring the end from the beginning.” Romans 4:17 states that God “…calleth those things which be not as though they were.” That’s how He could call a childless man named Abraham, a father of nations and his 90 year-old a barren woman the mother of Kings and princes. God declared Gideon a mighty man of valor when he was afraid and hiding behind a wine press. In the same way, God watched David as a puny little shepherd boy on the back side of the pasture and called him a king.
Yes, God sees the end from the beginning. He sees what we will be even if it’s not evident now.
If you’ve ever seen a makeover, you know it typically includes a before and after picture. Our spiritual makeover is no different. We get a glimpse of our before and after picture from I Cor. 6:9-11, which reads, “Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God, and such were (past tense) some of you….” That’s not a very pleasant before picture. But let’s look at the “after” shot.” “But ye are (present tense) washed (cleansed by the blood of Christ), but ye are sanctified (set apart for His holy purpose), but ye are justified (given right-standing with God, (just as if I’d never sinned) in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.”
This creates a problem for me because sometimes I don’t see myself like God sees me. Sometimes I see myself as dirty, unholy, and sinful. And sometimes, if I’m honest, I see my brothers and sisters as dirty, unholy and sinful. But the truth of God says He is transforming us from the inside out. Unfortunately, we see each other in the middle of the makeover.
The process of a makeover isn’t pretty, but remember, God sees our end from the beginning. He continually sees us complete in Christ. God has placed in us everything we need for life and godliness. (2 Peter 1:3.) The process of our transformation rests in our obedience to work out the character of Christ God has worked in us.
“…work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure” Phil. 2:12-13.
Little by little, through each step of obedience God reveals Christ in us to the world.
When the Bible uses the word “walk” in connection with behavior it typically means the way we conduct or live our lives. As we walk out what God has worked in us through those small steps of obedience we set our feet on the runway of God’s purpose for our lives. Throughout the New Testament we can find multiple scriptures where God encouraging us to walk like Jesus.
- Walk in newness of life. Rom. 6:4. In the ordinary routine of our daily life we should live out the fact that we died with Christ, and are raised with Him Christ to a new life.
- Walk in honesty. Rom. 13:13-14. As we identify with Christ, we should live true to that fact. Let’s clothe ourselves with (put on with purpose) the Lord Jesus Christ. Let’s put off (discard with purpose) the deeds of the flesh.
- Walk in the Spirit. Gal. 5:13-16. By walking in the Spirit, we put ourselves under the authority of Christ, allowing Him to shine through us. Walking in the Spirit helps us rise above our limitations and realize victory over sin in our Christian lives.
- Walk in Love. Eph. 5:1-2. In this passage the Bible exhorts us to be “followers or imitators” of God as dear children. God is love (I John 4:8). We should walk in love. Love should describe of our whole manner of living. Christ loves us and gave himself for us; we should love and give to others.
- Walk circumspectly. Eph. 5:12-16. We should conduct our lives diligently and carefully, having the spiritual eyes to recognize the evil at work. We should always recognize that our obedience or disobedience has profound effects on others around us.
- Walk worthy of the Lord. Col. 1:10. It is important for us to maintain a vibrant relationship going with Jesus. Read the Bible, meditate on the passages and pray. Grow close to Him on a daily basis. Bring God into every facet of our lives. Let Christ be honored through us.
- Walk in Wisdom. Col. 4:5-6. In this passage God is speaking of our testimony to non-believers. He wants us to understand and communicate the good news of Jesus Christ to others. Our speech should be seasoned with salt, appetizing and truthful to the hearer. Time is short and there are many souls that need the light and love of Christ. Our life is but a vapor which appears for a moment and then vanishes away. When we walk in wisdom we communicate the redemptive purpose of our season of grace.
One day, while I was babysitting my granddaughter, Lia, she slipped on her mother’s high heels. Lia, who was two at the time, stood up in those over-sized heels, wobbled and slipped, and fell down on the floor. She tried several times, stumbling and falling each time until she was able to take a few unsteady steps across the room. Watching her want to be like her mother brought great joy to my heart . I couldn’t think of a better role-model for my granddaughter than her mother. She is a delight to our family. But what kind of grandmother would I be if I fussed at Lia for even trying to be like her mom. Or, if I told her she was an embarrassment to our family because she failed to walk in her mother’s shoe the way I thought she should. Or, if I said she couldn’t be a part of our family until she could stride in her mother’s shoes with perfection. I would be a terrible grandmother because my expectations of Lia would be far too advanced for her ability. No, I’m a good Nana, my expectations of Lia are age appropriate. I never expected perfection, but I delighted in her willingness to try.
God wants us to walk in His footsteps in order to reveal our makeovers to the world. He has some mighty big shoes to fill. Sometimes we fall down and it hurts. So when we do, let’s dust each other off and encourage one another to get up and try again. I believe God’s expectations of us are age appropriate and He simply delights in our willingness to try. Remember, He sees our end from our beginning. He is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and end. He is the Author and Finisher of our faith. He sees our spiritual makeover complete in Christ.
We are a glorious bride, not having spot or wrinkle, holy and without blemish. In His eyes we are complete, beautiful, and pure. So let’s all strive to see ourselves and each other as He sees us: Made new and transformed into the likeness of His dear Son. And let’s walk out our makeover with purpose– revealing Christ in us, the hope (our expected end) of glory.