Typical results of being saved …

Living in the “information age” means we’re swimming in advertising! It seems like everywhere you look, an advertisement has been inserted in an attempt to sell you something.

Blogger Aaron Pratt bemoans this issue of drowning in ads …

Everywhere we look people are trying to sell us something. Every website in the world that’s “free” seems to have some kind of advertisement on it; banner ads, and even full commercials. It would probably surprise you to realize how many times during your day someone is trying to get you to buy their product. We almost become numb to the barrage of advertisements, don’t we? Except for those ads that give us examples of how their product impacted someone’s life.

Are you like me, don’t those cause you to at least pause and consider jumping on board? You know what I am talking about. You have this Joe Nobody standing in front of the screen and they say something like, “Yes Bob, this is the best thing that has ever happened to me. I took it and three weeks later I was a different person.” It’s particularly true for diet ads isn’t it? You know you’ve got the before and after picture; there’s the guy or woman in the picture – 65 lbs different! You have got to admit that 65 lbs makes a real difference. You look at that before and after photos and you think to yourself, “Wow, I might want to give that a try!”, but then you notice the small print at the bottom of the screen that reads – “RESULTS NOT TYPICAL.”

Pratt contrasted the unreliability of such messages to the claims of the Gospel:

Have you ever noticed yourself looking at a fellow believer’s “before and after shot” and found yourself encouraged, even inspired? We think to ourselves, “Look at the change that Jesus made in their lives!” But then it is like we unconsciously look for the small print – “RESULTS NOT TYPICAL!” Can I remind you that this is not the case for a true believer!

When a person is saved, God transforms them! We are saved out of darkness into His marvelous light, and we are also being transformed into the image of His Son. Something very real — and very radical! — has happened, which the apostle Paul describes like this:

“Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there,” Galatians 5:24.

That’s serious change!

In addition, we now live with the Holy Spirit dwelling inside of us, empowering us to live as faithful disciples of Jesus:

“Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives,” Galatians 5:25.

The “typical results” of being saved is a transformed, and transforming life! Those sinful passions and desires have been crucified, “nailed to the cross”! And the Helper has come, leading and empowering us as He continues to transform us into being more and more like Jesus.

Those are the “typical results” of being saved. What is your “before and after shots” looking like as a disciple of Jesus?

Scotty