The Depths of Renewal
At first glance, it may seem that there is little difference between transformation and renewal. And yet, both are used to describe the love of God. How do we tackle this? Is this merely a creative liberty taken by various authors of Scripture? Well, maybe! But if we believe that God’s word was inspired by the Spirit in both authorship and canon, then we have to believe transformation and renewal are both distinctly important in their use.
For me, I think the distinction is in the approach to the change. When God’s love transforms, there is a sense of challenge. Wesley believed that we are called to constantly work with the transformative love of God, meaning that it is because of God’s love we are able to work towards perfection. And, it is God’s sanctifying grace that we will one day achieve it. But on the way, the transformation requires effort. Jesus and the disciples worked their way up the hill ahead of the transfiguration. But in our Scripture this week, Jesus is lifted up, Jesus is given to the world, and Jesus brings the light into the dark. God so loved the world that God sent Jesus to do the transformative work, so that through faith in Jesus we are renewed. The renewal is restoration. It is the love of God that prepares us for the transformative work. It reminds me of a gym routine. The transformation is the hard work. The cardio, the weightlifting, and the stretching all transform the body. But it is the recovery that renews the body. The time in the sauna, the post-workout protein shake, the long shower that relaxes the muscles and resets the mind. It is not good to have the workout without the recovery, and both are for the betterment of the body. So, too, is the love of God. Transforming us and renewing us to become more and more Christlike. So what do we do in this renewal? Like Kate said, we share it! John tells us that the light illuminates the darkness and we are called to be the light of the world. We can experience the renewal of God’s love and then be a beacon of that renewal for others. Pointing everyone we see towards the same transformation and renewal in God that we have experienced.
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