In A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens depicts the cruel, greedy miser, Ebenezer Scrooge, and his transformation through the visits of four ghosts into a generous man who loves to celebrate Christmas. There are four steps to Scrooge's transformation, which mirrors the process of becoming a Christian.
The first part, the exposition of A Christmas Carol and of every human's life, is sin. Dickens vividly describes Scrooge's selfish, greedy character. He is cold and cruel and mean. "Humbug" is his view of Christmas, and if the poor people of London die, Scrooge thinks that is good because it will "decrease the surplus population." However, all humans have a terrible track record. Isaiah 64:6 and Romans 3:23 clearly show that no one is free of sin. Unfortunately, just like Scrooge, many people don't realize how bad they are.
This is where the next part of A Christmas Carol enters the scene. This is regret, a conviction of sin, a deep sorrow, and it is the first step to becoming a new person. Through the visions that Marley and the three Ghosts of Christmas show Scrooge, he realizes how much he has hurt people and how much happiness others have that he is missing out on. In the same way that Scrooge regrets his past actions, all people must come to an understanding of how terrible their sin is. The key is to not fall into self-pity, but that regret and conviction should lead to change. 2 Corinthians 7:10 says, "For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death."
As 2 Corinthians 7:10 says, conviction of sin leads to repentance, which is a complete 180 degree turn from sin to a new life of following Christ. This is shown clearly in Ezekiel 18:21, which says "But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die." This full turn from sin is clearly shown by Scrooge when he says "I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the past, the present, and the future. The Spirits of all three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach."
Finally, Scrooge is transformed into a happy, benevolent man who loves Christmas. A Christmas Carol ends with these words: "and it was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge. May that be truly said of us, and all of us! And so, as Tiny Tim observed, God bless Us, Every One!" This remarkable transformation brings Dicken's story to a great closing, but it also represents the transformation that takes place in a person's life when they become a Christian by believing in Jesus' sacrifice and repenting in their sins. 2 Corinthians 7:11 says "For observe this very thing, that you sorrowed in a godly manner: what diligence it produced in you, what clearing of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what vehement desire, what zeal, what vindication! In all things you proved yourselves to be clear in this matter." Just as Scrooge's regret and repentance transformed him, so anyone who is convicted of their sin and repents will be transformed, becoming more like Christ.
The two biggest differences between the transformation of Scrooge and the salvation of a human are the manner and the time frame. The manner of Scrooge's transformation was through himself. He changed his attitude and therefore his actions to become a better person. When someone becomes a Christian, it is through the power of God, and it is a transformation from hating Him to loving Him. The second difference, the time frame, is very important. Scrooge woke up on Christmas morning a completely different person than he'd been the night before. Christians, however, must battle against the temptations of sin their whole life. They are always transforming, always improving, always becoming more like Christ. It's not instant. Christians must always strive to worship God. That is the process of sanctification.
A Christmas Carol is such a profound story for many reasons. It truly is a classic, and it clearly illustrates the most important plotline of all: we are sinners, and we need a savior!
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