Our Church (Kaleo) has recently joined the historical and universal church by plunging into the great book of Acts. As we’ve looked week after week at the incredible vast release of energy which empowered the early church I purposely chose a word which, to me, seems to best describe what we’re attempting here in San Diego.

We’ve been using the word ‘transformission‘ quite regularly over these last few weeks. I thought I would take a couple of minutes and simply describe what we’re thinking.

1-Gospel transformation is different from moral reformation. It is absolutely possible, and even common, for newer and older Christians to assume that to believe the gospel means that you’ve become a moral/pious person. I’m certainly not suggesting that moral piety does not result from gospel transformation, but moral piety doesn’t need gospel transformation to occur, nor does it ensure that a deep heart transformation has taken place.

I know quite a few ‘moral’ atheists, Mormons, Jews, and a host of other ism’s and ist’s who outwardly make Christians appear immoral. Moral reformation is not ultimately the goal of the Christian. The goal of the Christian is a love for God which can only come from a transformed heart by grace. When moral reformation is the fuel and goal, the heart will seize much as an engine will without oil. The human heart is made to run on grace not legalistic coal which will only choke out life.

Gospel transformation both creates and causes obedience from the heart as the gospel works from the inside-out. Moral reformation creates insecurity and hypocritical criticism of others as we attempt to win God’s favor through our performance by working from the outside-in.

Moral reformation says “believe in Christ, obey God’s law, have favor with God,” but gospel transformation says “believe in Christ, have favor with God, and obey out of gratitude.” Never the twain shall meet. These two are not simply different forms of the same religion, but different religions entirely. God’s infinite worth and favor are not easily bought by finite, self-righteous deeds. The only hope for a changed life is a changed heart that learns to beat in the rhythm of grace and not law.

Moral reformation brings death and decay whereas gospel transformation brings life and health.

2. Gospel transformation is not a cul-de-sac. There is a tendency for us to become morbidly introspective when we begin to look at the functional messiah’s and idols of our heart. As we learn how to preach the gospel to ourselves and to one another, it becomes obvious that this good and deep introspection can immobilize us with analysis paralysis. We begin to question every deed we do, every word we say, every thought we think and soon realize that we have very few pure motives and even fewer altruistic deeds. Without the gospel bringing us up the slope of faith to see that our failures must lead us to faith in Christ who did not fail, we end up in deep repentance which does not turn in faith. Repentance and faith are two sides of the same coin. To turn from sin means that you’re now turning to something else in faith. It does not mean that you see the sin and repent of your motives or deeds only to stay stuck in inactivity for the sake of true repentance. True repentance is the turning of our hearts and minds away from that which displeases God to that which pleases Him, namely Christ our Lord. Without the joy of looking to Christ in faith, we have not truly experienced the joy repentance brings.

This leads me to my main concern which is that gospel transformation without leading us to joy in Christ and the desire for others to delight in Christ is not true transformation. Why does God forgive us of our sins, is it so that we can stay isolated and alone? No, it is so that we can live as Kingdom citizens giving a preview to the world of what it looks like to be a child of the Father living with new identity. We are freed from our sin so that we can now have communion with God to be sent into the world. If communion with God does not cause our hearts to break for those He’s made, we are only using God as currency to purchase things which we want (peace, security, hope, joy, mended relationships, etc.) and not what God has planned for this world. What is on God’s heart in the sending of His Son into this world on mission to reclaim all things for Himself? It is those He’s created in His image who are now marred, lost, broken, and dead. We are to be about our Father’s business and not our own. This means we must seek after that which brings God pleasure and is aligned with His will. Every day God allows the clock to tick on in patience as He delays consummation for the purpose of bringing in the full number of His own. It is God’s loving patience which gives us another day to seek after the lost on His behalf.

If gospel transformation does not cause us to be courageously freed on mission, we are missing something in the gospel. The gospel is “good news” not primarily good advice, and not good deeds shown by good people. Of course the gospel must be shown in deed, and of course the gospel informs our lives, but it is news to be spoken, taught, declared, proclaimed, etc. This can happen in a variety of ways but it means that since the good news has come to us it must keep moving in and through us as the power of God to change the lives of others as we are unashamed of it.

Gospel transformation should really be called gospel “transformission” because it is the heart changed by grace and freed to be set loose into the world for the sake of the lost on behalf of our God. We must be the church in the world for the world. If not, the gospel has been relegated to a personal “get out of hell free” card as the rest of God’s creation groans under the burden and agony of sin. Gospel transformission shows us that the gospel is not finished with us but is moving. It is dynamic and not static. It is public and powerful. Not private and impotent.

So, when thinking through what it means to be changed by the gospel, it’s important that we have our eye on God, through us, to the world. This will orient our thinking, feeling and acting appropriately. Plus, the benefits of transformissional living keeps all three flowing in an interdependent way. Without a gospel that transforms our hearts to be loosed on mission, we are missing out on the joy of living God’s story, which is the only story we should seek.