The change we experience at our salvation, at our conversion, should be so dramatic and thorough, and so gripping that we never change, we never turn back, we never abandon the faith. At the same time, the change and changes we experience when we get saved should lead us into a lifetime of changing.
AT CONVERSION...
Our relationships are changed (with God and others),
Our condition is changed (morality, mortality, nature),
Our direction is changed (from sin to righteousness),
Our destiny is changed (from eternal separation to eternal union with God).
We become new creatures at salvation, who begin to walk in newness of life (Ro. 6:4), a life which never gets old because it is a different kind of life, it is eternal life; it brings a change that begins a life of changing. We don't change fundamentally, but we do change through growth.
We grow in grace and knowledge (2 Pe. 3:18),
We grow in Christian graces (2 Co. 3:18),
We grow in faith (Ro. 1:17),
We grow in strength (Ps. 84:7),
We grow in wisdom (Ja. 1:5),
We grow in our likeness to God (Ga. 5:22-23).
Even our character changes, as we diligently avail ourselves of God's transforming power (2 Peter 1:5-8)...
Faith produces moral excellence,
Moral excellence produces knowledge,
Knowledge produces self control,
Self control produces patient endurance,
Patient endurance produces godliness,
Godliness produces brotherly kindness,
Brotherly kindness produces love.
This Scriptural list is not a smorgasbord, from which to pick and choose, this is part of God's comprehensive and integrated plan. Each part depends on the other parts. Each part is not apart from, but a part of the whole.
Sadly, when I meet some people who come from a Wesleyan/Arminian background, I see pride, arrogance, self satisfaction, judgmentalism, harshness. They started down the right path, but then quit growing in Christian graces. They have little-to-no joy, kindness, compassion, because THEY QUIT GROWING.
God has given us everything that pertains to life and godliness:
discover it,
embrace it,
exploit it,
demonstrate it.
God is the giver of every good and perfect gift, receive it.
Life in Christ is not a prison sentence, it is a prize to be claimed.
