• Change is hard. Read Jeremiah 13:23; 22:21 – what is Jeremiah referring to? Wrong interpretation: referring to sinful nature with which men are born. However, Calvin insists that it should be understood as a description of “the habit that is contracted by long practice.” Jeremiah makes the point elsewhere in Jeremiah 22:21.
• Change is a cooperative act (Phil 2:12-13; 1 Thes 5:23). It’s passive where Christians depend on God to sanctify them (Romans 6:13) but it’s also active, in that Christians strive to obey God (Romans 8:13; Heb 12:14; 1 Thes 4:3).
• Change is patterned after Jesus (Heb 12:2; 1 Peter 2:21).
• Change has already been earned. Jesus has earned our sanctification (1 Cor 1:30).
• Change is a two-factored process (Eph 4:17-32). Ephesians 4 refers to putting off and putting on
• Change is necessary (Hebrews 12:14).

Most of us want instantaneous change but in what areas do we see this bear out (apart from the instantaneous change that takes place when we come to Jesus, where we’re purified/washed from our sins as we obeyed the gospel message – 1 Peter 1:22-23). That being said, I hope that the above-mentioned statements on change foster a deeper love and appreciation for what Jesus has already done for us and also gives you a more realistic understanding of the ins-and-outs of biblical change.