Technology for life change
Romans 6:1-13 (KJV)
[What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?] 2[God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?] 3[Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?] 4[Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.] 5[For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also ] in the likeness[ of ] his[ resurrection:] 6[Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with ] him[, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.] 7[For he that is dead is freed from sin.] 8[Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:] 9[Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.] 10[For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.] 11[Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.] 12[Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.] 13[Neither yield ye your members ] as[ instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members ] as[ instruments of righteousness unto God.]
Our text is a long one. But it is important to get the full context of what Paul is discussing. Paul is here talking about how to experience change in the area of living a life of victory over sin and that is the primary focus of my message today but as we will see, that same process can be used to create real change in every area of our life.
Proverbs 4:18-19 (KJV) says
18But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. 19[The way of the wicked ] is[ as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.]
God's plan for the Christian life is of that which continually changes and increase. It is the wicked that stumbles through life never knowing where they are going or how they will get there.
When we get stuck in a rut and are not making progress, there's is usually a gap in either our knowledge or our actions. Change isn't automatic because you attend church. There are a set of specific things you must know and do to experience a life of ever increasing glory.
Before we delve into the text, let me quickly outline the process that Paul describes here
1. There is something to know.
Romans 6:6 (KJV)
6[Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with ] him[, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.]
2. There is a believing to arrive at based on what you know, a conviction to stand on.
Romans 6:8 (KJV)
8Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:
3. There is a negative job of resistance
Romans 6:12-13 (KJV)
12[Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.] 13[Neither yield ye your members ] as[ instruments of unrighteousness unto sin:
And finally
4. There is a positive action of yielding or pursuing righteousness
.....but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members ] as[ instruments of righteousness unto God.]
First thing to note: transformation is an inside job. God's method is not to take people out of poverty, he takes poverty out of people. He takes foolishness out of people, he takes failure out of people.
There you have it. Change begins with knowledge, the knowledge must produce faith or a conviction, the conviction must lead to the exercise of the will in resisting evil and in pursuing the right. The first two parts of these process we can describe as the generation of potential energy. The second part is when we engage the gear and the stationary vehicle with a lot of power under the hood gains kinetic energy.
1. REVELATION
One of the most powerful truths in the bible is the " behold and become" principle. All change begins with a revelation. If you can see it you can become it. Began with Abraham. Jacob used it with animals. Elisha got a double portion through this principle and we are changed into the image of The Lord as we behold his glory.
2 Corinthians 3:17-18 (KJV)
17[Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord ] is[, there ] is[ liberty.] 18But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
It is absolutely impossible for anyone to experience personal transformation who doesn't spend time in the word. It just cannot happen. The speed and extent of the change you will experience in your life is directly proportional to the time you spend in the word.
Without controversy, you become what you spend the most of your time in.
Knowledge must become experience. Knowledge becomes experience in the place of prayer. The things we have heard and touched
1 John 1:1 (KJV)
[That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;]
Eph 4:19-22. Sin and every evil thrives in darkness. The place to start when seeking transformation is to bombard your heart and soul with truth.
How does the word of Change us?
1. It shows us clearly what our potentials are, what God intends for us to be and paints pictures in our minds of God's will, plans and desires for us. The pictures we have in our hearts control our lives.
2. It builds in us desire to counter the evil desires of our flesh.
3. The word of God builds faith and courage in our hearts for change
4. The word of God shows us how, it equips us with the skill for change
2. FAITH
Another word for faith is CONVICTION.
Revelation is the source of conviction. Conviction is the source of all wholehearted actions which leads to the release of power. The word of God which you do is the one you have been convicted in.
Example, why do people engage in sexual immorality? Because they are seeking satisfaction, delight and intimacy. This is the universal need of all humans. Those who engage in adultery somehow believe they will find satisfaction for their souls in it. But this never happens. The day you get a conviction that you will never get what you want from a particular source, you will stop going there. The problem is, immorality gives you just enough satisfaction to keep up the deception.
