Zaccheus stopped and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, half of my possessions I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will give back four times as much.” And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

                                                                                                     Luke 19:8-10 

Today: Read Luke 19

When I was a child I remember singing the song about Zaccheus. Something about “a wee little man and a wee little man was he.” I remember that Zaccheus was short. That’s why he had to climb up in a tree to get a look at Jesus. That was my childhood recollection. But as an adult, I now understand the implication of Jesus going to Zaccheus’ house that day. As Christ entered that home, it would be changed forever. That’s the way it is when we receive the gift of salvation by faith. The Spirit of God, which is the Spirit of Christ, comes to dwell in the home of our hearts and from that point on we are changed forever.

Zaccheus was a tax collector. By extension we can assume that he probably cheated people out of their money for his own personal gain. I’m sure that life was a lucrative one but sitting in the presence of Jesus changed Zaccheus’ heart. He viewed his life in a way that he had probably never considered before. Maybe he thought that since he had lived in such a dishonest manner that Jesus would be disinterested in him. Perhaps he justified his methods in his own mind, making it more comfortable to live with himself in the midst of his immoral activity. Whatever it was, he changed. He suddenly realized all of the harm that he had caused and that corruption for the sake of material gain was just not worth it. Listen to his words as he makes a commitment to make things right:

“Behold, Lord, half of my possessions I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will give back four times as much.”

The change that had come into his heart was now being lived out in Zaccheus’ attitude and desire to do the right thing. This is where it gets interesting. Jesus makes an announcement that we do not want to miss: 

“Today salvation has come to this house…”

Salvation? Jesus didn’t say, “I’m glad you’re going to make some changes Zaccheus.” He didn’t say, “I’m glad that you are determined to be a better person than you have been.” Jesus said that salvation had come to the house. Zaccheus was saved. He was born again. And this spiritual transformation brought about a change in his heart, his attitude, and his entire outlook on life. His willingness to change his behavior was the evidence of his change of heart.

When we talk about the gospel, we are not just talking about receiving eternal life (although that is the reality for every believer). When we preach the gospel we are pointing people to Jesus, the only One who can change the human heart. And when we receive salvation by faith in Christ, our hearts, our attitudes, and our entire outlook on life changes. To say that we are saved and to continue to live like the rest of the world most likely indicates one of two things. It might mean that we really have not encountered Jesus. Perhaps we are religious but not saved. A saving relationship with Christ doesn’t make us perfect (in the flesh), but it does have a profound effect on our lives and the way in which we live.

But perhaps we made a commitment to God at one point in our lives but have failed to grow in that relationship. Just like a married couple that stops speaking to one another, we can find our love for God growing cold if we are not making time spent with Him our top priority. The married couple is still married just not enjoying the relationship that they had in the beginning. As we walk down the road of life, we should understand that growing in our faith requires time spent with God. When we stray from His leading and His Word, we can find ourselves compromising in areas we never thought possible. One decision leads to the next and before we know it, we are far from where we once began with Christ.

Like Zaccheus, at the point of salvation, our lives should radically change. We no longer desire the things of the world but begin to desire the things of God. Again, perfection will only be completely known when we enter eternity but while we are still here, we should be in process. What changes do you need to make today that are in line with salvation? Just remember, it is Spirit that gives us the ability to successfully make those changes. Truly, “the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Call on Him today!