Transformation is a vital element in being a follower of Jesus. Salvation is not just about going to heaven. Salvation is a changed life. I have heard many people say that they accepted Jesus as Savior at one point in their lives but accepted Him as Lord at a later point. That is not how it happens. Salvation is on God’s terms, not ours.
Jesus gives in Luke 9:23 what it means to be a follower of Jesus. It means denying yourself, taking up your cross daily, and following Jesus with nothing held back. Salvation is about turning over the authority to run your life from you to Jesus. That means transformation in every area of our lives.
From Death to Life
1 John 3:14
We know we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death.
We move from death, living without Jesus, to life, living with Jesus and the proof of that transformation is shown in our lives by how we love others. Love is a characteristic of God and the Spirit creates that in us and thus we are transformed.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is moving from death to life and that is shown by our loving others.
From Lost to Found
In Luke 15 Jesus tells three parables about something being lost: a sheep, a coin, and a son. In each parable the lost thing is found and there is great rejoicing over the object being found. For something to be found, someone has to realize it is lost. In the case of the sheep and the coin, the shepherd and the woman realized the sheep and the coin were lost and searched and found them. In the case of the son, he realized that he was lost and turned around and went back home. In all three cases the lost things were transformed by being restored to be what they should be and where they should be.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is be transformed by going from lost to found and experiencing restoration.
Separated to Near
Ephesians 2:12-13
Remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who were once far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
By Jesus’ death on the cross, we have been transformed from being separated, far away from God, to being near to God. The transformation was in our position. Sin had separated us from God and Jesus’ death removed the sin barrier and we were brought near or reconciled with the Father.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is being reconciled to the Father through Jesus’ death on the cross.
Enemy to Friend
Colossians 1:21-22
Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now He reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in His sight, without blemish and free from accusation.
We were enemies of God because the desires of our minds were evil, against the person of Jesus. But through Jesus’ death, the Father reconciled us and made us holy, without blemish, and with no accusation against us so we would be His friends.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is being in friendship with God.
Cursed to Blessed
Galatians 3:13-14
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us – for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree” – so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.
We were under the curse of sin and the curse of not being able to follow hundred percent of the law. Jesus fulfilled the law and took the curse of our sin upon Himself on the cross and we received the blessings of forgiveness and eternal life and became a blessing to the Father by our transformed position and behavior.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is going from living under the curse of sin to the blessing of Jesus’ righteousness.
Stanger to Beloved Child
John 1:11-12
He came into His own, and His own people did not receive Him. But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.
Jesus gave us, through our faith in Him, the right to be children of the Father. Children loved and cared for by the Father.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is going from being outside the family of God to being God’s beloved children.
What do all these transformations have in common? They are all through God’s grace. We did not deserve any on them but God, because of the unmerited and undeserved love He has for us, did all this for us through Jesus’ death.
Grace transforms us into who God created us to be!
In God’s Grace Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls,
Joe
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