Sunday April 19, 2026Sunday April 19, 2026
Lance Johnson Ministries
When you give your life to Christ, something incredible happens. You’re not just reborn, you’re made new in Jesus. And in that miracle, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within you. It’s the Holy Spirit who gives you the power to break addictions, the
29:30•19 Apr 2026
Made New: Bishop Lance Johnson on True Transformation and Freedom from Addiction
Episode Overview
- True salvation is shown by visible transformation in nature, habits, and behaviour.
- The Holy Spirit provides the power to break addictions and live differently, beyond mere forgiveness.
- Responding to God’s invitation means putting on Christ, not just attending church or repeating a prayer.
- Persistent, fervent prayer for the lost and addicted aligns with God’s will and is not to be abandoned.
- Institutional religion without the presence and power of the Holy Spirit leaves people stuck in secret sin.
“Salvation without transformation is not salvation.”
How do people find strength in their journey to sobriety? This Sunday message from Bishop Lance Johnson leans hard into that question, tying freedom from addiction directly to a deep, lived relationship with Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Speaking from Matthew 22, Lance uses the parable of the wedding banquet to challenge the idea that faith is just about turning up at church or saying a prayer.
He points out that the king provided a wedding garment for every guest, and links that garment to "putting on Christ" – a complete change of nature, mindset, and behaviour. As he bluntly states, "Salvation without transformation is not salvation." For anyone wrestling with alcohol, drugs, pornography, or other destructive habits, this message insists that real change is possible through the Holy Spirit.
Lance contrasts religious routine with genuine spiritual rebirth, stressing that the blood of Jesus brings forgiveness, while "the Holy Spirit provides transformation" and "the power and ability for your nature to be changed." The focus isn’t on filling pews, but on lives being remade so that people "bear his image" in day-to-day life.
You’ll hear strong encouragement not to give up praying for addicted family members and friends, with Lance reminding the church that "it is God's will to save your family" and that "there's not an addict he can't deliver." He also challenges those who identify as Christian yet feel stuck in secret cycles of self-destruction, urging them to move beyond mere confession into ongoing conversion — putting off the old self and putting on the new.
If you’re tired of religion that leaves you unchanged, or you’re desperate to see transformation in your own life or someone you love, this sermon might prompt a serious question: are you just at the banquet, or have you truly put on the garment?
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