Spiritual transformation in Christian preaching refers to the profound renewal and purification of the believer's inner life, often likened to cleansing waters or the molding of the soul's character. Illustrations frequently use images of rivers, fountains, or assimilation to convey how focusing on God brings about a godlike change (Romans 12:2; 2 Corinthians 3:18).
The Jordan River's cleansing effect illustrates spiritual purification and renewal.
The Jordan flows into the Lake of Gennesaret muddy and dark-colored, but precipitates its impurities, and flows from it clear and pure.
The soul takes on the character of what it focuses on, becoming godlike by focusing on God.
The soul is always stamped with the same characters as are engraven upon the end it aims at; and while it converses with it, and sets itself before it, "it is turned as wax to the seal," to use that phrase in Job. Man's soul conceives all its thoughts and imaginations before his ends, as Laban's ewes did their young before the rods in the watering-troughs. He that pursues any worldly interest or earthly thing as his end becomes himself also "earthly;" and, the more the soul directs itself to God, the more it becomes godlike, deriving a print of that glory and beauty upon itself with which it converseth.
— John Smith
Sunday school changed a neighborhood's Sabbath from worldly songs to psalms and hymns.
The teachers in a New England Sabbath school, in 1830, were fully convinced of the good influence their school had exerted on the population with whom they labored. Before its establishment, and even some time afterwards, it was no uncommon thing to hear songs and dancing tunes on Sabbath mornings, in the street where the school is located; but during the year then closed, it was not remembered that one instance had occurred; but, on the contrary, they were often heard singing psalms and hymns.
A Sunday school replaced a dancing school, leading children to Bible reading and hymn singing.
The Sunday school at Sheriff Hill, Newcastle, was established in the year 1813, and the circumstances attending its establishment were rather singular. A dancing school had, at that time, been opened there, and many seemed desirous of attending it. Some Christian colliers conversing on the subject, down in the pit, and endeavoring to devise some means for stopping the progress of iniquity, it occurred to one of them, that the most effectual way would be to begin a Sunday school. When they came up from the pit, they spoke to one of the agents of the colliery, who expressed himself favorable to the undertaking, and very handsomely gave them permission to teach in the very room where the dancing was taught. They went home full of gratitude to the Lord, who had so far opened a way for them. They next canvassed the whole village, taking down the names of such children as wished to come: sixty-five agreed to attend. They had, however, neither books nor forms for the school; but the Lord raised up a kind friend, who supplied them with both. The school was then opened, and was soon filled. The dancing was laid aside, and the children were employed in reading their Bibles and singing hymns.
# 391. In Counteracting and Removing Infidelity.
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