Living Letters – Chapter 2 – Transformation

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Living Letters: A Christian Legacy

Chapter 2 — Transformation: Before and After

Review

In the previous lesson, we examined how God used His Word, people, and circumstances to bring us to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. We also examined baptism as the believer’s public identification with Christ.

Salvation began the first chapter of our Christian lives. Baptism brought our faith into public view. Now we have to ask: what have people actually read in our lives since then?

Lesson Focus

Salvation brings new life. God changes our relationship with Him, our treatment of others, and the desires of our hearts.

We will examine the difference between who we were before Christ and who we are becoming through the work of the Holy Spirit.

Written on the Heart

Our series is built around Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 3:2–3:

2 Corinthians 3:2–3 — Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men: Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.

The words “tables of stone” take us back to the Ten Commandments. After God brought Israel out of Egypt, He gave Moses His law on Mount Sinai.

Exodus 31:18 — And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.

The stone tablets showed people God’s standard, and where they fell short of it — but they could not change anyone’s heart. That is why God promised to write His law on their hearts and give them a new heart and spirit:

Jeremiah 31:33 — I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts.

Ezekiel 36:26–27 — A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you… And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes.

Paul used this same language when he called the Corinthians letters of Christ, written by the Spirit of God on their hearts. Through the new birth, God begins changing us from within. We begin to love what God loves, recognize the sin we once excused, and desire to obey Him. That inward work becomes visible in everyday life.

The change may be dramatic. Someone may be saved from a life controlled by alcohol, drugs, anger, immorality, or crime. Other changes take place gradually. A person saved as a child may have no years of open rebellion to describe, but God has still changed attitudes, desires, relationships, priorities, and choices. Every Christian should be able to look for evidence of His work.

Fruit That Shows Repentance

In Chapter 1, we read John the Baptist’s words:

Matthew 3:8 — Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance.

When the crowds asked John what that meant in practice, he gave direct answers:

Luke 3:10–14 — And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then? He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise. Then came also publicans to be baptized, and said unto him, Master, what shall we do? And he said unto them, Exact no more than that which is appointed you. And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages.

John told the crowd to share what they had, told tax collectors to stop overcharging people, and told soldiers to stop abusing their power. In each case, repentance meant a specific change in how they treated other people, not just a change in belief.

The same principle helps us examine our transformation. How have our worship, words, relationships, priorities, and choices changed? What sins do we now recognize and fight that we once excused? The Ten Commandments give us a clear way to begin.

Our Relationship with God

When Jesus was asked which commandment was greatest, He answered:

Matthew 22:37–38 — Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.

The first four commandments teach us how to love and honor God. As we go through each one, ask whether God is changing your worship, desires, speech, and priorities.

1. Thou Shalt Have No Other Gods Before Me

God alone deserves our worship and obedience. Anything we love, trust, fear, or obey more than God has taken a place that belongs to Him.

Before Christ: What held first place in my life?

Since Christ: How is God teaching me to put Him first?

A person may once have lived mainly for money, approval, pleasure, success, family, or personal comfort — whatever they trusted most to make life work. Christ takes that place. Instead of trusting those things first, the believer learns to seek God’s will, trust His care, and obey Him even when obedience is difficult.

2. Thou Shalt Not Make unto Thee Any Graven Image

This command forbade shaping images and worshiping them as God. Israel broke it directly at Mount Sinai:

Exodus 32:4 — And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

They shaped gold into a calf and called it the God who had saved them. The same danger remains without gold: we can shape God in our minds into whatever suits us, rather than worshiping Him as He has revealed Himself in Scripture.

Before Christ: What wrong ideas did I have about God?

Since Christ: How has Scripture corrected my understanding of Him?

We may have imagined that God did not care about sin, that good works could earn His favor, or that He existed mainly to make life easier. As we learn Scripture, we see His holiness, justice, mercy, authority, and grace more clearly. Our worship becomes shaped by who God truly is, not by what we prefer Him to be.

3. Thou Shalt Not Take the Name of the Lord Thy God in Vain

God’s name must be treated with reverence. This command includes the way we speak His name and the way we represent Him before others.

Before Christ: How did my words treat God and His name?

Since Christ: How is God changing my speech and witness?

Some used God’s name carelessly or as profanity. Others claimed to know God while living in a way that dishonored Him. The believer learns to speak about God with reverence and to remember that our conduct affects what others think about the Christ whose name we bear.

4. Remember the Sabbath Day, to Keep It Holy

God commanded Israel to stop their labor and set apart the seventh day:

Exodus 20:8–11 — Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

This command is about worship, not just rest. God rested on the seventh day at creation and set it apart as holy, and commanded Israel to imitate that rest — stopping their labor to give Him undivided time. The rest itself was an act of worship.

Before Christ: Did I set apart time to worship God, or did work and life crowd Him out?

Since Christ: How is God teaching me to rest in a way that honors Him, not just refreshes me?

A person may once have filled every day with work and activity, with no time set apart for God. A growing believer learns to stop laboring, gather faithfully with the church, and treat rest itself as worship.

Our Relationship with Others

Jesus continued:

Matthew 22:39–40 — And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

The final six commandments show how love for God changes our treatment of people. Our faith is being read in our homes, work, church, and community.

5. Honour Thy Father and Thy Mother

God commands us to honor the parents and authorities He has placed in our lives.

