Last time you heard from me, we covered some of the inner changes that happen when someone accepts Jesus into their hearts. Today, we’re going to focus on some of the resulting outer changes, but before we do that, I want to blanket this whole post with the fact that one, this isn’t an exhaustive list of changes (we can’t limit God and He is never done!) Two, all these changes occur out of love. Love for God, love for His people, and leading others to accepting His love. Now, building on that, here’s a bit of a strange analogy. Bear with me.
You know those movies where they ping someone/something’s location, and as it pings, you see these rings radiating out from the center? We’re the centers. The loves I mentioned above are the rings that radiate out from us as we root ourselves in God, and they bleed into each other.
So, let’s start with the innermost ring—that is, how we reflect our love for God. We’re hopping around in the New Testament today.
We know that out of love comes respect, and so, as a result of loving God, we respect Him and His commandments. And I don’t mean just the Ten Commandments, I mean all of His commandments. In John 14:23 (NIV), Jesus says, “‘Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.'” When He tells us to do something, we must do it. That means praying for those who have hurt us, spending time in the Bible rather than on our phones, refraining from anger and foul language (check out Colossians 3:8), and so on and so forth. This obedience should guide every single thing that we do.
In that obedience, we find ourselves better able to display love for His people. In fact, in John 13:34 (NIV), Jesus tells His disciples, “‘A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.'” When we do that, the contempt we had for others melts away, and we truly grasp that Jesus not only died for us, but also for the people we don’t particularly like. Because of that—because He loves them—we love them, too. That makes room for a whole lot of blessings, such as fellowship, forgiveness, and, perhaps, someone’s very salvation. Indeed, loving others is absolutely vital.
Now, not only will we find ourselves loving those we thought we couldn’t—we also find ourselves refraining from the things to which we used to run. I’ll give you a personal example: I used to be majorly judgmental of people, and though I’d never say anything to their face, I had some choice words to say behind their back, or in my head. I was, indeed, someone who would look for fault in everything someone did, especially if I disagreed with that person’s actions or attitude.
But that’s not how we’re called to be. James 3:9-11 (NIV) say, “With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.” First, these verses warn against being insincere (or two-faced). Second, they warn against tearing people down. As I started following Christ, I started becoming more prone to encouraging and uplifting other people rather than criticizing them. And, truthfully, that critique (which used to be my default) usually didn’t come out of love, it came out of contempt or envy. Neither of those reflect Jesus. Encouragement and uplifting others do.
A lot of the time, changes that drastic can cause people (especially unbelievers) to ask questions like “How come you’re being so kind to me?” or “Why have you changed?” This is where we get to the outer ring—leading others to accepting His love. 2 Corinthians 5:20 tells us “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.” Let’s zoom in on that first part. When we truly step into our roles as Christ’s ambassadors, it should show—in the way we act, the way we treat others, and in the way that we’re urgent to tell everyone about Him. He has come to save us so that we can be the channel for Him to save others, too. For that and so much more, He deserves our endless gratitude.
Since it’s in the title, let’s conclude this one with some reflection. Who were you before you accepted Christ? How is He changing you? I’ll warn you—be prepared for tears, not only at how wonderful and merciful He is, but also at how beautifully He’s reflected Himself in your life.
MEET THE AUTHOR:
Katie Pennington is a writer and editor who is originally from Hazard, Kentucky, but currently resides with her family in central Tennessee (though she frequently visits her Appalachian roots). Her favorite Bible verse is Psalm 42:5, which reminds her that in despair, there’s hope in God, and there’s healing in praising Him.