The Change

I've wanted to do this study for a long time, and have been trying to think of an opening for it. Contemporary Christian singer Steven Curtis Chapman came up with the perfect one. His recent hit "The Change" tells the story of most Christians, they have salvation, but their life hasn't changed. And, they search for "God's Plan" for their lives.

This study is for those of us who are saved. If you are not yet saved, you'll want to read our study on salvation before doing anything else.

Why does it matter? Many (probably most) churches don't teach the importance of living right. What does God really think?

Pro 15:29 The Lord is far from sinners, but his ear is open to the prayer of the upright.

1Jo 3:22 Whatever we request we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.

Gal 6:7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked. For whatever a man may sow, that he also will reap.

Jam 4:4 You adulterers! Don't you know that friendship with the world means hostility with God? So whoever wants to be a friend of this world is an enemy of God.

If we haven't gone through The Change, we are separated from God, and all of His plans for us. Not only that, but we are held accountable for our behavior. Christ does discipline us for the sins we commit, just like any father would do his children.

Heb 12:6 For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he punishes every son he accepts."

1Co 11:32 Being judged, we are corrected by the Lord, that we not be condemned with the world.

Most Christians don't understand this part. They think that being saved is enough, and then get upset when life just doesn't treat them right. Living like the rest of the world not only separates us from God, but it makes Him punish us for our sins.

God didn't just make a list of stuff that He didn't want us to do, SIN CAUSES PAIN. Sure it looks like fun, It's fun when you first start out. That is how we Satan gets us to sin. It wouldn't be much of a temptation if it didn't look good. It looks like fun, and it is fun, but just for a short time.

Heb 11:25 (Moses) choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a time

Every sin has a price. You don't see that up front. Any sin will screw up your life. Not only that, but any sin can become an addiction. An addiction is Satan finding an easy way to tempt you over and over again. You made his job easier.

Prov 5:22 The sins of the wicked are a trap. They get caught in the net of their own sin.

Prov 26:6 Evil people are trapped in their own sins while honest people are happy and free

My favorite book on change uses the example of being in the woods in the dark. Becoming a Christian is like being handed a flashlight. Before The Change, you're carrying the flashlight turned off, you're fumbling around trying to find your way, tripping on stuff and walking into things. Bringing Jesus completely into your life is like turning on the flashlight.

You're saved. You have your foot in the door of the greatest relationship you'll ever have. This is your big chance!!!

The first step to making the change, is probably the toughest one. This is a subject most churches today avoid, because it turns people off. Modern churches want to portray God as a "Santa Claus" and every day is Christmas when you're a Christian. People today think church should make you feel all warm and fuzzy, but don't want any obligations.

The word we're talking about is REPENT. "Ohhhh noooooo, can he say that on the internet?" and "That's so old fashioned. Is it really that big a deal?"

In the KJV, the word repent appears 43 times. "Yeah, that's just an Old Testament idea. That doesn't apply now, we have salvation." Well, it shows up in the New Testament 22 times, and Jesus is quoted using it at least 13 times. In fact, it was the subject of the very first sermon preached in the New Testament:

Mat 3:1, 2 In those days John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near!"

You may be saying "OK, I was saved, but since then I've gotten away from Him. I have done some really bad stuff. He isn't going to forgive me now."

Mat 18:12 If a shepherd has one hundred sheep, and one wanders away and is lost, what will he do? Won't he leave the ninety-nine others and go out into the hills to search for the lost one?

Luk 15:7 In the same way, I tell you that there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who need no repentance."

Luk 15:10 In the same way, I tell you that there is joy in the presence of God's angels over one sinner who repents."

Most people hear the word "repent" and think that means you simply stop doing bad stuff. But there's more to it than that. There are several parts, actually, to true repentance.

First, you have to realize what you're doing wrong. You have to look at yourself as God looks at you, and look at your sin the way God looks at them. If you don't accept the fact that what you are doing wrong is wrong, and makes God sick, you cannot go any further in your Christian life.

