In Acts 1:8, before Jesus ascended back to heaven, he promised everyone that they would receive “power from the Holy Spirit” so that they could continue the mission he had already begun. The Greek word for power (dynamin) is the same word that we get the word dynamite from. This should help you understand the dramatic change and nature of what’s taking place in someone’s life when they experience the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit in their life. There’s death and then there’s life (Eph 2:5). This is a picture of a dramatic transformation. It’s not just an external one, but an internal one. This kind of life will bear the marks of an explosion.
The marks of a true Christian should be obvious. However, in our current culture of ”easy believe-ism” the standards are pretty low. There seems to be this prevailing belief that someone can “say the prayer”, “walk the aisle” or even “believe in Jesus” and never see real transformation in their life.
Charles Haddon Spurgeon, Baptist pastor and theologian from the late 1800’s had this to say about the marks of a true conversion:
When the Word of God converts a man, it takes away from him his despair but does not take from him his repentance.
True conversion gives a man pardon, but does not make him presumptuous.
True conversion gives a man perfect rest, but it does not stop his progress.
True conversion gives a man security, but it does not allow him to leave off being watchful.
True conversion gives a man strength and holiness, but it never lets him boast.
True conversion gives a harmony to all duties of Christian life… It balances all duties, emotions, hopes and enjoyments.
True conversion brings a man to live for God. He does everything for the glory of God, - whether he eats, or drinks, or whatever he does. True conversion makes a man live before God… He desires to live as in God’s sight at all times, and he is glad to be there… And such a man now comes to live with God. He has blessed communion with him; he talks with him as a man talks with his friend. [1]What type of marks are you bearing?
Are you bearing the marks of an explosion?
No matter what your answer is, there’s hope. That hope is found in Christ alone because he lived a life you could not live. He died a substitutionary death that you deserved to die. He conquered an enemy that you could not conquer. And he’s risen from the grave. Furthermore, if you repent of your sins and believe in Christ, you can be reconciled to God forever.
While justification is once and for all, repentance isn’t just a one-time thing that happens when you first become a Christian. Repentance is something that happens daily. A truly regenerated Christian, will continually bear the marks of repentance and faith. Although believers will all still struggle with the presence of sin to varying degrees and may even feel distant from God in certain seasons, a truly regenerated life will consistently seek to put off the old self and put on the new self (Col 3:1-17). The true Christ follower is never satisfied to remain in his or her sin.
Don’t believe the lies cultural Christianity tells you. If you are a believer in Christ, you will bear the marks of an explosion. You will bear the marks of regeneration. You will have power to put off sin, put on righteousness, and live rightly. This power is not of your own strength, but it is the power of the Holy Spirit!
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