This is how the devil traps people. when you gamble, you win every now and then, it gives you the idea that somehow you're going to get lucky and make it big. this blinds you to the fact that you've already lost more than you've won.
So, in spite of having been disappointed over and over again, people keep going back to it. How will they ever be free, they need a revelation of the truth that " true satisfaction is in God and God alone.
Conviction creates in us the courage to act.
Many times people struggle with change because they have not truly repented. True repentance is a product of true conviction. Being caught for example doesn't change the heart. Even catching an std doesn't change the heart. The repentance derived from being caught is sorrow over the result of the sin and not the sin itself. True repentance can only come from the conviction of the Holy Spirit. Let me apply this to one issue in which many have a challenge today- sexual immorality.
The exercise of will power cannot produce a real and sustainable deliverance from sexual sins. But there are certain convictions which if a man was to really come to them, he will walk away from the sin.
Convictions that set free from sexual sins
1. 1 John 3:8-9. Living in sin puts a big question mark on the genuineness of your salvation.
2. Eph 5:5. The conviction of the grave eternal consequence
3. 1 Cor 6:19-20
The conviction of the ownership of Christ of our bodies. Sometimes, you truly fall in love. Sometimes you truly find satisfaction and joy in the illicit relationship. This kind of situation is what makes people sing, how can it be wrong when it feels so right? Well, in this instance, walking in holiness is understanding who truly owns your body. It might feel good, you may even feel you have a right to it and that you deserve it, the problem is , your body isn't yours to do use as you please, you've been bought with a price. A person can work hard, really work hard and by virtue of what the person contributes to an organisation he can deserve and have the right to have a car. But he can't just wake up one morning and take a car from the company's garage. The car doesn't belong to him. He would be charged for stealing. There are many adulterers who would never consider stealing. but adultery is exactly that. it is stealing God's property. Adultery is stealing God's property, it is unauthorised use of your body which belongs to God. Do you have a conviction of this? You can have a conviction of it if you begin to take that scripture and prayerfully meditate on it and ask God to give you a revelation of it.
4. Whatsoever a man sows that he will reap. Sin will destroy your body, it will destroy your conscience, relationships, marriage, ministry. There are consequences which you think you can deal with now but which you will regret later. Secrecy is a delusion. Sin always gets found out.
3. HOW IS FAITH BUILT UP?
We've already talked about the place of the word. The word becomes a conviction when we experience it. We can experience God in the place of prayer.
Faith is built in the place of prayer. Prayer exposes us to God leading to encounters and experiences which turn the letter of the word into deep revelation.
To change we must believe the truth in God's word. We must believe the truth about:
1. God's desire for our lives being Christlikeness
2. What the word reveals concerning the consequences of obedience and disobedience
3. What God has done for us in Christ
4. The reality of the Holy Spirit power in us today
Without a revelation and faith in these truths becoming like Christ and changing into the divine nature will be impossible.
Faith is a combination of word and spirit. You may believe something at an emotional level but not feel it deep within you. Prayer brings that depth into what you believe. Prayer in a sense digests the word into our spirits.
The first two actions build in our spirit potential energy but change requires that the potential energy is turned into kinetic energy and the lever for doing that is the human will.
With prayer and the word, our wills are no longer bound and we can make different choices. Without prayer and the word, people try to make choices but end up failing.
The bible says, it is God who works in us both to will and to do according to his good pleasure. Therefore, change happens not as a result of will power but because the Holy Spirit infuses into us the will and the power to change.
But with the Holy Spirit power deposited in us, we still need to exercise our will to make different choices. There are two ways we must exercise our wills. Both must go together. If you do one and not the other you will have serious problems.
Many Christians behave like the man sitting inside a powerful car. He puts his leg on the accelerator and revs it, the car makes a lot of noise but it doesn't leave where it is. Why? Because he doesn't put the car in gear. The guy sits on a massive force of torque but complains that he's not moving, he complains nothing is changing. He's praying, he's reading his bible, he comes to church, he hears the word but nothing changes in his life. Why? He hasn't engaged his will.
