The power of the Gospel to transform people is a beautiful miracle from the Lord. If you know Jesus as your Savior, you have personally experienced transformation. Years ago, a high school senior invited her friend to a mission trip with us to Mexico. Before going on a mission trip to Mexico, the team spent several days preparing spiritually. This time of worship preparation and the mission trip dramatically affected this young lady. As she went to college that fall, she became a true believer. After college, she headed to Africa for several months for an extended mission trip. In the coming years, she would marry someone from Africa, and they would begin an orphanage for blind girls. In just a few short years, she went from an unbeliever to a believer and committed follower of Jesus. Her entire life changed because the good news of Jesus transformed her.
The Gospel Transformed the People of Samaria
Philip was driven out of Jerusalem due to the persecution of believers and began to minister in Samaria. The Jews and the Samaritans had a long history of hatred due to racial prejudices. With the coming of the Holy Spirit, many Jews became believers, and God worked in their hearts to see people differently, including Samaritans.
The Gospel had transformed Philip, and now the Lord used him to tell others. Acts 8:12 But now the people believed Philip’s message of Good News concerning the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ. As a result, many men and women were baptized. [1] When God moves in our hearts, our lives change. When the Samaritans heard the good news of Jesus, the Lord started to set them on a new path. It would be a path that would lead to faith, baptism, and eternal life.
The Gospel is Transforming People Today
The world today needs the good news of Jesus like never before. With all the chaos in the world, it seems like everything is upside down. When Jesus comes into our hearts, our ship is turned right side up, and He fills us with joy and peace. Our circumstances may be the same, but when the Holy Spirit comes and lives in us, our lives take on new meaning and purpose.
When Jesus died on the cross for our sins, He told us to take up our cross daily and follow Him. (Luke 9:23) Romans 12: 2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good, pleasing, and perfect. [2]
As we let the Holy Spirit work in our hearts, it changes our thinking. When our thinking changes, it changes what we believe and, thus, how we act. Will you let the Holy Spirit transform you? You will be amazed at how the Lord changes you from a caterpillar to a butterfly when you do.
To learn about the power of the Gospel to transform people, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/empowered-near
[1] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Ac 8:12). Tyndale House Publishers.
[2] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Ro 12:2). Tyndale House Publishers.