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The Change That True Salvation Brings

The Change That True Salvation Brings

(2 Cor 5:17-18) Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. -18. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; Our subject today is: The Change That True Salvation Brings - We will study the evidences of salvation by which you can know that your are saved. You can know that there has been a change when your sins have been forgiven. Not only do you have a freedom from the burden and guilt of sin but there are new desires, new hopes, and holy direction in your life. You feel different. You act different. You dress different. You are different because you are a new creature.

Our text describes the experience of becoming a Christian. You become a new creature as Jesus explained to Nicodemus, (John 3:7) Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The change, the transformation that takes place by accepting Jesus as Lord is like making you over again. You become a new person with new desires and new direction for your life. You don't just put on a new face or a new mask but your feelings are changed from within you. This is to be born again! When you confess, repent of, and forsake your sin, God forgives you and makes you a new person, clean and holy inside. You feel the cleanness from sin and the exhilaration of the peace of God knowing that you have made peace with the master of the universe.

Now that you are a new creature our text says that old things pass away and all things become new. What that means is that you take on a set of new desires and in so doing your old desires fade away. For example: as a sinner you may not have gone to church, studied your Bible, or spent any time in prayer. And now you repent of your sins and begin to attend worship services, study your Bible, and pray. That is a whole set of new behaviors that take up the time that you used to spend doing other things. This is only a basic change as all other aspects of your life change also. You will consider things with a different view. You now look at things as what is best for me as a Christian and what is best for me to do to help others? These changes do not all come about in an instant but rather over time as you grow in the Lord. Your decision to repent can happen in an instant, but the process of growing in the Lord in a life long process. As a child has many things to learn and learns most of it within a few years so does the new Christian have much to learn and will learn a lot within a few years.

Let us now study thru some of the Bible instructions on how you grow in the Lord. We begin with a study of Eph. 4:1-32: (Eph 4) I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, (As a Christian, you are called to a different vocation - that is to work for the Lord and as such you should take into your account your need to walk (live) worthy of your Lord. This implies that a consideration is given to your Lord in all that you do) -2. With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; -3. Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. (The Bible here is giving you good instruction on maintaining relationships with others. The instruction is to endeavor - to put forth effort, to be forgiving, to forbear, to suffer wrong, to remember that God loved you and forgave you and therefore you ought to forgive others their trespasses against you) -4. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; -5. One Lord, one faith, one baptism, -6. One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. -7. But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. -8. Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. -9. (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? -10. He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.) -11. And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; -12. For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: (Here the writer tells us the purpose of having preachers, teachers, and workers in the church. That purpose is to edify or build up the church and to perfect the saints. Now you might think that saints are already perfect and may not realize that they need perfection. Well, the Bible says that they need perfected. After all saints are human beings and as humans they all need improvement. The work therefore of all ministers is to edify the saints. You should consider all your thoughts, actions, and desires in the light of this understanding to edify the people of God. Anything that does not edify the people of God should be avoided). -13. Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: -14. That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; -15. But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: (Here the writer is encouraging you to grow up into him in all things so that you will not be carried away with beliefs that are not sound. To do this you need to study and understand the Bible. It is difficult to teach you contrary doctrines when you know what the Bibles says. A very important element in growing up in Christ is to learn what the Bible teaches. Beware of teachings which do not emphasize an understanding of God's Word. Study God's Word on a continual basis in order to grasp a true understanding of it. You cannot learn too much of God's Word). -16. From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. -17. This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, (Here the writer is telling you that your life style needs to be different from the sinner. Other Gentiles refers to those that are not God's children. Your Lord expects you to put forth the effort to live a godly, righteous life refusing evil and choosing good). -18. Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: -19. Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. (This statement shows you how those that continue in sin have missed the light of understanding and are in fact blinded being alienated from God. There are those that try to teach us that Christians have to sin and are therefore no different that any one else. The Bible says that those that continue to work uncleanness are blind in their hearts. You are to live not like them but like one that has understanding of the Lord and His requirements). -20. But ye have not so learned Christ; -21. If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: -22. That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; -23. And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; -24. And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. (If you have heard him, if you have been taught by him, then you put off the former life style of sin and you put on the new life style which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Now why did he say true holiness? Does that mean that there is a holiness that is not true? Yes, it does. A holiness that continues to sin is not a true holiness. Your Lord wants you to put on true holiness). (Now He gives you some specific steps to take:) -25. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. -26. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: -27. Neither give place to the devil. (Or in other words, don't allow the devil any place to work in you. He will worm his way in enough without you giving him place to do his dirty work. So be on guard and watch for him to try to use you to promote sin instead of to promote righteousness). -28. Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. (Giving is one of the very fundamental aspects of being a Christian. Your Lord expects that you will as a Christian be able to identify the needy and that you will give to those that have need). -29. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. (Your manner of talking is to change and you are to edify and encourage and help others by the things that you say. All this in a world that likes to tear down, discourage, and batter others). -30. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. (The expression grieve not the holy Spirit means that you develop a sensitivity to the divine direction of the holy Spirit and that you pay attention to what he is telling you. To continually override the pleadings of the holy Spirit is to grieve him. Remember he is a holy Spirit and not just a spirit. A Holy Sprit is a spirit that instills true holiness in the believer). -31. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: (This is a list of some old things that ought to pass away. Bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking are to be put away. Take that list and think on it; read it over and over again; think of how you can put those things away from you). -32. And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. And so you can see that the process of old things passing away and all things becoming new depends upon you doing some things. As you study and learn of your Lord, and as you put into practice those things that you learn, your feeling within you will change. You will find that things that you once loved, you come to hate, and things that you once hated you now love.

(1 John 3:14) We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. You will know that you are saved because your live for your brethren has taken hold.

(Mat 5:16-48) Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. -17. Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to Fulfil. -18. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. -19. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. -20. For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. -21. Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: -22. But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. -23. Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; -24. Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. -25. Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. -26. Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing. -27. Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: -28. But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. -29. And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. -30. And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. -31. It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: -32. But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery. -33. Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: -34. But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne: -35. Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. -36. Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. -37. But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil. -38. Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: -39. But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. -40. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also. -41. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. -42. Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away. -43. Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. -44. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; -45. That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. -46. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? -47. And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? -48. Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

(2 Cor 5:17-18) Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. -18. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; The Change That True Salvation Brings - We have studied the evidences of salvation by which you can know that your are saved. You can know that there has been a change when your sins have been forgiven. Not only do you have a freedom from the burden and guilt of sin but there are new desires, new hopes, and holy direction in your life. You feel different. You act different. You dress different. You are different because you are a new creature. Have you truely been born again? Have you become a new creature in Christ? If not, then why not today? Jesus is waiting and His power is available to forgive you and transform you into a new creature - a Christian!