Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, and look, new things have come. 2 Corinthians 5:17
We spoke yesterday about why we get baptized. Some are truly saved when they get baptized, but some people will admit they were baptized for other reasons. Some say they were emotionally caught up in the moment during a revival or church camp. Some say they felt pressure from their church or their family.
Salvation should be accompanied by transformation. So, if you have been baptized and you feel you did it because you sincerely surrendered your life to the Lord, have you been transformed?
Our Scripture passage tells us that if we are in Christ meaning we have surrendered to Him and have His Holy Spirit living within us, we become a new creation. We no longer walk and talk as we did before. Our lives have changed in a good way.
The symbol of transformation is the butterfly. What better way could God show us what transformation truly is. The butterfly begins its life as a caterpillar. This caterpillar crawls around on its belly much like a snake. The serpent in the garden of Eden remember was punished for his part in introducing sin into the world. God told him he would crawl on his belly (Genesis 3:14) from that point forward.
What’s interesting is some caterpillars hatch and live for 2-5 weeks in this larvae stage before becoming a moth or a butterfly. This depends greatly on the species. Most complete the transition within a few months, some in as little as four weeks. Some like the fox moth can remain in this larvae stage for five years. The longest to remain in the larvae stage is the wooly bear which remains in the larvae stage for fourteen years.
As humans some of us remain in that caterpillar stage much longer than necessary, while some never get out of it. But once we receive the truth of our Lord Jesus Christ and surrender our lives to Him, we can be transformed.
Once the caterpillar enters the cocoon, they emerge as a moth or butterfly. A beautiful creature that can fly. So, it goes from crawling on the ground to being able to fly. Isaiah 40:31 says those who trust in or wait upon the Lord will soar on wings like eagles.
Before we accept Christ, we are ground dwellers. We have no strength or power. When we surrender our lives to Christ and accept Him as our Savior, we are empowered and strengthened by Him (Philippians 4:13).
Romans 12:2 tells us not to be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God. When you were baptized, was it a life-changing event? Did you surrender your life to Christ and devote yourself to Him? Are you flying through the air or still crawling on the ground hoping not to be stepped on?
If you were baptized and not transformed, it’s not too late. Trust in Him today. Confess your sins to Him and repent. Ask Him to fill your heart with His Holy Spirit. This will help you to not want to sin and to be better able to resist temptation.
If you were truly transformed and became backslidden, turn back to Him. If you have spent time in the world and conformed to the world, you can still turn back to Him and be transformed again.
True salvation requires earnest repentance. Earnest repentance means we are broken-hearted over our sin and don’t want to sin anymore. This brings about a transformation.
Have you been transformed? It’s not too late.
Have a great day!