The Myth of the Non-Transformed Christian Life: A Review of Issues

The Myth of the Non-Transformed Christian Life

A Review of Issues

I like to start with a number of statements, formulated in response to misunderstandings or unbalanced teachings, which I have encountered during our years in Canada.

1 There exist so-called “Nominal Christians”. 

Such people refer to themselves as Christians, while that name or label does not match the state of their (unregenerate) hearts.  Although they claim to be followers of Jesus, they continue to foster idols, while God and Jesus are relegated to the margins of their lives or merely used to ease their conscience or to boost their status in their circle of family and friends. 

Most churches have recognized that not everyone who is ‘in the church’ (as regular attendants, as baptized or even as confessing members) is necessarily ‘of the church’ (by true faith grafted into the Body of Christ or the church of all times and places). There will be hypocrites (“actors”), who pretend to be disciples of Christ.

In Jesus’ Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13) we learn about people, who at first accept the Gospel, yet they never produce good fruit. In the end it is obvious that they were not truly saved. Yet, when they initially embraced the Gospel, they would have been seen as believers.

John writes in his first letter (2: 19) that certain enemies of Christ had come out of the church. Although at first they looked like Christians, they did not remain in the faith. As true Christians will persevere and produce fruit, their turning their backs to Christ betrays that they never were “of the church”.

Paul warns Timothy (2 Tim. 3: 5) about people in the church, who maintain an outward form of godliness while they lack the powerful presence of the Spirit.

Hebrews 10: 29 warns us that there will be judgment for those, after hearing the Good News, continue to live in sin.

2 In the church there can be a danger of false assurance and useless faith

James warns us that there is a kind of ‘faith’ that does not lead to salvation. 

If faith is merely an intellectual agreement with certain doctrines or a feeling of certainty that “despite of us being wretched sinners” our sins are forgiven by Christ- it is useless faith. When our thoughts and lives are not radically transformed by the realization of God’s amazing grace manifested in Christ’s suffering and death for our sakes, then there cannot be true faith.

Hebrews 4: 2 talks about people who heard the Good News, but who did not benefit from its promises and blessings as the Word was not combined with a response in faith.

The Lord Jesus already warned his audience that many would call upon his name in vain (Matthew 7: 21 - 23).

Hebrews 10 gives us a strong warning about those who have come to know the Gospel only to reject it. Those who know the truth, yet wilfully reject it, will be damned.

3 There are two distinct ways in which the Bible uses the term “sinner”.

It makes me nervous when I am in a church where people love the mantra, “We are all sinners”, or even “We are all totally depraved”.  To be sure, the Bible clearly shows us how in the fall of our ancestors human nature has been corrupted so that nobody seeks God to serve Him. Also, even the most good and pious person could not please God and satisfy His demands, for even such “good behaviour” has (strong) elements of self-interest.  In that sense all people are sinners, from the prostitute to the preacher.  

Yet, the Bible also shows us another reality. For the Kingdom of God is taking shape, even in the world today. There are now also people who no longer seek to pamper and protect their idols, since their hearts have been transformed by the love of God (in Christ’s sacrifice) and the power of His (indwelling) Spirit. Although such people will still commit sins, as they will not and cannot keep God at the centre of their lives all the time, yet they must consider themselves no longer as sinners (dominated by sin), but as saints (dominated by the Spirit).

A simple test is to use a concordance or website like biblegateway.com and to search for all occurrences of the term “sinner”. You will quickly realize that the term is most often used for the ungodly people, who do not care about God and His Word. Typically, they are self-seeking people, who worship created things or themselves.  Psalm 1, for instance, distinguishes righteous people from the sinners. Yet, there are also passages that warn us that all people sin and have sinned; therefore nobody can perfectly love God and follow His rules for life. Therefore, in that sense, we are all sinners.

I have met preachers, who love to emphasize Paul’s exclamation in Romans 7, “O, wretched sinner that I am”, yet they fail to keep this passage in its proper perspective between Romans 6 (“We are no longer slaves to sin.”) and Romans 8 (“If God’s Spirit lives in you, you are no longer controlled by your sinful nature.”)  

If we ignore or reject the reality of our remaining sinfulness, we have not (yet) recognized the holiness of God. If we give the impression that we are still sinners like before, then we either deny the gift of rebirth or we refuse to walk with the Spirit, or indeed we have not (yet) been born again!

4 Christians are not “just” forgiven sinners!

Sure, all people go against the will of God, and in that sense we are all sinners. Sure, those who know and follow Christ may know their sins to be forgiven by His sacrifice. Yet, there is more! Christians have also received Christ’s Spirit to live and work in them so that they are transformed and renewed in accordance with His will!

I have heard preachers argue that (primarily or only) our status has been changed in God’s record books. While we ought not to, we could continue to live as sinners, while through Christ’s sacrifice God views and accepts us as righteous.

Peter writes (I paraphrase 1 Peter 4: 4) that the readers’ old friends are surprised to see that those who were recently converted no longer care to join them in the things they used to enjoy together. They no longer seek their joy in getting drunk and feeling good by pursuing fun; they have now experienced the joy of doing the will of God, which provides true and lasting pleasure!

The Heidelberg Catechism teaches that all people are unable to do anything good (that is: that will honour and please God) unless they are regenerated, transformed by the Spirit of God. All true believers are (have been) so regenerated; therefore we cannot continue to argue (nor use it as an excuse) that we are all totally depraved and incapable of doing good and at the same time argue that all of us (in the church) are believers!