Genuine Replacement Parts

It was during a conversation this afternoon that I was reminded of one of those profoundly simply, yet potentially life-changing ideas. We were talking about the transformation that God desires for His children when we respond to the gospel. Since we are new creations in Christ, our lives should change.

The person seated just two chairs to my right said, "I think much of the problem is that we see spiritual growth as addition when, in most cases it is replacement." I think part of what caught me was that my mind had already raced ahead to finish his sentence with a fitting metaphor. That is, my mind figured he was going to continue the math idea. (subtraction) I think that (and the work of the Holy Spirit) is why I heard him so distinctly. I'm still chewing on this, but I realized when he said it that that is exactly how I look at growth in my spiritual life. "What do I need to add?" More Bible reading, more praying, more witnessing, more ... By simply adding, I can, in theory, keep what I already have. I just add to it.

Maybe its me, but I think I find it easier to add than to replace. In other words, there is a part of me that finds satisfaction, dare I say pride, in adding to what I do. Replacement means I have to first die to something. I have to give it up. I have to surrender. Then I can replace it with what God had in mind. In adding, I don't have to subtract first. In replacing, I do.

There is certainly a place for adding. In his second letter, Peter tells his readers to add to their faith certain characteristics. But the most common theme is that of dying to the old way of doing things and only then, adding. This is the imagery of "putting off and putting on." Subtracting before you add. God's new math.