It’s About Transformation, Not Information

As I’ve observed previously, somewhere along the line we became infatuated, enraptured, enthralled and obsessed with information. 

 

For years we’ve had access to news 24/7. In bygone days, we waited until the 6 or 11 o’clock news to find out what’s happened in the world around us. Now it’s readily available to us at the press of the remote on countless channels. We can access hundreds of news websites filled with information, some of it balanced, some of it extremely biased. If that’s not enough, we have numerous news apps available for our smartphones.

 

In the “olden days,” to learn more about a particular subject, folks would trek to the library, rummage through the card catalog and find the appropriate books. If they could afford it, parents would purchase Britannica, World Book, or Funk & Wagnalls encyclopedias. But who needs those anymore when we’ve got online resources like Wikipedia, a variety of search engines, and websites devoted to virtually any topic imaginable?

 

We’re saturated with information. The modern Church isn’t any different. In addition to the Bible – available in numerous translations with editions aimed at almost any demographic – we have commentaries, concordances, Bible dictionaries and encyclopedias, not to mention thousands upon thousands of books, DVDs and audios. We have conferences and seminars, all designed to increase our biblical knowledge.

 

But I’m reminded of what the late Latin American evangelist Luis Palau said years ago when asked to contrast American Christians with believers in Third World countries. His comment that stuck in my mind was, “Americans are afflicted with the lust of the mind.”

 

Knowledge is a good thing. Certainly, the more informed we are about aspects of our faith, the easier it is to solidify our beliefs and communicate truths of the Bible to others. But as I read the Scriptures, I find the underlying message isn’t about information – it’s about transformation.

 

Many people with vast knowledge about the Bible don’t know the Savior presented in the Bible. Some that have consumed tons of information about doctrine and theology, when they stand before the Lord, will be greatly disappointed. Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven…. Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from Me, you evildoers!’” (Matthew 7:21-23).

 

Information and understanding are important, but without transformation by God’s Spirit, we might be merely hoarders of biblical facts and stories. We're told in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” When we have a truly life-changing encounter with Jesus, we don’t just gain new values and perspectives; we receive new life.

 

That’s the message of Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God – who loved me and gave Himself for me.” To know Jesus is to experience new, transformed life spiritually.

 

This isn’t a concept readily grasped, even by established religious leaders. When Jesus was approached by Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council, the Pharisee was struggling to figure out who this miracle worker and spellbinding teacher truly was. When Jesus told him, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born again” (John 3:3), poor Nick was dumbfounded.

 

“’How can a man be born when he is old?’ Nicodemus asked. “Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born!’ Jesus answered, ‘I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit’” (John 3:4-5). He was referring to both physical, temporal birth and spiritual, transformational birth.

 

The Christian life isn’t about trying harder, trying to fix or improve ourselves. It’s recognizing that apart from the saving, life-giving power of Jesus Christ, it’s an exercise in futility. As He told His followers: 

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the gardener…. Remain in Me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:1-5).

 

When the apostle Paul admonished Christ followers in ancient Rome, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2), he wasn’t urging them to seek information for the purpose of possessing more knowledge. They were to pursue a mind that had been transformed by the power of God’s Spirit.

 

Elsewhere Paul exhorted believers, “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:23-24).

 

Ultimately, God is not asking us to be good, or to become better. He wants us to be made new.

Information . . . or Transformation?

We’ve all benefited from the so-called “Information Age.” Thanks to the digital revolution, our knowledge-based society provides facts about practically everything literally at our fingertips, via desktop computer, laptop, tablet, smartphone, even a smart-watch. Nearly everything we want to know, now accessible with a few taps of our fingers thanks to the wonders of cyberspace.

We have unlimited information
from nearly unlimited sources.

In many respects it’s been a good thing. Whether a recipe, home remodeling advice, the latest on our favorite sports team, financial trends, or information about a nagging medical problem, it’s all there. And why wait for tomorrow’s newspaper when we can read online reports of breaking news almost as it happens?

Years ago I cherished rare bits of information I could find about Ohio State sports. Now many websites can tell me the latest. Friends in Columbus say I know more about what’s going on with the Buckeyes than they do. Whatever we need to know is within arms reach. I even did research for this post in the comforts of my home office, gleaning information from my computer monitor. I haven’t visited a real library in years.

But this information, it’s not all good. We’ve stumbled simultaneously upon the “misinformation age.” Postings disguised as fact on biased websites, or disseminated via social media or email, might be anything but true. When I grew up Spam was canned meat – now spam is a means for hoodwinking people from their money or leaving them vulnerable to devious schemes. Have you heard from that rich African prince who wants to share his wealth with you, if only you send him a hefty deposit?

One other danger lurks within this cornucopia of information. Knowledge available to us seems limitless, but knowledge doesn’t equate to wisdom. Because wisdom involves understanding how to properly use the information at our disposal.

International evangelist Luis Palau was asked to compare Third World Christians he had met with Christians in America. He offered the view that many believers in America are “afflicted with the lust of the mind.” Unlike Third World disciples of Jesus, having no other choice but to live out their faith every day, Americans seem more zealous for gathering information about God and the Bible than putting into action what they’ve learned.

