The Big Deal (part 3): Power to Change

By Pastor Tony Cervero

I once heard Donald Trump say: I do not believe that people ever really change. The "Donald" believes that people can grow and they can learn from their mistakes - but he does not believe that people's nature can change. How about you? Ask yourself this question: Is God able to change human nature? Is it possible for selfish people to be made unselfish? Is it possible for immoral people to be given self-control? Is it possible for cruel people to be made kind, and sour people to be sweetened? Wouldn't it be marvelous if that were possible?

Then second "big deal" of the resurrection is that the resurrection of Jesus provides us with God's power to change us. I don't know about you but I need more than forgiveness to be changed. I need a new source of life and power. Jesus' death can do away with the old person - but it is the resurrection that provides me with the power I need to become a new person.

The Resurrection means that change is possible. God has power to transform you and me into new creations. Paul wrote: ... if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you. (Rom 8:11) When Jesus died on the Cross, he physically died. But when He rose from the grave, he was a new creation - made alive by the Spirit of God. The power of God invaded that tomb and made him a living being that has found its life-source as the Holy Spirit. This means that God is able to make people who are dead in their sins - alive in Jesus. The Resurrection gives us proof that God's power is able to make us new and different people ... in your mortal bodies ... in this life ... today.

I'm afraid we are always in danger of minimizing what God, by his resurrection power, is able to do in ordinary human beings like you and me. We sometimes talk of becoming a Christian as if it were really no more than turning over a new leaf or making a few superficial changes to our usual pattern of life. But when you scratch the surface, we are the same old pagans underneath; no real change has taken place. I want to assure you that becoming and being a follower of Jesus, according to the New Testament, is something far more radical than that because it means being changed to the very roots of our human being and human personality. Becoming a Christian is nothing less than a resurrection from spiritual death and the beginning of an entirely new life empowered by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In a word, the same God of supernatural power who raised Jesus from physical death can raise us from spiritual death and make us alive and alert to spiritual things. We can know that God can raise us from that death because he raised Christ. Because Jesus' resurrection, we can be changed!

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