There is no salvation without repentance, you cannot be saved without repentance, and there is no repentance without being broken or convicted. The Holy Spirit convicts us, then, under the conviction of the Holy Spirit, we are broken. Just because we come to the House of God does not mean we are right with God. Some people go to church and never become Godly sorry. They think that they are saved because they have changed a little. Well, if people live long enough, change will occur in their lives anyway.
When Jesus saves us, He doesn't just change us...He transforms us. Webster says that to transform is to "change the nature, function, or condition of..." Have you ever seen those Transformer figures children play with? Using the same material, they move them to different positions. Thus, they take on a new figure; it's the same material, but it looks different.
When God transforms us, we take on a new look. Oh, it's still you, but you don't look the same. Your friends will ask you, "What happened to you? You don't look the same; you don't act the same. You don't talk dirty anymore, you don't sleep around anymore, and you don't back bite anymore. Instead, I see you praying." You will hear them asking, "What happened to you? We can't get you to go clubbing anymore. We can't get you to hang out with us anymore. All you talk about is church. But, we can here you say, 'The things I used to do, I don't do anymore. The places I used to go, I don't go anymore. All of this since the Lord changed my life.'"
Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new!
-- Pastor Kenneth Croskey