I heard about a man who for years was known for his devotion to reading Christian books, attending workshops, seminars and conferences, listening to spiritual messages, attending prayer meetings, and taking various classes on the Bible. Yet he’d never shared his faith with anyone. When asked why, he replied, “Oh, I just don’t know enough yet.”

Sadly, these days we’re more interested in information than in transformation. Some people are like those described by the Bible as “always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth” (2 Timothy 3:7). Reading the Scriptures, memorizing and meditating on various verses, attending worship services and hearing stirring sermons are good. But God’s desire for us is that we “not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2).

In His well-known parable of the sower found in Matthew 13, Jesus spoke about various kinds of “seed” (the Word of God). Some fell on paths where birds consumed them, on shallow soil where plants soon withered, or among thorns where growth was quickly choked off. Only the seeds that fell on good soil bore lasting fruit. Jesus was cautioning us to make sure that when we receive the truth it falls into fertile soil. That consists of receptive hearts eager to put that information into practice. In other words, willingness to become transformed, not just serve as seed holders.

After the apostle Paul declared, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,” he explained what it’s useful for: “so the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

When Paul told his readers about the Good News of Jesus Christ, he wasn’t offering just facts and information. He was teaching about its transforming capacity. “I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile” (Romans 1:16). The result, he wrote, is “just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life” (Romans 6:4). In the process, we become “a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

When we read the Scriptures or a book by our favorite Christian author, attend a worship service or conference, or listen to Bible-based radio message, if all we’re looking for is information, we’re shortchanging ourselves. Because with God, it’s not about information – it’s about transformation.

The Spiritual Sponge Principle

One of the simplest, yet handiest tools known to man is…the sponge. Everyone’s got at least one. Sponges have always fascinated me. I’m not talking about little, living creatures found primarily in oceans. I’m referring to the household variety commonly made from cellulose wood fibers or foamed plastic polymers. At least what my “sponge” search online told me.

OK, end of science lesson. What strikes me about the sponges we have in our homes is they sit quietly, waiting on a spill or for someone to make a mess, and then they’re ready to help with the cleanup. (As a matter of fact, I just used one – our 16-year-old dog apparently has a digestive issue. As teenage girls would say, “Eeeewwww!”)

Sponges like this one are great tools - until
they become saturated. (Photo-Wikipedia Commons)

Anyway, the curious thing about manmade sponges is they soak up and soak up some more, until they’re saturated. Then, however, they’re useless. They can’t soak up another drop. So we throw them away, right? Of course not. We squeeze them out, eliminating as much of the absorbed liquid as we can, and they’re ready to go back to work.

The reason I’m “sponging” this concept off on you is because just as the sponge principle is to soak up, saturate, squeeze out and begin soaking again, I’ve long thought there’s a “spiritual sponge principle” as well.

Today people with any interest in Christianity, religion or spirituality have more resources available to them than ever: Christian bookstores sell Bibles, books, CDs, DVDs and products of every kind, on every topic. Christian radio broadcasts 24/7, along with religious TV programming, catering to a wide range of theological bents. The Internet provides more spiritually oriented content than anyone could ever absorb. Some regions of the country are considered more “religious” than others, but no matter where you live, if the urge strikes to go to church, there’s one not far away. And every weekend, if so inclined, you can take in some Christian-oriented conference, workshop, seminar or retreat. There’s no lack of information.

But if that’s true, I’ve often wondered, why does this nation with such a strong Judeo-Christian heritage – and the people in it – show decreasing evidence of God and sound principles of the Bible in their everyday lives?

I think one reason is because, like spiritual sponges, we tend to soak and soak and soak up biblical information, but rarely bother to squeeze out our “sponges.” As a result, we’re beyond the saturation point, but don’t know it – or don’t care. A preacher described it this way: “The sit, soak and sour syndrome.”

The Bible repeatedly warns against this, a tendency world evangelist Luis Palau called “the lust of the mind.” One translation of Jesus’ declaration in Luke 16:10 expresses it this way: "If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won't be honest with greater responsibilities.” In other words, if you’re not willing to use and apply what God has entrusted to you, why should you expect Him to trust you with more?

Addressing one of his younger protégés, the apostle Paul wrote, “I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ” (Philemon 6, NIV). The apostle wasn’t speaking just about evangelism with nonbelievers. We can also share our faith in conversation with fellow believers, offering what we have learned and what it means to us – and learning from them as well. We also share our faith when we live out what the Bible teaches. When we do this, putting our faith into practice, we gain a fuller understanding of what we know about God – and about ourselves.

Presenting His so-called “parable of the talents,” Jesus taught about some servants and their stewardship of what their master had entrusted to them. Upon his return, the master reviewed what the servants had done on his behalf. To the devoted, enterprising servants he said, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful in a few things; I will put you in charge of many things” (Matthew 25:21).

In effect, Jesus was teaching the “spiritual sponge principle”: Once we have absorbed what God provides for us, don’t keep it to yourself. Squeeze the sponge by sharing it, putting it to use, applying it in your life in ways people can see – showing the reality of Christ in your life.

As someone has said, “If you were put on trial for being a follower of Jesus, would there be enough evidence to convict you?”