Creamer column: Extreme Makeover

You are probably familiar with the popular television show Extreme Home Makeover. A family in need is selected and while their home is being demolished and reconstructed they are sent off to Disney World. In one week, with tons of volunteers, the incredible job is completed. Then the family is brought back for the reveal of their new home. While I am not a regular fan of the show, I have seen parts of it and it can be very touching.

Last Sunday the program was about a family in Lexington. The mother works at the middle school which feeds into the high school where I work. The husband also works for the school system, in the technology department. Because of their chosen careers, they live on a tight budget in the best of circumstances. When the wife was stricken with cancer; the cost of waging that battle drained the family resources, which made them candidates for the show.

There were some beautiful parts of their home as I saw it in the show. I especially loved the woodwork. You could feel the love that filled that home. However, the problems had grown because the family resources were used to fight cancer. Roof leaks, structural problems, and regular maintenance and repair all went without attention. Financial priorities had to focus on helping the wife and mother of three young girls fight cancer. I am sure they would appreciate your prayers.

In a spiritual sense there is a strong parallel for all of us. The harsh reality is that all of us have been stricken with the cancer of sin. Sin lives in each one of us. It invades the temple of our bodies and sucks the life and hope from our very soul. We are in need of a major spiritual miracle that will transform our lives.

Thank God, he has provided a way that each one of us can experience an extreme spiritual makeover. It's actually quite simple; we need to ask Jesus into our hearts. It took the death of God's son to clean the cancer of sin out of our lives. It's through his redemptive power that we can find the strength to conquer the sinful habits in our lives and actually change our ways. We can all change our ways for a little while, but given a little time we will return to our sinful ways without the power of God to change us.

The forgiveness we find in Jesus can also free us from the guilt of our sins. The forgiveness we find through faith in Jesus is complete. In fact, God takes it a step further. Once we confess and repent for our sins, God not only forgives us, but promises that he will forget our transgressions. That means while I can remember all the sinful things I have done, God has chosen to forget them. To God, I am completely sinless.

Through Jesus we have the extreme spiritual makeover that we need so we can have a relationship with God, which is a gift and a blessing. We now have access to the King of Kings and as sons and daughters we can begin to exercise our royal authority. Through the power of prayer we can change circumstances and people's lives because we have access to the Father.

I believe God wants us to share this incredibly good news with others who need to hear it. Through faith in Christ we have found forgiveness. That good news can help others experience extreme spiritual makeovers. While there will always be natural consequences for sin, it's amazing to know that God has forgiven us. That power can transform the worst of sinners into the sons and daughters of God.

I want to encourage you to consider who you know that needs an extreme spiritual makeover and be willing to share the good news with them. Remember this is not a message that needs to shoved down someone's throat, but one that people are hungry to hear. Share it gently, with love, just as Jesus did. If you are lucky you will get to witness the reveal of an extreme spiritual makeover. We are the light and hope of the world, open your heart to share it with others.

ContactDoug Creamer at doug@dougcreamer.com.