The second part of repentance is apologizing. We're not talking "oops, sorry God, that was wrong, I gotta stop that" and then the next time "oops sorry God, that was a sin, that won't happen again" and then the next time "oops sorry God, that was a sin, that's the last time I'm doing that". Only a true apology will do, asking for forgiveness. There's gotta be remorse, or it's not real. It's gotta be a "get down on your knees and show your serious" deal. Crying may be a sign of weakness, but what's more important, what someone else would think if they found out what you did in private, or showing God that you are sorry and you do feel bad about what you did? And, just as important, is believing that God will forgive and help you recover and stay clear.

2Co 7:10 For having sorrow in a godly way results in repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regrets. But the sorrow of the world produces death.

The third part is hating sin, and wanting to be far away from it. (Look up Ps. 119:128; Job 42:5, 6 and 2Cor. 7:10). Sin sure looks good, it's suppose to. You can't be tempted into doing something that isn't fun. We did an entire study on Our Opponent that goes into great detail how we are tempted. To repent, you have to recognize temptation and hate sin. That's what we're going for here, isn't it? Get rid of sin? We have to remember to look at it like God does and remember to HATE it. Yeah that sounds silly, but it's easily forgotten.

Repentance isn't easy. In fact it's impossible, using our own strength. We've all tried to do it on our own. We put everything we have into it, but fell short. Maybe it worked, for awhile. Paul, one of the greatest Christians of all time, had the same problem.

Rom 7:15 I don't understand what I am doing. For I don't do what I want to do, but instead do what I hate.

Rom 7:19 For I don't do the good I want to do, but instead do the evil that I don't want to do.

Remember the ad champaign "Just Say No"? For the most part, that didn't work. Why? Because we can't Just Say No. Satan is very good at temptation, like we talked about in The Opponent and we don't have the power to continue to resist.

People use many different methods to improve themselves, and none of them actually work. You've probably tried a couple of these. Some try changing their environment, thinking their surroundings are causing their problems. Some think there's something in their past that's holding them back. Others believe the answer is within you, find yourself, through thousands of self help books and tapes. People try to change by "sticking to the rules", "going by the book", studying the law forward and backward. Some think you have to separate yourself from everyone else. None of that works.

Gal 2:20 I no longer live, but Christ lives in me, and the life that I now live in the flesh I live by the faithfulness of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Joh 14:23 Jesus answered him, "If anyone loves me, he will keep my word. Then my Father will love him, and we will go to him and make our home within him.

1Th 5:23 May the God of peace himself make you holy in every way. And may your whole being-spirit, soul, and body-be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

When we become saved, we no longer have to be under sin's control. Many of us choose to be, and continue to suffer the consequences and the punishment. But we become dead to sin, no longer under it's control.

What we need to do, is to "be filled with the Spirit", allow Christ to live through us, hand over the steering wheel. That's not an easy thing to do for many people. Just like a racing career, some drivers can hand over the wheel to someone else when it's time to, and others stay in the drivers seat way too long.

That's the only way it'll work. We don't have the power to change, Christ has the power, we need to put Him in the drivers seat.

Rom 6:11-14 In the same way, you too must continually consider yourselves dead as far as sin is concerned, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore, do not let sin rule your mortal bodies so that you obey their desires. Stop offering the parts of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness. Instead, offer yourselves to God as people who have been brought from death to life and the parts of your body as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin will not have mastery over you, because you are not under law but under grace.

Just like any vehicle, this new life must be maintained. You can't just run an engine without proper maintenance, it won't last long. The same is true when talking about The Change. How often do we need to work on it?

Luk 9:23 Then he said to all of them, "If anyone wants to come with me, he must deny himself, pick up his cross every day, and follow me continually.

1Co 15:31 I affirm, by the glorifying in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.

