When we were baptized into Christ, a great change took
place.
A. Some of this change was a direct result of God
working on our sin sick souls.
1. God performed an operation upon our souls....
He circumcised us.
a. Not a physical circumcision, but a
spiritual one.....a circumcision of the
heart and soul.
2. When this operation was performed, we were
changed in multiple ways.
a. We became members of the Family of
God.....we are now children of God.
b. We were taken from the kingdom of
darkness....dred.....and damnation, and
placed in the Kingdom of the Son of His
Love....The Kingdom of Light.
c. Our attitudes changed from one of fear
and despair to one of hope and promise.
d. We were no longer destined for
destruction but we were placed on the
path of salvation.
** Yes.....many things took place in the waters of baptism.
1. In truth.....we died and came back to life!!!
Romans 6:6-13 - 6knowing this, that our old man was
crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done
away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. 7For
he who has died has been freed from sin. 8Now if we died
with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him,
9knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead,
dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him.
10For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all;
but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11Likewise you
also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive
to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. 12Therefore do not let sin
reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its
lusts. 13And do not present your members as instruments
of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as
being alive from the dead, and your members as
instruments of righteousness to God.
It is quite apparent that the change that takes place is
through the power of God........BUT.....it is also apparent
that God expects some changes to be made by the one
being converted.
A. Converted.....now there is an interesting word.
1. It means to change......but it means more than
a simple change.......it means to change for the
better.....an improvement.....a change that can
used to benefit others, as well as self.
EXAMPLES: I have a few examples of physical
conversion that I wish to share with you.
An electrical “transformer” converts or
transforms an electrical voltage to a higher
or lower voltage, as may be needed......its
product benefits those using electricity.
A power converter (inverter) can be plugged
into our cigarette lighter and it will change
12 volts, D.C. to 120 volts, A.C........in other
words, it gives us the capability of plugging
many household appliances into the
converter (inverter) in our cars.
In every one of these examples, a change MUST TAKE
PLACE FOR THEM TO BE USEFUL. If that change
does not take place, they are useless to the user.
A. It can be said that for us to be useful and
functioning in the Kingdom of God.....as a part of
the Family of God............A CHANGE MUST
TAKE PLACE!
1. But how much of a change is expected, by
God?
Let us revisit the analogy (or fact) of what takes place at
baptism........We essentially die, and then come back to life
as a Child of God.
A. I think that the scriptures explain the change that
takes place from death to life.......far better than
anyone else could.
I Cor. 15:35-38 - 35But someone will say, “How are the
dead raised up? And with what body do they come?”
36Foolish one, what you sow is not made alive unless it
dies. 37And what you sow, you do not sow that body that
shall be, but mere grain—perhaps wheat or some other
grain. 38But God gives it a body as He pleases, and to each
seed its own body.
1. In this illustration we see the death and life of
a seed.
a. Corn seeds are so completely different
from a fresh corn stalk that there could be
no comparison.
** God’s Word goes on to compare a fleshly body with
the body that will be created when Christ returns.
I Cor. 15:42-49 - 42So also is the resurrection of the dead.
The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption.
43It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in
weakness, it is raised in power. 44It is sown a natural body,
it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and
there is a spiritual body. 45And so it is written, “The first
man Adam became a living being.” The last Adam became
a life-giving spirit. 46However, the spiritual is not first, but
the natural, and afterward the spiritual. 47The first man was
of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from
heaven. 48As was the man of dust, so also are those who
are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are
those who are heavenly. 49And as we have borne the image
of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the
heavenly Man.
2. Again, we see the total and absolute change
that comes about from death to life.
a. It’s not a little change......it’s not a
temporary change.....it’s not a hidden
inner change.
If we were changed at the time of our baptism, the change
should follow the same direction as these changes.
A. It should be complete, total, all encompassing,
real, and combined with the power of God and
the will of our hearts and souls.
1. Our change should be as total and complete as
the grain of corn to the green shoot of corn.....
as our fleshly body to the eternal and spiritual
body.
B. It should be a visible change.
1. Sure, many things will change inside.....in our
hearts, if you will.........but the fruit of that
change should be seen.
a. By us and by those who witness this
transformed life.
Let us make our own conclusions from some selected
passages from God’s Word.
A. How much do we need to change?
B. Have we really changed.....or are we faking it?
C. Is the change that we have experienced....still
working in us or have we changed back to whom
we were, to begin with?
** You be the judge.
I. Christians need to overcome the control of sin in their
lives.......before they were changed by baptism, sin
ruled in their lives......they gave in to the urges,
temptations, desires, and lusts of satan......they lived to
satisfy their own desires.
