Salvation is not a static, one-time event. Rather, it is the ongoing experience of transformation at the soul level by God’s Divine Love into divine nature. Using the Old Testament reference to the coming bestowal of the Divine Love, we are speaking about a new heart – a “heart transplant” or heart transformation. Theologian John Wesley described this dimension of God’s grace as sanctification or holiness.
This chapter compares the natural and transformed states, discusses biblical analogies of the transformation, explores what we can do to aid the transformation, and describes the manifestations of Divine Love in our lives.
The Bible contrasts where we came from before conversion and where are we going as the Divine Love begins working in our hearts and souls. While we are not to judge and condemn others, we are encouraged to discern. In fact, Scripture advises us to watch the company we keep, as corrupt behaviour in others does rub off, and we are warned to be on guard (1 Corinthians 15:33; Proverbs 22:24-25). We are told in Matthew 7:16-18 that: “By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good