Made New for His Glory
Notes
Transcript
How do we know the difference from and apple tree and an orange tree?
How about a peach tree and a pear tree?
You can the difference by its fruit.
The fruit each one produces reveals its true nature If the tree is healthy, it will produce healthy fruit.
Likewise, if it is sick, it will produce less healthy fruit.
If you were to choose for yourselves, which tree you would want to be?
How many would choose to be a sick tree?
I doubt any would.
After all who wants to be an unhealthy tree?
You’d be surprised!
As a minister I see this all the time unfortunately.
People who want to be made better, but refuse the remedy.
Some have been diagnosed with Diabetes, but wont take the insulin.
Some who are alcoholics, but refuse to give up the alcohol.
Some with breathing issues but wont give up smoking etc.
And far worse—some want what Jesus offers, but they will not give up the world they love.
I once heard a preacher say during an interview that the hardest thing he wrestled with in ministry was this:
“That a person can appear to be so sincere in their conversion to Christ, yet continue in the same sins they claimed to repent of.”
I as a minister personally find people who flat out say to me that they aren’t ready to change, or give stuff up in their lives yet.
Such a sad response.
Its like this Doctor said ‘they are sick, here is the remedy, do this and do that.’
But they aren’t willing.
I hope for their sake, that the Lord doesn’t require their life before they’ve made the decision to accept Jesus as Lord.
Because, the moment your soul leaves this earthly body, your fate is sealed.
Because then it would be too late.
You see many of us forget, we are operating on His time, not, ours.
His plan is not moved just because we feel we need more time.
The Sun, moon, & stars continue to rise and set, and so does His plan.
With or without out us.
Now, let us move from those who have yet to be converted to those of us who claim to know Christ.
Let me ask you:
Have you changed since your conversion?
What about those of us who have converted?
Have we changed?
Have you changed since you accepted the Lord?
For your sakes, I hope so.
Because if you haven’t, I’ve got news for you.
You aren’t saved yet.
1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? 3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing 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. 7 For he who has died has been freed from sin.
Paul explains that when we came to Christ, something happened—we died. Our old man was crucified with Christ, and we were raised with Him to walk in newness of life.
If there is no change, there is no true conversion. If you are still producing the same fruit as before, then the tree has not been made new.
In the Christian life, we often speak of three great works of God in us:
Regeneration – being born again, made new.
Justification – being declared righteous by God through Christ.
Glorification – the final transformation when we are with Him forever.
Together, these make up what we call sanctification—the ongoing process of becoming holy, being conformed into the image of Christ.
All three together, is what “I” see as sanctification.
Sometimes it is used in the same way as the term Justification.
But for our message today, Sanctification is the process of all three.
What do I mean?
Well, when a person first believes in Jesus and is converted,
Immediately upon their sincere conversion of heart soul and mind,
They are regenerated into a new person before the Lord.
You are still you, in essence, in body, but not so much in thought.
From that very moment, you are new and the old has gone.
At the very moment of true conversion, God does something miraculous—
He makes us new.
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
That means at the moment of your conversion, those little dirty secrets you’ve been carrying around with you all these years?
They are forgiven!
Thats right, even that one!
12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”
But you must confess it before the Lord.
9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
That means you no longer have to hold on to that baggage you are carrying.
Leave it at the altar of you conversion.
Leave it with Jesus.
Confess your sins to Him, repent and be baptized for the remission of your sins..
Jesus said we shall be known by our fruits.
Do you still look guilty?
Do you still act guilty?
Do yo still cower before the enemy as if you are still guilty?
Why?
You have been forgiven!
That is regeneration—you are not who you once were. You have been made new in Christ.
But regeneration is not enough. You need justification.
1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
You are no longer the person that committed that sin anyway.
At least you shouldn’t be!
Because that person has been regenerated into a new person.
Through the power of Christs’ resurrection & His Blood that covers you.
12 As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
You see, the reason many of us aren’t living victorious Christian lives is because,
Although we want to be changed, we are afraid of change.
Its the very reason many unbelievers will die in their sins.
Because they are afraid of the change that WILL happen.
YES, there is a change.
IF there is true conversion.
So, I ask you again, have you changed since your conversion?
I hope so.
This change is not to be feared, it is to be longed for.
Don’t you think Jesus knows what the best personality is for you?
He should!
He knows you better than you now yourself.
He knew you since before the womb
11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.
This process of change is called “Sanctification”
It’s a good thing.
You should welcome it, and not fear it.
Soon after your conversion, you will notice that things begin to seem different to you.
Even you start to seem different to yourselves if you are truly converted.
This is why Jesus said you shall know them by their fruits.
You will begin to carry yourself as one who has been redeemed.
Everything in your life should reflect the new life that God has granted you at your regeneration.
It may not all happen at once.
But, it does happen, don’t fight it.
Let it happen.
This thing is of God!
This process of Sanctification does not end.
You will be in this process until you are taken up to be with Jesus.
It is God’s power meeting you were you are a the moment of Salvation and repentance.
Mingling with who you are and begins what the Bible calls Sanctification.
This is how you can tell if a person is truly repentant or not.
Truly saved or not.
Because if they are not, they are still in their Iniquities.
How could this happen you ask?
Because of “Justification.”
At the cross, Jesus bore your sin, and God declared you righteous. You are justified—not by works, but by faith in Christ alone.
You were guilty of a crime.
You were deserving of death for your sins.
You were bound by those nasty little secret sins you’ve been carrying.
You were a slave to the old person you were.
But, God sent Jesus and He paid for your sins.
By the stripes on His back you were healed.
Your were healed by his affliction
5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.
Peter picks up on this in
24 who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.
But here’s the struggle—though we are made new, we still wrestle with the flesh.
Chapter 7 paints this picture vividly. Paul cries:
18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. 19 For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice.
Have you ever felt that? Wanting to do right, but falling short?
This is the battle of sanctification—the war between flesh and Spirit.
But praise God, chapter 8 gives us the remedy
1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
The Spirit of God empowers us to walk in newness of life.
Sanctification is not you trying harder—it is God working in you.
Jesus Paid for your sins on the cross, so now you are Justified, and being sanctified before the Lord, AMEN.
Where does this all lead Pastor?
Im so glad you asked.
One day, the battle will end, then comes finally, Glorification.
On that day, every tear will be wiped away, every weakness will be gone, and we will be made perfect in His presence.
30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.
It all leads to your Glorification before the Lord.
For your heavenly ticket into heaven.
For you to have your name written in the Lambs book of life.
For you to be reunited with all of the loved ones that went on before you.
So, that you, —that old sinner,—that old person that you used to be,
Can now LIVE with BOLDNESS and confidence in this world.
That you belong NOT to this world, but the world to come, AMEN.
So let the changes come.
Welcome them.
This is from God.
So what does all this mean? It means this: if you are truly in Christ, your life will show it.
The fruit you bear reveals the tree you belong to.
You will no longer desire the old sinful ways.
You will find joy in God’s Word.
You will hunger for righteousness.
You will grow in compassion, holiness, and love.
Because you are no longer living for yourself
20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
Give into the change, give in to the power of God in your Sanctification. Amen
So let me ask you again: what tree are you?
Are you the old, diseased tree, bearing fruit of sin and death? Or are you the new tree in Christ, bearing fruit of righteousness and life?
Your fruit tells the truth.
So today, yield yourself fully to the Spirit of God. Don’t fight the change—embrace it.
Let sanctification have its full work in you. For it is not a curse—it is a blessing.
It is proof that you belong to Christ.
And one day, when this process is complete,
When faith becomes sight, you will stand glorified in the presence of your Savior.
Amen.
