The Gospel Brings Change
INTRO.
Change is inevitable! Change can be our friend or our enemy depending on how we embrace it. We can not go through life without being affected by change. As Christians we should welcome change when it is for our good and helps us grow in our walk with Christ.
This text seems to be emphasizing that we need to appreciate the salvation we have in the Lord.
In California Mt. Whitney stands 14,505 feet above sea level which make it the highest point in the 48 continental states. There is snow on top of Mt. Whitney all year around. Only 80 miles Southwest from this highest point is Death Valley. It is 280 feet below sea level and it gets up to 134 degrees in the shade there. Quite a contrast don’t you think?
There is quite a change from one spot to the other. You can say that from Mt. Whitney you are on top of the world so to speak. From there you can look down on everything. From Death Valley you could say you are at the bottom of the world because you have to look up to see anything.
In our text Paul is wanting us to see that kind of a contrast between life with Christ and life without Him. To helps us see this contrast Paul first takes us to the valley and then he takes us to the mountain top. In doing so he hopes that we will be willing to make the changes that are needed in order that we may have eternal life.
I. The View from the Valley-
“The Gospel Calls for a Change of Allegiance” verses 1-3
1. Look at your Bibles. Paul uses words like dead, trespasses, sins sinners, worldly, followers of Satan, prince of the power if the air, disobedient, living in lust of the flesh, children of wrath. These are words of the enemy.
2. Paul is saying that we must die to the former way of life that we lived when we become a Christian.
3. We must abandon the ways of the world. We must abandon the ruler of the world. We must abandon the desires of the world.
4. We must die in order to live. Apart from Christ we have no hope. Without Christ we are just dead men walking.
5. The Gospel calls for us to make a change of allegiance. From the old way to the new, from the prince of the power of the air to Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Without Christ we are dead.
II. The View from the Mountain Top-
“The Gospel Brings a Change of Position” verses 4-13
1. “But God” –vs 4. This phrase emphasizes the change that has been made. Because of God’s great love and mercy He made us alive in Christ.
2. Even though we were dead in our sins, God raised us up and made us alive together with Christ- That is grace!
3. We were dead but now we are alive because of what Christ did on the cross. We were far from Christ but now we are seated with Him in the heavenly places.
4. Our salvation is by grace and is God’s gift to us. Because of our changed position we should want to do good works and walk in them.
5. We are to “remember” our former way of life and how the Gospel changed us so that we won’t go back to that way of living. We have been brought near by the blood of Christ! (vs 13)
III. The View from the Road of Life-
“The Gospel Brings a Change in the Way I Live” verses 13-22
1. We were aliens, strangers, outside of Christ, separated from Christ, without a country to call home, without a cause, without hope, and without God.
2. “But now”-vs 13. Again we have a phrase that emphasizes the change that has been made.
3. Jesus is the great reconciler. Through His own blood he has brought us who were far from Him near. Now we have peace, unity, forgiveness, and access to the Father because of the cross.
4. “So then”-vs 19. We are no longer strangers but now we are fellow citizens with the saints (inhabitants of heaven), We are God’s own household, His family. We are God’s dwelling place, His holy temple.
5. The apostles and prophets laid the foundation, Jesus is the cornerstone, and we are the building blocks. We must fit together to form God’s dwelling place.
CONCLUSION
In this text we have seen the AMAZING DEPTS God was willing to go to, we have seen the AMAZING HEIGHTS God was willing to bring us to, by His AMAZING GRACE so that we might do AMAZING WORKS.
We were once dead in sin, far away from God. BUT God made it possible for us to have a change through His Son Jesus Christ. Now, we are alive!
Nothing that Jesus Christ touches remains the same.
God’s love has a height without a top,
A depth without a bottom,
A length without an end
And a breadth without a limit.
If you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior today, then you are lost and dead in your sins.
The Gospel offers you a chance to change. The choice is simple- Dead in your sins and far away from God OR alive and near to Christ. What is your choice?