Creation, Re-Creation, Transformation

            With a gleam in his eye and a dream in his heart, God created. He spoke and it came to being. Every part of his creation ordered and functioning just as God imagined and wanted. And it was good. Then God created people – those creatures who imagined themselves to be creators! And God’s pronouncement was – “It is very good!”

            What a wonderful world, but only for a short while. Then disobedience entered our lives. We chose, not obedience but self rule and rebellion. We listened to lies about a better life and a short cut to be like God. We traded that perfect world for our current world. We chose poorly!

            But still God worked on his creation, seeking to restore it to his original vision. He called people to follow him, to turn from sin and trust their creator. Some did, most didn’t. We wondered far away from God’s creative vision and created a nightmare of sin, violence and destruction. But God still dreamed. He sent leaders, and prophets and teachers. There were great moments of success when people trusted God. There were also terrible moments of failure when those who once trusted stopped trusting and once again rebelled. The story of creation was filled with highs and lows, detours and false starts. But God was not finished.

            He sent his Son in the fullness of time. Jesus became flesh and lived as a creature rather than as the creator. He sacrificed himself as a sin offering. He lived out everything he preached – he fulfilled the dream of God for what a life of holiness could look like! Jesus loved everyone with the tenacious love of God. But that was not all…

            After Jesus’ ascension to the right hand of God, the Holy Spirit was poured out upon all who believe. The prophets had promised it, the earliest disciples of Jesus lived it. They were utterly transformed. That group of men and women who were overwhelmed and fearful when Jesus died became an unstoppable team of witnesses to the salvation and blessing found in Jesus Christ. Re-creation became the hope of the world.

            And now the Holy Spirit works to transform all believers into the image of Jesus Christ. It is quite ironic that in our rebellion we were seeking “to become like God.” Sin will never make us like God; but the Holy Spirit will do it every chance he gets! Are you cooperating with God’s desire for your life?