Basic Process of Biblical Change

In all things in life, there is change.  Such is the case when a sinner begins the process of change into a Christian.  The following is a Biblical outline of steps that  occur within the life changes of a Christian.

The basic process of biblical change occurs in steps and with transitions in-between them. The first step begins with a lost person. They are in need of Christ who will seek and save them (Luke 19:10) from all sin (Rom. 5:12). Furthermore, there is no person who can save themselves through mere acts of righteousness (Rom. 3:10, 23). Additionally, a person may remain lost due to the kind of treasure that they guard within their heart (Ps. 119:11; Prov. 4:23). Hence, the way of life a person presents to others is a product of the treasure which they hold in their heart (Luke 6:43-49). This leads to the transition of making a decision to accept or reject following Christ (Matt. 7:13-14) as God draws them to Him (Jn. 6:44).

The next step is salvation. The person should acknowledge their sin (Ps. 32:5) and repent of their sins (Acts 2:38). They should then receive salvation my means of their heart by believing in Christ and that He was raised from the dead by God (Jn. 3:16; Rom. 10:9-10) and confessing with their mouths that Jesus is Lord (Rom. 10:9-10). As the person transitions into the next step, they will grow in their desire for the Word (1 Pet. 2:2) and become an active part of a church (Heb. 10:24-25). The next step involves learning and applying truth. God has provided the scriptures as a person’s guide to truth (Jn. 17:17). Within the scriptures, He provided all things that a person needs for life and godliness, promises (2 Pet. 1:2-4), as well as teachings that can make a person whole (2 Tim. 3:16-17). Additionally, God also sends His Holy Spirit to teach and help people to remember all of His teachings (Jn. 14:26).

The next transition varies from person to person, however it may still present itself in the step of temptation. Temptation is something that either makes or breaks a person’s heart and soul (James 1:12-15). If a person should fall into temptation it is because they have fallen into their own desires which in turn have given birth to sin (James 1:14). Hence temptation has now transitioned a person into the step of sin. As sin grows through time, it matures and leads to death (James 1:14-15). In order to prevent death, God’s intervention is to instruct a person to be watchful for temptation and to pray in order to avoid falling into it (Matt. 26:41). Additionally, He moderates the degree by which temptation is presented to a person and provides a means of escape from it (1Co. 10:13). The reward for resisting and escaping temptation is a demonstration of approval (tried) and a crown of life (James 1:12).

Assuming a person fell into temptation, they then need to step-up to the next level of acknowledging their sin, confessing it, and repenting from it. A person needs to recognize and acknowledge the presence of sin (Ps. 32:5; 1 Jn. 1:8). They also have to confess it (Ps. 32:5). A person must also repent for the washing away of their sins (Acts 3:19; Ps. 51:2) and for refreshing one’s self in God’s presence (Acts 3:19). As the person transitions into the next step, they continue to grow to be like Christ. They learn to receive others (Rom. 15:7), walk in love (Eph. 5:2) and exercise self-control with others as well as to forgive them (Col. 3:13); to name a few. In the last step, the person strives to live according to God’s way. The process involves stopping how things were done before Christ came into a person’s life (Eph. 4:22), and beginning to have a renewed mind to do things in true righteousness and holiness (Eph. 4:23-24) that lies within Christ. Additionally, the person will grow and bear the fruit of the sprit, such as love, peace, and gentleness (Gal. 5:22-23); to name a few.