One might wonder – and does well to – “Why aren’t Christians changing?” Why isn’t the radical life-change that Jesus commands taking root in our ordinary lives? There are many ideas circulating as to why change is lacking: perhaps we do not desire it, but yet there are many who do desire the change but are unable to grasp it; perhaps we do not know how to go about the change, and certainly this is an admirable reason, not unlike being stuck in the ocean beside a raft with no idea how to get on. These play a part, no doubt, but it can be said that if we desire it strongly enough and we are determined enough, we can discover the ‘how’ behind it all, and eventually will climb into the raft. It is not my belief that the reason we do not change is because we do not desire nor because we do not know how; not primarily, at least. I believe the key reason behind the failure for the majority of Christians to be so ‘unlike Christ’ lies in our intent.

William Law writes, “…If you will here stop and ask yourselves why you are not as pious as the primitive Christians were, your own heart will tell you that it is neither through ignorance nor inability, but purely because you never thoroughly intended it… [T]he reason why you see no real mortification or self-denial, no eminent charity, no profound humility, no heavenly affection, no true contempt of the world, no Christian meekness, no sincere zeal, no eminent piety in the common lives of Christians, is this: because they do not so much as intend to be exact and exemplary in these virtues.”

I have sat around with Christian friends and we have discussed what it means to be a ‘new creation.’ We have talked about ‘putting on the character of Christ’ and ‘loving one another as we love God.’ And after giving a discourse and enjoying discussion on what it means to ‘love thy neighbor,’ we have stood, and I have beheld with a dropping heart and immense sorrow those who were so adamant and involved in the discourse and discussion, cutting others down and mocking one another in malicious intent. I have seen many such things, such hypocrisy to the nth degree, and I do not believe I must go on to convince you that it is in the lack of intent that the reason for true change occurs. Even if we know all the right answers and we know what it means to change, if we do not intend for that to be a reality in our own lives, nothing will happen. It is God’s gift of free will.