The Transforming Power of the Gospel

“Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, "You shall be holy, for I am holy."

(1Peter 1:13-16 ESV)

As a people who have been saved, the course of our life has been forever changed. Now that we’ve been freed from sin and death, and now that we are receiving the salvation of our souls, we are released to a life of service to God. And we prepare ourselves for this service, we remain sober-minded, by setting our hope on the grace of God.

It’s not our will-power, but the gospel, that motivates this service, or this action. It’s a response to the salvation God has promised us, and it’s also empowered by the gospel. Knowing that, at the return of Christ, we’ll be welcomed into the kingdom of God, knowing that we’ll be released from this carnal existence, we are both motivated and enabled to live a new life.

As a people who’ve been saved, as a people who’ve been made to be the children of God, we’re not to be conformed to the sinful desires of our past. We’re not to allow ourselves to be enslaved once again to these passions. We’re, instead, to reflect the nature of the God who saved us.  As he’s holy, we’re called to be holy.

Many of us, who profess faith in Christ, fail to realize the freedom we’ve been given. We fail to set our hope on the grace of God. Even after confessing faith in Christ, we continue our efforts to satisfy our sinful desires. We do not repent. We do not turn from the sin from which God has saved us.

However, by setting our hope on the grace of God, this will change. Instead of the pursuit of worldly pleasure, the glories of God’s kingdom will be our heart’s longing. We’ll yearn for something that’s far greater than the pleasures of this life. And, in this way, we’ll begin to desire the things that he desires.

We won’t be perfect on this side of eternity. We won’t perfectly reflect the holiness of God until we’re transformed on the last day. However, the desire of our heart will be to please him. We’ll desire only to live in the freedom he’s granted us. And, for this reason, we’ll turn our back on the sinful desires that have tormented and enslaved us.