Real Conversion Results in Changed Lifestyle
Gal. 2:20
I am crucified with Christ, it is no longer I that lives but Christ lives in me and the life I now live, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.
Story: Paul Little, an IVF travelling secretary until his death in the early seventies was once speaking to a University student who asked him a lot of intellectual questions which Paul Little answered. Paul Little then asked him if he would like to invite Christ into his life.
The student replied: No. Frankly acceptance would mess up the way I am living.
The Christian Faith is not a religion, it is more. It is a way of life. We do not just put on a sunday smile and think that that is it!!
This verse in Galatians 2:20 has three fundemental aspects:
1. The Death of the Old Self
2. Christ Living in me and
3. New Life in Christ.
Tom taught last week that God is interested in ATTITUDES.
He defined eternal life as:
Eternal Life is an everlasting love relationship with Jesus Christ and His Body the Church.
In other words we are in the words of Mark 12:30
30. To love the Lord your God with all your heart with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength; and
31. To love your neighbour as yourself.
This is not easy. This requires a change of our attitudes from
1. The Death of the Old Self and
2. Christ Living in me and with it
3. New Life in Christ.
1. The Death of the Old Self
Paul in 2 Cor. 5:17 says:
Therefore if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation, the old has gone, the new has come.
Story: I became a Christian, not by powerful intellectual arguments but by seeing a boy in my house living a Christian Life. And I said I want what he has.
So what does it mean, the old has gone, the new has come. We still sin don’t we?
1. In one sense it refers to our STANDING in the presence of God: We are NEW, justified by Christ’s death on the Cross, his ONCE AND FOR ALL SACRIFICE: Christ died as a SUBSTITUTE for us. He paid the penalty on our behalf.
Romans 8:1 There is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.
This new standing brings with it RESPONSIBILITY as Sons of God. A CHANGED LIFESTYLE.
2. This new standing has brought with it new creation. This new creation is the new life that Christ gives us when we receive the Holy Spirit in us.
Paul put it well in Rom. 6:5-8
For we know that our old self was crucified with Christ so that the body of sin might be done away with that we should no longer be slaves to sin.
Christ died not just that we could be saved but that we could also "live a new life" (Rom 6:4)
The choice is yours, whether you want to have your heart transformed or not.
It also will mean that we need to put those things in order that are not in order.
Story: You will no doubt recall the story of Zacchaeus in Like 19. v. 1-10. Here was a hated tax collector who received Christ.
And we see a change of life in Zacchaeus life in verse 8.
Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord:
Look Lord! Here and now I give half my goods to the poor and if I have cheated anyone out of anything I will pay back four times.
Look at Jesus response: Today salvation has come to this house, because this man too is a son of Abraham.
I think as Luke wrote his Gospel and as is his style only to record those events that had a significant impact on proceedings. He was a tremdously meticulous historian as can be seen from his account of Paul’s journey to Rome form Caeserea.
You might note too in passing that if Zacchaeus had not kept his word, Luke writing many years after the event would firstly not have recorded the event and if he had then he would have recorded the fact had Zacchaeus renegated on his promise Luke would recorded the fact. In other words Zacchaeus did change.
2. Christ Living in me
Let us look at John 15: 1-17
This passage speaks of two relationships
1. Our relationship to God
If we love Christ we will abide in Him. Abiding in Christ.
Here Jesus likens himself to a vine and we are the branches. Look at the close identification Christ has with us.
The vine provides all the nourishment for the branches to bear fruit. So it is with us. The Holy Spirit provides the LIFE that we now have (Gal. 2.20) - or at least the LIFE true born again Christians have.
John 15:4 Abide in me and I will remain in you.
John 15: 9-17 then goes on to tell us how we abide in Christ.
a. By remaining in his love
b. By doing what Christ commands.
2. Our relationship to others in the Church
His command is to love each other in verse 12.
Abiding in Christ is twofold and affects our relationship to God and to our brothers.
And it bears Fruit in our lives.
Jesus wants us to bear fruit (v.8) to the Father’s Glory.
Col. 1:27 talks of our hope of Glory being CHRIST IN US.
You see it is not RELIGION that saves us, but Christ in us. Christ breathed on his disciples and said "Receive the Holy Spirit" John 20:22.
The early Church turned the world upside down. They transformed the world by the power of God through their witness.
If we are going to see the power of God transform Basle, we must allow him to transform us, by ABIDING in us.
Story: It was said of the early Christians see how they love one another. Today it can often be said see how they tear one another apart.
3. New Life in Christ.
In John 5:30 Christ said:
....for I seek not to please myself but Him who sent me.
The emphasis on our new life NOT ON OUR SELFISH WILL but on GOD’S Will.
Remember in Luke 22.42 that Christ submitted Himself to the Will of God the Father for our sakes.
John the Baptist said in John 3:30
He (meaning Christ) must become greater, I must become less.
We read in Ephesians 2:10
For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared for us in advance.
His will is that we do the works he has for us.
Works don’t save but result from salvation.
The church is called to be his witnesses, for example Matt. 28.19 and Acts 1:8.
How can we hope to effectively witness unless we know Christ and this comes when He abides in us.
And this will cause an effect on our attitudes. This is why Paul reminds us not to grieve the Holy Spirit. (Eph. 4:30)
If we are the temple of the Holy Spirit, we also need to act like it. (1 Cor. 6:19)
Conclusions:
What can we do practically (Pete will like this part)
1. Consider your motivation.
2. Consider your conversation. What is the centre of your conversation?
do you build up or destroy by gossipping?
Story: We are so clever that we do this in superspiritual fashion. You really mus pray for this sister, did you hear what she did. If you promise to tell no one, well (whisper whisper).
are we kind
are we forgiving
do we automatically think the worst
In short, we need to love one another. Love is not a feeling, it is a decision.
Rom. 5:8 tells us that while we were sinners (ie unlovely) Christ died for us.
3. Do we spend time in prayer and Bible reading:
2 Tim. 3:16
All scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
4. God wants the Fruit of the Spirit in our lives:
Gal. 5:22-3
5. Abiding in Christ means maturing like a good wine. It gets better with age. Abiding is continuous. Often we wonder why our prayers are not answered. Because we do not abide in Christ and know the mind of God. We are often just HUMANISTIC in what we do.
Story: I know some people who can have sympathy for someone when what is needed is a firm stand against evil, the sin in that person’s life. They think it is love, but in the long run it destroys.
6. We need God’s love in our hearts to build up one another and indeed our love for one an other.
