The Culture of Change
TEXT: 2 Corinthians 5:17-21
Things change and much has changed since any of us were conceived and born into the world. But for all the changes our generation has experienced I think we can agree with French writer, Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr when he wrote in 1849 “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” I believe it is true that as we grow older we can say that we have seen a lot of changes but we also know that there is much that has not changed.
We might wish for the good old days but those days encountered lots of challenges and changes too. It may be that we view of our present has become jaded that influence or colors the horizons of our past. We develop a myopic memory of how things really were. Things do change and as they do we as Christians have a resource that helps us handle whatever it is that is changing about us and around us as well as resources to help us impact the culture of change, for you see not all change is for the better.
“Christ did not come to mankind to impact the culture or religion of men. Christ came to impact the culture of change men needed for their eternal destiny."
Some things change on their own as nature dictates and some things need to change but require a force greater than themselves to make the impact and change permanent. The culture or typical process we use to bring change is as faulty as mankind itself. "Change isn't change unless it is permanent," I say.
Our text in 2 Corinthians show us that as eternal beings, we need a force greater than ourselves to make the change required for eternity. It i inevitable that we all will change from life in the present to life in the eternal future but that requires a change in our physical and spiritual dynamic and we do not have the authority of life or of spirit to make that kind of change. Only the giver and sustainer of life has the authority to make that kind of change and He has made a way for us to experience that change.
Friend, you cannot have the impact you want on the culture of change that is needed until you experience the change that is required of you and you cannot do it alone.
Read 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 one more time.
PAX
Pastor Jim Allee