CHANGES II; WHAT WE ARE
TITUS 3:3
One word that is very popular now a days is “change”. We have elected a new president, and with that there will be change. Some say the change will be good, others still say that the change will be bad.
Many people desire change, I would even go so far to say as most people desire change. We tend not to like the same thing time and time again. While many people desire change a lot of people do not know what that change should be. People may seek something better, but not know what that better is. They just know that they want some thing better then they have now.
Now when a person professes Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, God desires that person to change. In fact as I mentioned last week, there must be change in the person’s life in order for the conversion to be genuine.
There must not just be change in some areas of our lives, but it must be an overall change. Our relationship with God must touch all areas of our lives, to some degree. And as I said, if there is no change, then there has been no conversion, to salvation.
Some may ask, “Well how can you say that? You are judging others.”. Now while only God knows the hearts of men, and only God can judge whether one is saved or not, the reason I believe that without change there can be no salvation, is because the Bible, the Word of God, states that when a person accepts Christ as Saviour, there he or she is not merely changed, but the Bible states they are a NEW Creation. When a person come to the Father through Christ he is not changed, but recreated.
With that said let us take a step back. Please turn with me to our passage for today, Titus 3:3. We are continuing along in our study of the book of Titus. Remember that for the most part chapter 3 is dealing with believers being consistent in the world as a witness for Christ. Our lifestyle.
Titus 3:3; “For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another.”
Last week we made mention that here Paul’s makes mention of seven vices. Has he list these he begins with the words, “For we ourselves were also once”. In others words these were things that were once in our lives, but through the amazing grace of God, they are no more. Things have changed, you have changed, you have recreated by God.
Another verse I want to make mention of that you can turn to is 1 Cor. 6:9-11; Now we will be jumping between these two verse and another verse, so keep your fingers in the pages.
1 Cor. 6:9-11; “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God (in other words these are not saved, those who lifestyles consists of those things just mentioned). And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.”
Again in the WOG we see that there is a change. We were once like this, now we are like that. We were living under the power of sin, now we are under the power of the grace of God. The power which transforms us, give us a new life, changes us!
Now last week we looked at “What We Were” this week I want us to focus on what we are, or what we should be in Christ. The changes that should have taken place in our lives, changes that I believe testify to the fact that we do indeed have salvation, that we are indeed children of God.
Look at what we are. Now I have given you two verse already. Now most of you have 5 fingers on each hand so you should have three left for marking pages. One more passage that I would like you to turn to 2 Cor. 5:17. This verse plainly tells us what we are in Christ.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
The person who is in Christ, the person who has submitted himself to Christ, who has trusted in the blood of Christ for the forgiveness of sin, is what the Bible calls a “new creation”.
I want you to understand something. This is not symbolic language. This is not a metaphorical phrase. This is real event. This is not some mind over matter thing, but a real event, a real transformation that can only be done by Jesus Christ. God actually recreated our spirit. We are a “new creation in Christ.” Again this not just some spiritual but something the really happen in us.
Something the MUST happen in us, if we are truly saved.
This is what is meant when Jesus tell us in the gospel of John "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
Jesus is speaking of the re-creation process that happens to us in salvation.
This is an actual transformation, a regeneration of the soul.
If a person claims to be a Christian, and is not renewed, he is not “in Christ”. He is not on his way to heaven.
We hear the phrase “I am a born again Christian”. That is the only kind of Christian there is!
If a person is not born-again, not a new creation in Christ, not regenerated by the Holy Spirit of God, that person is not a Christian, and is on their way to an eternity being separated from God.
Let me tell you just saying you’re a Christian does not make you a Christian, carrying around your Bible does not make you a Christian, coming to church does not make you a Christian. We can only (ONLY) become a Christian through the re-creative act of our Lord Jesus Christ. That and that alone makes one a Christian, a child of God.
Having said that I am going to repeat myself by saying there must be a change in our lives for our salvation to be genuine. I firmly believe that the Scriptures are clear, NO CHANGE, NO SALVATION. You are just kidding yourself.
So we have seen what we were, we can see what we are, now let us look at some results for this change. There are results.
Looking to Paul’s words in Titus 3:3 and 1 Cor. 6:11; “For we ourselves were also once” goes on to list the vises. 1 Cor. 6:11; “And such were some of you.”
We were like that then but now we are different, we have changes. Now notice in 2 Cor. 5:17, “old things have passed away”.
God hammers us in the scripture with the fact that you are mine now, and as my child you must be different then those who are children of the devil. The old nature must die that the new nature might live.
Paul tells us the old things have passed away. Old things, your old way of life is done away with. Paul is talking about sin here. He speaks of the old way of life where we were in bondage to sin.
The old things in our lives were full of sin and decay. Those things brought to us death and curses. Now in Christ they have passed away, they are dead, they must be done away with.
Old things that have passed away.
Our old thoughts, thoughts of lust, and pride, and self-centeredness. Our new thoughts need to be of others, of God, of His holiness.
Phil 4:8; “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy; meditate on these things.” or think on these things. Those are the new things that ought to fill or minds.
