We Are Changed

Matthew 17:2; And he was transfigured before them. And his face shone as the sun, and his garments became white as the light;

2 Corinthians 3:18 But we all, looking on the glory of the Lord, with unveiled face, are transformed according to the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Lord the Spirit.

His glory transforms us into the same image from one degree of glory to another... 

Forgiveness of sin does not really become an issue for a person who are a sinner. It is not an issue because it is normal for sinners to sin. It is the nature. A bird does not have to think to fly, it just flies.  Speaking to a sinner about their sin is a futile effort. It is taking the cat by the tail. 

But speaking to a sinner about the great love with which God loves them is another thing all together. God loves the world, everyone. Because of our misconception of what love truly is, we think that love is the same as license. God loves sinners enough that He sent His Son to pay the price for every sin. This allows the sinner who dare to receive this gift, entrance into a relationship with God. 

A sinner does not as much need forgiveness of sin as a transformation from being a child of satan and darkness into the Kingdom of Light and life. A pig may be washed 10 000 times but will return to the mud every time. If a person could somehow transform the pig into a lamb, it will no longer seek out the mud. Transformation of the nature of a sinner, be-ing born into the family of God changes the "who" of the person and therefor changes their incline, their bend, their nature. 

Now that the sinner became a Christian, a saint, now we need to speak of forgiveness of sin. I caught a snipped of an interview with a woman who worked in an abortion mill. She never had a problem with what they were doing. She became aware of the love of God, received Jesus as her personal Lord and Savior. The next day at work, she was left with the responsibility to dispose of the residue of a late term abortion. All of a sudden the depths of what just happened hit her and she wept over this baby. Before the light of the life of Jesus Christ entered her, there was no awareness of the true nature of her actions. A person sitting in darkness cannot discern the darkness. 

Once a person has been born again of incorruptible seed, sin becomes an issue. The weight of individual transgressions becomes a crushing reality. A Christian lives in a constant state of forgiveness since the conviction of the Holy Spirit never lets up. We are sensitive to the sinfulness of sin and can no longer be oblivious to it. 

One will not seek for an answer unless the problem is apparent. We seek God's forgiveness because we are convinced that sin is sinful. We avoid living in habitual sin so that our nature, the light in us, will not become dark. Once the Holy Spirit indwells an individual their relationship with sin changes. He, the Holy Spirit, convicts of sin, righteousness and judgement. 

John addresses his first letter to Christians. He says that if you are happy and comfortable in your sin, you are most likely not a Christian. He also said that Christians make a choice to love one another and obey God. Christians can choose to sin or not to sin. Sinners do not have a choice.

1 John 5:18 We know that every one begotten of God does not sin, but he that has been begotten of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him.