Before Christ: How did I respond to parents and rightful authority?

Since Christ: How is God teaching me respect, gratitude, and obedience?

Family relationships may be difficult, and honoring someone does not require approving of sin. Yet God changes rebellion, bitterness, pride, and ingratitude. He teaches us to speak respectfully, receive correction, show gratitude, and fulfill our responsibilities.

6. Thou Shalt Not Kill

Jesus taught that this command reaches the anger and hatred within the heart.

Matthew 5:21–22 — Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill… But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment.

Before Christ: How did I treat people who angered or hurt me?

Since Christ: How is God changing my anger, hatred, and willingness to forgive?

Transformation may be seen in a softer answer, a restrained temper, a willingness to confess wrong, or the difficult work of forgiveness. Jesus traced murder back to anger in the heart, so the believer learns to deal with anger before it grows into contempt, cruelty, or revenge.

7. Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery

God designed sex for marriage. Jesus taught that this command reaches further than the act itself — it reaches lust:

Matthew 5:27–28 — Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

Looking with lust is not a smaller sin. Jesus called it adultery of the heart.

Before Christ: Did I look at, think about, or pursue sex outside of what God commands?

Since Christ: How is God changing what I look at, think about, and do with my body?

Transformation may mean leaving sexual sin, rejecting pornography, ending an improper relationship, or guarding what we look at and think about. Purity means dealing honestly with lust, not just avoiding the act.

8. Thou Shalt Not Steal

God forbids taking what belongs to someone else, whether openly through theft or quietly through fraud. Paul told the Ephesians what repentance here looks like:

Ephesians 4:28 — Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.

Stealing includes padding a time card, cheating on taxes, or refusing to pay back money we owe.

Before Christ: Did I steal, cheat, or take more than I was owed — in small ways or large?

Since Christ: How is God teaching me to work honestly and pay back what I owe, instead of taking?

Transformation may mean returning what was taken, paying back a debt, or reporting income honestly. The believer learns to work honestly and give, not take.

9. Thou Shalt Not Bear False Witness

God requires truthfulness — lies damage trust and relationships. But truth alone is not the whole command: Paul told the Ephesians that truth and love must go together:

Ephesians 4:15 — But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ.

Speaking the truth in love means telling it for the other person’s good, not to control, embarrass, or win an argument.

Before Christ: How did I use lies, exaggeration, gossip, or silence — to protect myself, to get what I wanted, or to make myself look better than I was?

Since Christ: How is God teaching me to tell the truth in a way that builds someone up instead of tearing them down?

Transformation appears when we tell the truth even when it costs us, admit what we have done, refuse to spread gossip, and speak hard truths with kindness instead of cruelty. A truthful life gives weight to our Christian testimony.

10. Thou Shalt Not Covet

Coveting is the sinful desire for what belongs to someone else. It exposes discontent, envy, and selfishness within the heart.

Before Christ: What did I believe I needed in order to be satisfied?

Since Christ: How is God teaching me contentment and gratitude?

Coveting may involve another person’s possessions, position, marriage, success, appearance, or opportunities. God teaches us to thank Him for His provision, rejoice when others are blessed, and trust His wisdom in what He gives or withholds.

The Change Comes from Within

The Ten Commandments show us where our lives need to change. Galatians 5 shows the kind of change the Holy Spirit produces.

Paul first names what the flesh produces:

Galatians 5:19–21 — Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

Then he names what the Spirit produces instead:

Galatians 5:22–23 — But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

The Holy Spirit produces these qualities within believers. He teaches us to love, gives joy rooted in Christ, produces peace, strengthens patience, forms kindness and goodness, develops faithfulness and meekness, and teaches self-control.

Christians continue to struggle with sin. However, our relationship with sin has changed. The Spirit convicts us where we once made excuses. We confess our sin, seek forgiveness, resist temptation, and take steps to obey God. Sometimes growth is clear immediately. Sometimes we recognize it only by looking back across several years.

 

Reading the Difference

Because we are living letters, transformation becomes visible. Some changes can be seen by almost everyone. Others are known best by the people closest to us. A church acquaintance may not know how much our temper has changed, but our family will. A coworker may recognize greater honesty and patience. A longtime friend may notice that our speech, priorities, and choices are different.

If you were saved as a child, do not assume that you have no before-and-after story. Consider what God protected you from and what He taught you through your family and church. Look across the years and identify where He corrected selfishness, dishonesty, anger, pride, fear, impurity, or discontent.

Our stories will not all sound the same, but the same Holy Spirit is conforming every believer to the character of Christ.

Romans 8:29 — For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son.

Examine the Letter

Think honestly about the difference Christ has made:

We should thank God for real change, confess the sins that remain, and continue obeying Him. Every act of obedience, every sin confessed, and every relationship repaired gives further evidence of His work.

In Chapter 1, we asked whether what we say matches what people read in our lives. Now we can make the question more specific:

What changes can they read?

This Week

Use the Legacy Journal to record a few clear differences between your life before Christ and your life now. Choose the areas that best show what God has changed. Also record one area where the Holy Spirit is presently calling you to further repentance and obedience.

Coming Up

In the next chapter, we will learn how to put these pieces together and share our testimony: how God brought us to salvation, what we understood and believed, and what He has changed since then.