Change

Ephesians 5:3 says:
¨But there must be no sexual sin among you, or any kind of evil or greed. Those things are not right for God´s holy people.¨ (NCV)

This verse explains God´s standard for a Christian. Gods standard is not ¨only a little bit of sin, as long as you can keep it under control¨. That is not His standard. His standard is ¨not even a hint¨.

But why would God hold us to such a standard? I can think of a few reasons, and I am sure there is much more that God has. One reason is that we can not stay content with just a little sin. A person that partakes in sin, a little bit is not enough. Sin can never satisfy a persons thirst. They always want more. I have experienced this in my own life, and seen it in others. A little sin does not satisfy us, and so we try more, and since that does not satisy us, we continue. I will take an example that is common to men, although also happens to many women. That is lust and pornography. It doesn´t matter if it is lustfully looking at the people in the underwear section of a magazine, or it is looking at pornography in a magazine or the internet, or a women who is walking down the street. Those images enter persons hearts, and the consequences are devastating. But this usually starts with a little bit, but the thirst is not quenched, and we seek more. And the truth is that we cannot find happiness in sin. It only brings heartache, and destruction. And if a person never turns to Jesus Christ for forgiveness, the result is eternity apart from God.

The other reason that God does not want ¨just a little sin¨ in our lives is because it keeps us from the blessings that God intended for us. I think it is important that we do not focus only on the sin, but remember that the sin is keeping us from something very special. Can a man who lusts for other women be content and happy with his own wife? Does he know the happiness that comes from being faithful to his wife, and loving her like Jesus loves all of us? I believe the answer is no. Can a woman who has become addicted to stealing at the same time experience the joy that comes from giving? No, because sin is committed with a selfish attitude, and giving is done with an unselfish attitude. The two are contradicting. Does a judging person or a person who is quick to speak with condemning words, can that person at the same time experience the joy that comes from forgiving and helping another person by using loving words? The first is sin, the second is what God wants for our lives.
I think it is great to want sin out of our lives, but what is the motivation? Are you doing it for salvation? I think if you are working toward your salvation, even if your work is trying to obey God, you are only spinning your wheels, and the truth is, your going backwards, and not forward. Because salvation was achieved at the cross, and not by us. Jesus Christ died for our sin, and by faith in Him we are forgiven. Salvation is gained the moment we accept Christ. It is a free gift from God, but all gifts must be accepted. By knowing that we can not achieve our own salvation, but knowing that Jesus Christ paid the price for our sin, that is how we are saved. And so to any person reading this that has not accepted Christ into their lives, I hope that you do. I wish that you are aware of the sin in your life, and can say ¨Jesus, I am a sinner, forgive me¨.

A lot of people say, ¨if a Christian is forgiven not only for their past sins, but all their sins, including those in the present, and future, then what is keeping that Christian from sinning in the future?¨. If a person has really accepted Christ into their lives, then they have the Holy Spirit in their hearts. I truly believe that a Christian can then not love sin like they did before. They then begin to hate sin. I think that is why in Romans 7:19 the apostle Paul says ¨I do not do the good things that I want to do, but I do the bad things I do not want to do.¨ NIV. I think the apostle Paul is speaking about sin in the lives of Christians. A Christian has a spiritual battle going on inside of them. They have a sinful nature which they have always had, but they also have the Holy Spirit, and those two are in conflict. I think a Christian can not truly love sin because they have the Holy Spirit (God Himself) inside of them. And also assurance of salvation in Jesus Christ produces a thankful heart, and that person then wishes to obey God because of their thankfulness and love for Him. But a Christian can also commit sin because they continue to have their sinful nature. A non-believer (person who has not turned to Jesus Christ for their salvation) does not have the Holy Spirit in them, but all they have is the sinful nature. They are slaves to sin. But that does not mean that God is not working in the lives of un-believers. God works in peoples lives in countless different ways. I think the main reason that God gives the Holy Spirit to his servants is because God wants to change us, and use our lives to help others.

If we believe that salvation is gained by our own works, even our work for God, then what Christ did at the cross would mean nothing. If we believe that salvation is gained by Christ, and then we keep our salvation by obedience, and works, then salvation is not a free gift, and we have reason to boast. But if salvation was completed at the cross, and has nothing to do with us, then salvation is a free gift from God. God does not save us because of what we have done, but because of what Jesus did. It has nothing to do with us.

All Christians will be judged, the same as all unbelievers. And the judge is Jesus Christ himself. Jesus Christ died for our sin, but he was dead for only 3 days, and is now in Heaven to the side of His Father. But Jesus Christ is both Savior and Judge. Whether you see Him as a Savior or Judge, that depends on if you look to Him for your salvation. On judgement day, a non-believer will see him as a Judge, a Christian as a Savior. Most will tell the Judge how they lived a good life, or that they did something to gain salvation, but that will mean nothing. Those people had never met the judge, or know him. And the Judge will say the same to them, ¨I do not know you¨. The reason is because the person never accepted the Judge (Jesus Christ) into their lives. But those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior, I believe we will stand before Him without fear. It may be judgement day, but there will be no judgement for us. There will be no penality, no punishment for us, ever. We know Him, and He knows us. I think our words will be ¨Jesus, my Lord, My God, My Friend, thank you for taking my punishment for me!¨

I want to say salvation is gained through Jesus Christ a lone. And change is from the Holy Spirit a lone. When it comes to changing, and turning away from sin, and staying away from it, we can do all sorts of things and work really hard to try to achieve this. And it is great that we want to have lives without sin. But I think that when we try to change, our eyes can be on the wrong thing. And the wrong thing is ourselves. When we think it is by our own strength, and our own work that we can change, the results will not be good. I think we will fail time and again. And the person that achieves to change a behavior with their own strength, that will only lead to pride, because they will think ¨I have victory over my temptation, and I achieved it¨. But a change in behavior is different than true change. True change is change that happens in the heart. And that is from the Holy Spirit. Don´t get me wrong, I think that we need to submit to the work that the Holy Spirit is trying to do inside of us. But when we say ¨Ok, I want to have victory over this temptation, and so I will write a set of rules for myself that will help me to have victory¨. I think that is good, but your eyes can not be on those rules. Because those rules will not change a persons heart. We can say, ¨Ok, now I have a Christian friend who can help me¨, but our eyes can not be on that friend, because that friend can not change our heart. Only God can change a persons heart. That is the work of the Holy Spirit.

And I want to say something I think is so important. I know how it feels to fight and fight against temptation, and then sin against God time and time again. And each time I sin, I say ¨now I will try harder, and have victory¨. But that is a lie! Because our strength is nothing. But when we are weak, God is strong!. When we can despair in ourselves, and our ability to change, that is when we can truly look to God for that change. When we can say to God ¨God, I have tried time and again, but I can´t do it, I need you to take this from me. I need you to change me¨. I believe that is what God has been waiting for. And then God can begin the true change that happens from the inside out.

Praise God for being so good to us, and for His mercy, and forgiveness. God accepts us even while we are sinners, but does not wish to leave us that way. His will is to change us to have a heart like that of Jesus Christ. And only God can change a heart full of hate and sin, to a heart that is full of love.

P.S., this message was not written because of my own wisdom or work, but I truly believe it is only because God has used Christians with more wisdom than what I have to recently teach me some things, and also this morning I prayed for Gods help to write this message.