Leading a Christ-like life is a life long pursuit. Our old buddy Paul, near the end of his life, had this to say

Phi 3:12-14 I don't mean to say I am perfect. I haven't learned all I should even yet, but I keep working toward that day when I will finally be all that Christ saved me for and wants me to be. No, dear brothers, I am still not all I should be but I am bringing all my energies to bear on this one thing; Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God is calling us up to heaven because of what Christ Jesus did for us.

Probably the greatest Christian, teacher, and leader of all time, after all he accomplished and done, talks about not being close to where he needs to be, and putting everything he has into learning more and working to reach Jesus' goal for him. The Christian life isn't a destination, it's a life long journey. It's not easy, there will be temptations everywhere you look, and you will often doubt whether it's really important. Sometimes you will even doubt that God exists at all. That's our opponent at work.

We need a strong relationship with Jesus to stay on track. We also need strong friendships to make it work. A Godly friend will be there to encourage us to keep going, and let us know when we're headed in the wrong direction. Our best friend is Jesus, and He is more than willing to help us, but, when we start to drift away from Him, we don't seek His help. Just be careful who you choose as a friend.

Prov 12:26 The righteous should choose his friends carefully, for the way of the wicked leads them astray.

Heb 10:25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another even more as you see the day coming nearer.

Pro 27:9 Oil and perfume make glad the heart, and the wise suggestion of a friend is sweet to the soul.

Iron sharpens iron. We need that fellowship with Godly friends to help keep us on track. Nothing beats your local church for finding these relationships, and organizations like the Online Racers 4 Christ can help you find Christians in your area who have the same interests. That's the second part of our vision.

God has a plan for our lives. Trying to find our own way is like walking through the woods with our flashlight off. Putting Jesus in charge of our lives turns it on.

Jer 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Isa 30:21 And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, This is the way, walk in it, when you turn to the right hand and when you turn to the left.

Psa 37:23 The steps of the godly are directed by the LORD. He delights in every detail of their lives.

The last thing, and the most important part, making the Change, and anything else we talk about on this site, requires faith. Entire books have been written on faith, and that is an upcoming study here. You can read every word of this site, the entire Bible, any religious books, but without faith, you won't get anything out of them.

Heb 4:2 For also we have had the gospel preached, as well as them. But the Word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it.

We covered a lot of material in a little space. Like all of the studies on this site, entire books have been written on the subject. Maybe this study has you on the right track. Maybe it's wet your appetite. If so, talk to your pastor. Join a men's group at church. Talk to us on the message board or mail list. Get into a good book on the subject such as James McDonald's "I Really Want to Change, So Help me God". And don't forget the two most important steps,

The Change Written by Steven Curtis Chapman and James Isaac Elliott
(c)1999 Sparrow Song (admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing) /
Peach Hill Songs (admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing) /
BMI / Cabinetmaker Music / ASCAP

Luk 15:11-32 He said, "A certain man had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of your property.' He divided his livelihood between them. Not many days after, the younger son gathered all of this together and traveled into a far country. There he wasted his property with riotous living.

When he had spent all of it, there arose a severe famine in that country, and he began to be in need. He went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed pigs. He wanted to fill his belly with the husks that the pigs ate, but no one gave him any. But when he came to himself he said, 'How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough to spare, and I'm dying with hunger! I will get up and go to my father, and will tell him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight. I am no more worthy to be called your son. Make me as one of your hired servants."'

He arose, and came to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him, and was moved with compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' But the father said to his servants, 'Bring out the best robe, and put it on him. Put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. Bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat, and celebrate; for this, my son, was dead, and is alive again. He was lost, and is found.' They began to celebrate.

Now his elder son was in the field. As he came near to the house, he heard music and dancing. He called one of the servants to him, and asked what was going on. He said to him, 'Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and healthy.' But he was angry, and would not go in. Therefore his father came out, and begged him. But he answered his father, 'Behold, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed a commandment of yours, but you never gave me a goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this, your son, came, who has devoured your living with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him.'

"He said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. But it was appropriate to celebrate and be glad, for this, your brother, was dead, and is alive again. He was lost, and is found.'"