“And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, ‘Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.’” – Luke 19:8
This is what radical repentance looks like when someone becomes a new creation in Christ! Zacchaeus was a senior tax collector in Jericho. He was a hated collaborator with the Roman regime. He was an extortionist, using the power of the Roman army to take far more from people than he should have and keeping the extra for himself. His wealth was entirely built on injustice. He was greedy, thieving, and widely despised.
But when he met Jesus, Zacchaeus’ heart changed completely. When he turned his life over to Christ, the money that dominated his life lost its power. He recognized his many sins and repented. He vowed to right the wrongs he’d committed against others. He replaced greed with charity. That is what a life transformed by Jesus looks like.
We aren’t saved by what we do or promise to do for the Lord. We’re saved as a gift of His grace. However, if we’re saved, then Scripture says we become new creation. Our old sinful self died and we became new, righteous creation in Christ. For every believer, that should look like radical change. That should look like Zacchaeus, acknowledging our many sins, whatever they are, and repenting of them. We should ask God’s forgiveness, seek the forgiveness of people we’ve wronged, and turn away from them completely.
For Zacchaeus that looked like the determination to correct his many financial wrongdoings and use his ill-gotten money for good. What does it look like for you? Have you radically changed from the way you were before Jesus? Have you repented of your past sins and strongly rejected their ongoing influence in your life? Is there still some sinful temptation or indulgence you need to take to the cross of Jesus and leave there? Are you living in joyful freedom like Zacchaeus? Or are you still living more or less like you were before Jesus entered your life? #FollowJesus