Change is possible. This may be the biggest single disagreement the Christian faith has with the wider world today. For the sad fact is that many of those who do not follow Christ are convinced that the ethical demands of the Scriptures are simply impossible for anyone to achieve. They look at their own habits, feelings and desires, they assume that the way they are is the way they are supposed to be, and so they reject any belief system that considers their behavior to be wrong. Worse yet, they assume that Christians hate anyone whose behavior is not in line with the teachings of the Bible.

But in reality, the Christian faith, indeed the ministry of Christ Himself, is not driven by hate but by love. As 5:14 points out, the love of Christ not only motivates our outreach to the world. No, it was the love of Christ for sinners like us that led Him to die for all His people. And if Christ had to die so that sinners like us could be forgiven, it just doesn’t make sense to pretend that sin isn’t a big, big problem.

But it also doesn’t make sense to believe that people can’t change. Indeed, 5:14 makes it plain that all who trust in Christ have actually died with Him – died to the power of sin. That’s why in 5:17, Paul can say that all those who trust in Christ are new creations. By the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit, the power of our old sinful, self-centered nature is broken. Now, it’s true that old habits often hang around, and that we can even delude ourselves into thinking that we have to give into them. Those who are alive can indeed choose to play dead – but why should we want to?

And why should anyone want to go on acting like a prisoner when he has been freed? More to the point, why should anyone go on thinking that God is our enemy when, by the cross of Christ, all who trust in Him have been reconciled to Him? As 5:21 says, Jesus took all our sins on Himself so that His righteousness, His perfection might be credited to our account. This is the amazing truth: when God looks at those who trust in Christ, He doesn’t see all the bad things we’ve done and continue to do. Instead, He sees the holiness of Jesus.

So, do people have habits, desires, and feelings that aren’t good for them and for other people? Sure – and Christians are no exception to that rule. But we know that by trusting in Christ we are not only forgiven of everything that is out of line with God’s perfect plans for us. We know that, by His Holy Spirit, God has given us the ability to change. And we pursue that change not least because we know how much God loves us.

II Corinthians 5:14-21 (NASB)

14 For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died;
15 and He died for all, that they who live should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.
16 Therefore from now on we recognize no man according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer.
17 Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.
18 Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ, and gave us the ministry of reconciliation,
19 namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were entreating through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.