Passively praying and reading your bible wont change your life. You must decide to act. You must decide to move your life in the direction the bible says. If you read about prosperity, you have to decide, this is for me. I'm going for this and begin to consciously do and practice the things you're learning. A force isn't going to come and move you automatically. Change depends on your choice.
As a Christian who wants change, if you've been spending time in the word and praying, understand that a mighty power and force is within, but you must release that energy in two distinct directions:
1. Resist the natural tendencies that lead to destruction ( DYING TO SELF)
The negative is what is natural to you. It will be appealing to you but if you have done the first two, you now have the power to say no. But you still have to say no, which means you will still be tempted. Why is it sometimes difficult to say no?
1. Because we’ve had our defects so long.
Some of our destructive patterns were developed in childhood, perhaps in resistance to a pain or as a stress coping devise. These defects may be self-defeating, but at least they’re familiar!
2. Because we identify with our defects.
We often confuse our identity with our defects. When you see yourself connected to your defect, you set yourself up to perpetuate it.
3. Because our defects have a payoff.
Whatever is rewarded gets repeated. the payoff for the defects you have in your life may be to mask your pain, cover up a fear, give you an excuse to fail, or compensate for guilt.
4. Because Satan discourages us.
Once you start to work on something in your life that you want to change, Satan starts saying, “Who do you think you are? You’re never going to change. You haven’t been able to change in the past. Do you think you’re going to be able to change now? It’s hopeless. It’s not going to work.” Those fears are being planted in your mind by the Devil himself.
These things keep us from changing the hurts, habits, and hang-ups that we know are unhealthy.
Lust is the source of all corruption. lust is desire that kills. lust is a strong desire for something outside God's will. The battle for change is a battle of desires. Ultimately, change happens when your desire for God's will overcomes your lust for other things. This is why it's crucially important to feed on God's word until it produces a strong desire in you.
NATURAL TENDENCIES TO RESIST
1. We have a natural tendency to avoid pain and move in the direction of pleasure.
2. We have a natural tendency to avoid difficulty and move in the direction of least resistance
3. We have a natural tendency to avoid change and stay with what is familiar
4. We have a natural tendency to lash out at people and get even when they hurt us instead of being gracious
5. We have a natural tendency to blame others and circumstance rather than take responsibility for our lives.
6. We have a natural tendency to feel sorry for ourselves when things go wrong rather than ask critical questions on how to create change.
7. We have a natural tendency to want instant gratification rather than delay gratification.
Think about it: what are the natural tendencies in your life that are limiting your capacity to become who God wants you to be?
4. Pursue the unnatural direction that leads to life. ( YIELDING TO THE SPIRIT)
With the right revelation, the right belief and resisting evil we may still not be like Christ if we don't pursue righteousness. To perfect our new nature in Christ requires not just a passive resistance of the works of evil but the active pursuit of righteousness and good works. When someone does us evil, the bible teaches not only that we should not repay evil for evil, the bible teaches not only that we should forgive, the bible teaches that we are to do good to those who hurt us.
Matthew 5:44-45 (KJV)
44But 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; 45That 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.
The Christian life actively seeks the good of those who aren't our best friends. And we don't have to look far to find such. Even in our homes, while your husband or wife may not be pleasing to you right now, you must pursue their good if your goal is to partake of the divine nature.
To live a life of holiness, not only must we resist sin, we must actively pursue the spreading of righteousness. If you live in a community of sinners and all you do is separate yourself, soon the sin will enter your house. To live a holy life, witnessing is key.
It's true for every other area of our lives.
For example, in dealing with poverty, follow the four way principle
1. Get a revelation of the abundant life promised in the word
2. Believe and receive the promises of God
3. Refrain from actions that lead to poverty
4. Pursue actions that lead to health.
We can apply this to health and family success too.
God has indeed given us everything that pertains to life and godliness through the knowledge of God's word. Lets give him praise.
