Question:  Dear Greg,

            Since Christ said that the thief would be with Christ in paradise that very day, can one infer that although Christ the man (in the flesh) would be dead a short while after this statement, was Christ (God) still alive to be with the thief in paradise? 

            My other question is regarding being saved.  Does it always require a dramatic transformation of one’s life or can it be a more gradual one with gradual changes in one’s life?  Surely not all Christians are going to be like Paul on the road to Damascus or the thief on the cross.  What bothers me is that some of us faithfully go to church and yet our lives don’t seem to be transformed.  We seem to be going to church in the hope that something dramatic will happen to get us fired up about our salvation and the gospel.  I feel I am in that mode and I don’t like it.  Something is missing in my spiritual life.  I feel too busy with the mundane things of life, like work, paying bills, etc.  I imagine this is a common complaint in churches.  I would appreciate your comments regarding this spiritual ailment.

            Dave

Answer:  Dear Dave,

            Question #1 – you are wrestling with the divine and human nature of Jesus Christ.  The human body of Jesus, a body that he did not have until he was born of the virgin Mary, was dead.  The divine Jesus, the eternal Son of God, was of course not dead.  He never has been and never will be, for he is God.

            Question #2 – the conversion experience.  Nothing in the Bible instructs us that this experience is normative for all Christians.  Yes, Paul had his Damascus Road, Peter had his Pentecost, Apollos spoke the word of God boldly, and Priscilla and Aquila “explained the way of God more adequately” to him (Acts 18:26).

            There are many times in life when we, operating out of sincere human motives, feel that others should experience the same thing we did, learn the same way we did, feel the same way we did.  But humans are not all alike – quite of opposite!  There are denominations that encourage a certain experience, and because of this expectation people have a particular experience – whether that be a conversion experience or some other experience.  Because it is somewhat contrived does not mean the experience is not genuine – God alone judges that.  However, we humans should be careful about contrivances.  We should be careful to let God work – indeed, to get out of his way, for at times we are in his way!

            In short, neither the more immediate and emotional experience of conversion nor the more long-term cognitive experience is better or worse than the other.

            The idea of “revival” should be carefully examined, for Christians sometimes approach spiritual revival the way we humans approach dieting.  Some new fad, some short-lived “get spiritually rich quick” experience is appealing – but we should examine the fruits.  Many of those who express faith and commitment in a revival atmosphere do so in the emotion of the moment.  Sometimes this is in the context of a traveling revival that is more like a circus than authentic worship – when the circus moves on, the crowd disappears.

            Studies show that deep and lasting Christian transformation usually starts with a long term and deep commitment born out of reformation of belief and soul-searching repentance of the heart.  Outward changes and physical fruit of that transformation come along later.

            In Christ,

            Greg Albrecht