Our old pleasures must pass away. No longer must we seek those things which please the flesh, must we must seek those things which please God. As Romans 8:8 tells us; “So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”
Our old actions must pass away. Those things that we did that were rooted in sin, those things that were rooted in selfishness. Those things we did because our thought we on our own needs, our own desires.
Now let our actions be rooted in love, love for God and love for others. Let us seek to serve rather then be serves.
As Jesus state in the gospel of Mark, "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."
That is our example.
Paul states in 2 Cor. 5:17 that “All Things become new!” I want to stress the phrase all things. As I states in the beginning of the sermon, the power of God must touch all areas of our lives, not just some, but all.
With salvation comes new master. Now we follow Jesus. He becomes the Lord whom we will follow. He is the King to whom we swear allegiance. We no longer servants to flesh but servants to the Almighty God. Notice what 1 Cor. says, we are new Creation “IN CHRIST”. Not in and of ourselves but in Him. A New Creation IN HIM! He is the creator of our souls. As our creator He is worthy of our submission!
Those without Christ live to self. But when we are a new creation, we must live to Christ. As 1 Cor. 4:1 states; “Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.”
We have a new master, we are servants of Christ.
When we become new creations in Christ we have a new morality. Things that we thought we ok no longer appear to be ok. God’s view of what is right and wrong, becomes our view of what is right and wrong. Our morals become no longer subject to our own personal opinion but to what God’s states is right and wrong.
God will writes his law on the heart of his people, "But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.”
This is exactly what the Lord does when He saves us, when we are born again, when we become a new creation in Christ.
Salvation ought to produce a wonderful change in how we live. It should change us around. In want to read to you from Eph. 4:25-32. That passage describes the changes that ought to happen in the life of a believer.
“Therefore, putting away lying, "Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor," for we are members of one another. Be angry, and do not sin": do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil. Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you.”
Notice hear the morality of God. It is not just enough for us to cease to do evil, but we must do good.
It is not enough to put away lying, but each one must speak the truth. That is speak the truth of God, share the gospel.
We are to be angry, that is angry at sin, yet not sin. Paul continues, “Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.”
The morality of God states that it is not enough simply to quit stealing, but you need to go to work, that you may have something to give those who are in need.
Look what else he states there; “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers”. Again it is not enough just to stop talking trash, but speak what is good for edification, speaking what will impart grace to those who hear you.
These are the things that need to pass away from our lives, “bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking, malice”.
And not only are we to put these things from our lives but they must be replaced with “being kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you”
That folks is the morality of God. That is the new morality that each person, who claims to have a relationship with Jesus Christ must have!
With being a new creation comes a new outlook on life. A new outlook that is centered on God, an outlook that rejoices in the fact that God is in control.
When we become new creations in Christ our life now as a clear purpose and meaning, that is bring Glory to God in all we do. We become aware of why we are hear, and no longer have to go through life aimlessly trying to understand what the meaning of life is.
We understand that life is all about God, all about serving Him. Life is all about others, and being a servant to God by being a servant to others.
Our world view is no longer shaped by what is popular or politically correct, but it is shaped by what we find in the Holy Word of God.
This new outlook on life is one of worship and praise and thanksgiving. Worshipping, and praising, and thanking the one who as given us this new live.
Lastly, as new creations in Christ we have a new position before God. Look back on 1 Cor. 6:11; “And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.”
We once stood before God as unwashed, unsanctified, unjustified, sinners. We stood before God worthy of the full brunt of His wrath. We stood before God worthy of being casts into eternal darkness, where as Jesus states; "Their worm does not die, And the fire is not quenched.”.
WE stood before God worthy of the full penalty of sin which is eternal damnation in hell.
But as new creations in Christ, that is what we once were, but no more. In Christ we are now washed in His blood, washed of every sin we have ever committed, or ever will commit. We are sanctified, set apart by God. We are justified, that is to say we are acceptable to God. All this comes to us through Christ, through be new creations in Christ.
We now stand before God as His children. As His people, as saints of God. No longer having to be concerned about the wrath of God, because His wrath has been poured out on Christ on our behalf.
We have a new position before God in Christ. A position we could never have attained apart from being born again of the Spirit of God, apart from being a new creation in Christ.
Paul states in Titus 3:3, “For we ourselves were also once...” Then something happened. We where created a new. Things changed.
You know you can tell the difference between something old and something new. Look a these Bibles. Which one is new? Which is old? If I had Matthew up here and stood him next Choral, we could tell which was old and which was new.
Can the world tell that you are new? Can people see that you are a new creation in Christ? I will say it again. If there is no change, there is no salvation. If you are no a new creation there will be no heaven. Old things must pass away.
What were you? What are you now? There must be a desire in your life to please God, to see Him glorified, to serve Him. If that desire is missing, you really ought to examine your life. Your relationship with Jesus Christ. Take a hard look at your life. We are talking about something here that has eternal consequences. I believe that the Church of Jesus Christ is full of people who believe they are saved but are not. They have never changed, and they have no desire to change. I pray that you are no one of those.
I would pray that each one here would submit to the call of God in your heart. Submit to Christ as Lord and Saviour. Trust in His blood to cleanse you from your sin. Believe that He died for you, and that rose that you may have eternal life. Confess Him as Saviour, that you may experience the life changing power of God.
LET US PRAY
