Friday, 31 January 2020

God Changes Us

God Changes Us
Friday, January 31, 2020
by Dr. Paul Chappell

“And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house. And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully. And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner. And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.”

Luke 19:5–8

Frederick Charrington was a wealthy and successful English businessman, until he turned his back on his family’s empire and walked away. He told the story of walking down a street and seeing a woman outside a pub pleading with a drunken man to come home to his family. She told him that they had no food and begged for help. In the window of the pub was a sign that said, “Drink Charrington Ale.”

“When I saw that sign,” Charrington said, “I was stricken just as surely as Paul on the Damascus Road. Here was the source of my family wealth, and it was producing untold human misery before my own eyes. Then and there I pledged to God that not another penny of that money should come to me.” Charrington gave up millions to become a leader of the temperance movement.

There is a radical change that happens when we come to God for salvation. Some of us who were saved at a young age and grew up in church did not have a large outward change, but all of us had a heart transplant. And it shows up in our lives. When we turn from our sins and commit to following God, we are willing to give up anything that would hinder our walk with Him.

Today's Growth Principle:
If our lives are not radically different from the world because we know Jesus, something is very wrong.

CURRENT RADIO SERIESPlay Today's Broadcast
Connect
 
CURRENT TV SERIESPlay Today's Broadcast
The Gospel of God
 
 
 
We have all become like one who is unclean,
            and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.
We all fade like a leaf,
            and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
--Isaiah 64:6
I read in a survey awhile back that Americans were asked this question: Do you believe that most people are basically good? The result of the survey was that 83 percent said yes. People are basically good. That’s more than 4 out of 5 adults in America who say that people basically have good intentions and want the best for others.
The problem with that line of thinking is the Bible. When the Scriptures describe the state of humanity apart from Christ, it says that not one person does what is right in the sight of God. In fact, if you look at today’s passage, you’ll see that even on our best day, our best deeds are like a polluted garment in God’s eyes.
You’ll hear people say, “Oh, he’s got a good heart! He’s got a heart of gold.” Well, a heart of gold will not merit you favor before God because even your best isn’t good enough. So what are you to do?
The answer is Jesus. You see, in the flesh, every person is subject to sin and its effects in the world. But in Christ, the old way of operating is done away with as He removes your sin and gives you a new heart.
Yes, in Christ, you can live a life pleasing to God. So, even when you struggle with sin, remember that you have moved from darkness and, because of Jesus, can walk in God’s light!
WHILE THE BIBLE IS CLEAR THAT NO ONE NATURALLY DOES WHAT IS GOOD, YOU HAVE EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO LIVE A HOLY LIFE WHEN YOU COME TO CHRIST.

No comments:

Post a Comment