In both this blog and my book, The Renovation of Our Soul, we have shown the Bible teaches that salvation is more than a belief system; it is the change of our soul so it becomes like God. What is this change like?
Rosaria Champagne Butterfield describes her conversion as a train wreck. [1] Why would we think that following Christ would not be disruptive to our lives? The Bible teaches that each one of us has a sinful nature. Can this sinful nature be changed without effort, without discomfort? If following Christ is not disruptive to our lives, can we really claim to be Christians?
Butterfield states that conversion does not involve saying magic words, words to the effect that we believe in Jesus and his death for our sins. [2] In fact she takes the preachers who teach this easy salvation to task. She states:
Making a life commitment to Christ was not merely a philosophical shift. It was not a one-step process. It did not involve rearranging the surface prejudices and loyalties of my life. Conversion didn’t “fit” my life. Conversion overhauled my soul and personality. It was arduous and intense. [3]
I highly recommend you read her book.
________________________
[1] Rosaria Champagne Butterfield, The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert, Pittsburg, PA: Crown & Covenant Publications, 2012. pp. 1-2.
[2] Butterfield, p. 35.
[3] Butterfield, p. 34
