How Jesus Removes Our Old Self and Makes Us Like Him

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Psalm 51:10

I’m sure you’ve heard of erosion before, probably in science class.

In case you’ve forgotten, let me explain.

Rocks are naturally broken down and moved through weathering and erosion.

Weathering happens first and breaks down the rocks. One way rocks can be weathered is with water. Water is the only substance that expands when it freezes. If water gets into rocks and freezes, it will expand inside the rock and break the rock down.

After the rock is broken down, erosion happens. This is when the parts of the rock that have been broken off are washed away. This is also done by water–living, or moving, water.

One more thing: weathering and erosion take time. Rocks aren’t broken down and removed overnight. It could take a huge rock many years for it to be broken down noticeably.

That is a short explanation of weathering and erosion. But why in the world did I bring that topic up?

You see, the hearts of people are often compared to things like soil or rock in the Bible. In the parable of the sower (Matthew 13:1-9), the seeds only took root in the soft, fertile soil. When the seeds were thrown on rocky soil, pavement, or thorns, the Word couldn’t take root.

The soil of your heart must be soft if you have believed the good news and become a Christian–the Word has taken root in you. But even the soft soil of a Christian heart can feel rocky to us sometimes because we still see the sin we struggle with.

I, after several years of being a Christian, still feel like parts of my heart are hard. Even if I know my heart can’t be hard, because then I wouldn’t be a Christian.

But back to weathering and erosion.

Isn’t it cool how weathering and erosion are done primarily by water? And how Jesus is the Living Water?

If rocks are broken down by water inside of them, they must be close water to undergo that type of weathering.

If the sinfulness still in us is like a rock in nature, then we must be close to the Living Water for the rock to be broken down and chipped away.

I bet that weathering and erosion would hurt a lot if the rocks were living. Maybe the rocks would be hostile to it at first—who would like to have parts of themselves chipped away?

When Jesus sanctifies us by breaking away our old self from our new self, it is bound to hurt.

We should be prepared for the hurt. For the trials that feel difficult but soften us in the long run. We should hold on tightly to God when we are going through trials.

It will be hard to let the sinful parts of us get chipped away. Maybe we desire to let them go, but that doesn't mean it will be painless.

Weathering breaks down rocks. And just as weathering is done by water, erosion requires water. Living, or moving water--because there’s no way the particles of rocks that were chipped off could be moved away by still water.

The Living Water can move the obsolete, rocky parts of us that have been chipped off away just like water moves those pieces away from rocks.

But just like weathering and erosion take time, Jesus making us more like Him will take time. We have to be patient. However, we can rest in the fact that eventually, all of the rocky bits of our old self will be gone and we will be like Jesus—conformed to His image when He comes back and we go to Heaven with Him.

Do you struggle with parts of your old self that still cling? We are made new by Jesus, but it may take more time to get out of old habits or sin.

Draw near to the Living Water so that He can chip those parts of you away and you can be like Him–like God.

Jesus making us more like Him is called sanctification. And sanctification brings me hope.