Rom. 6:16-18 - 16Do you not know that to whom you
present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves
whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of
obedience leading to righteousness? 17But God be thanked
that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the
heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered.
18And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of
righteousness.
A. In the life of a born again child of God......sin
should be the occasional exception.........NOT
THE NORM OF EVERYDAY LIFE.
1. Christians have changed from the old
patterns that they were following when they
were slaves to satan and to themselves.
** A question for you........IN WHAT WAY HAVE YOU
CHANGED.......ALONG THESE LINES?
II. When the changed happened within, it would have
been displayed without.......in other words, there
should, by cause and effect, be a visible fruit of that
change within.
Romans 7:4 - 4Therefore, my brethren, you also have
become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you
may be married to another— to Him who was raised from
the dead, that we should bear fruit to God.
A. This fruit of conversion will manifest itself in
some very visible ways.
1. Our working as hard for the Kingdom of God
as we worked for evil in the kingdom of
darkness.
2. Our attitude towards God and towards our
fellow man.
3. Our hearts easily touched and moved by the
working of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
4. Our unreserved readiness to sacrifice.....even
the hardest things to sacrifice....even life,
itself (if necessary).
5. Our inclusion of God in every facet of our
lives.......prayer to Him and listening for Him
in everything that we do.
** A question for you.......HOW HAVE YOU AND
OTHERS SEEN THIS FRUIT OF CONVERSION IN
YOUR LIFE?
III. Our minds have been transformed....changed. Before
we died to sin, our minds took whatever path they
might wish to take.......NOW....our minds are set on
a course....a path....a direction that is controlled by the
“New Man”.
Romans 8:5 - 5For those who live according to the flesh
set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live
according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.
II Cor. 10:5 - 5casting down arguments and every high
thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God,
bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of
Christ.
Romans 12:2 - 2And do not be conformed to this world,
but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you
may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will
of God.
A. Our minds should have changed.....they are now
on a new direction.....under new control.
1. Now that we are of the Spirit.....we think on
on spiritual things......we consider the spirit
in all of our decisions......
OR DO WE?????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
** A question for you......HOW DOES YOUR
THINKING DIFFER FROM THE TIME BEFORE
YOUR CONVERSION?
IV. Our hopes, our trust, our confidence has changed since
we have died and come back to life.
A. We used to place all our hopes, trust, and
confidence in that which we could see or know....
our trust was in our powers and abilities.
1. Financially - We trusted in our earning power,
our bank accounts, our credit history, or in
fate or blind luck.
2. Physically - We trusted in our own muscles....
our ability to perform.....vitamins, exercise,
doctors, medicine, etc., etc..
3. Spiritually - We trusted in the NON-
EXISTANCE OF GOD, HEAVEN, HELL,
AND THE CONSEQUENCES TO OUR
ACTIONS.
Romans 8:38-39 - 38For I am persuaded that neither death
nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things
present nor things to come, 39nor height nor depth, nor any
other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the
love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
** All has changed.....now......we place our total
trust, hope, and confidence in God, and God alone.
1. We understand that God will work through the
physical......but it will be by God’s will and power,
and not by us that things will be accomplished.
** A question for you.......DOES ROMANS 8:38 AND
39 DESCRIBE YOU......IS ALL YOUR FAITH AND
HOPE AND TRUST AND CONFIDENCE IN
GOD....AND NOT IN SELF OR OTHERS?
CONCLUSION:
In true conversion, there are changes.....real changes....
visible changes.....permanent changes.
A. As Christians, we should honestly be able to
identify and testify to those changes that have
taken place and that are taking place.....even as
I speak.
Our conversion experience should reflect the fact that we
have spiritually died and have come back to life.
A. We have some very good illustrations in scripture
of the magnitude of change that should be evident.
1. I Corinthians, chapter 15 is a treasure of
understanding to those who would seek for
the truth.
a. In this chapter we are given two
illustrations of the total and absolute
change that takes place from death to
a new life.
1.) First we are confronted by the total
transformation of a seed to a new
and living shoot.
a.) The change is complete....the
change is permanent......the
shoot does not get
disappointed by the lack of
rain and regress to being a
seed again.
2.) Secondly we are reminded of the
fact that our physical, fleshly
bodies will be totally transformed
into “spiritual bodies”......the
change will be awesome and
forever.
With these thoughts in mind, I believe that there is only one
question that we should be concerned with.
A. “Have I changed.....have I completely changed....
have I visibly shown fruit of that change....have I
continued on that course of change or am I
changing back to what I was before I died to sin?
