An Exchanged Life

An Exchanged Life (Classic Christianity, Chapter 8)

What if there were a Life Exchange Program, who would you like to trade your life for?

Galatians 1:1-5

Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;) 2 And all the brethren which are with me, unto the churches of Galatia: 3 Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, 4 Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: 5 To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Clearly it is God’s will that we be delivered from this evil world. (Remember, we are not of this world.) Thus, God sent a Deliverer.

Problem is so many desire to be and to remain a part of this world. People love their sin! Why people even hate their lives but still love their sins.

that he might deliver us from this present evil world, That means HE gave Himself to saves us.

Why Do I need to be saved?

The Bible says,

· For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23

· The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 6:23

· It is appointed unto man once to die, but after this the judgment. Hebrews 9:27.

Why do you need to be saved? To escape the judgement of God. I preached on this last week. There is a HELL that awaits all who reject the Son of God.

You cannot save yourself:

The Bible says,

Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Titus 3:5.

Regeneration – 1. Reproduction; the act of producing anew. 2. In theology, new birth by the grace of God; that change by which the will and natural enmity of man to God and his law are subdued, and a principle of supreme love to God and his law, or holy affections, are implanted in the heart.

Renewing – Made new again; repaired; re-established; repeated; revived; renovated; regenerated.

We know it as ‘Born Again.’

God’s plan is greater than a simple salvation, a simple deliverance from the wrath of GOD.

He died that I might live!

He died that HE might live in me!

We are to live “in Christ” not apart from Him.

Paul wrote, I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20.

We don’t need a changed life; we need an exchanged life.

God’s plan of redemption includes a Life Exchange program.

In the CHANGED LIFE program, I either want God to change me (who He created) or I want to change myself. I want to attend a program, or participate in 6, 10 or 12 steps to a new life.

It’s not about anger management or alcohol anonymous, it’s about spiritual war. Jesus said, you believe in God, believe also in me – God’s word says,

For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. 2 Corinthians 5:21

· Christ takes His righteousness and exchanges it for our sin.

o We take our sin and exchange it for His righteousness

· His living Spirit for my dead spirit.

o We take our dead spirit and exchange it of His living spirit

· His beauty for our ashes.

o We take our ashes and exchange them for His beauty

We need to ask Christ to take your life in exchange for HIS life.

Many today make professions of faith in Jesus Christ but they never partake of the Life Exchange program.

They claim that the blood of Jesus can cleanse you from all your sins, but they never receive the cleansing, AND they never let you receive it either.

They can’t let go of their past; they cling to it – AND – they won’t let you either.

Continually, they will remind themselves of their sins causing doubt in their salvation, AND as misery loves company, they will remind you of yours.

Simply put, they cannot believe the GOD loves them enough to forgive them of ALL THEIR SIN.

Do not believe these Lying Spirits – Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: (1 Peter 5:8). When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. Jn 8:44c.

He will lie to you! He will tell you that you are unclean, lost, and bound for Hell!

Believe not the lies of the devil – God has given you a new, true heart, use it. Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Hebrews 10:22.

Here’s the thing –

The gospel of Jesus Christ isn’t just for the lost. It is for the saved as well. READ Romans 5:6-10. AS Christians, though we may slip, fall, or even backslide – WE ARE SAVED BY HIS LIFE – Christ is still saving us from the wrath to come.

It’s not a license to sin but rather permission to live, and because of His great love we choose live holy unto Him.

Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Jesus Christ took the judgement against us upon Himself. There is nothing left to condemn us.

Ephesians 1:6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. That doesn’t mean that HE has accepted your behavior or your lifestyle, but it does mean that HE has accepted YOU.

Let’s look at Hebrews 10:14 “For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.”

You, we are perfect in Christ. Declared to be by His sacrifice… forever! Don’t let a lying spirit steal that from you!

1 Corinthians 6:9-11 (who you are, not who you were)

You have been blessed with spiritual blessing, chosen before the foundation of the world, adopted into the family, accepted by the beloved, redeemed by His blood, forgiven by His grace, sealed by His Spirit.

O to grace how great a debtor – I owe my all to God, creator, and giver of Grace.

Daily I’m constrained to be! – drawn to Him by His lovingkindness. (Jr. 31:3)

Let Thy goodness, like a fetter, - give me the shackles of God’s goodness

Bind my wandering heart to Thee. – If I am to be in bondage let me be bound to Thee O Lord.

Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, - Keep back thy servant from presumptuous sin (Ps. 19:13)

Prone to leave the God I love; - Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. (Ps. 51:11)

Here’s my heart, O take and seal it, - Here Father, I want to exchange my life of sin, I want to exchange my ashes for your beauty; “create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” Ps. 51:10.

Seal it for Thy courts above.

What if there were a Life Exchange Program, who would you like to trade your life for?

Keep in mind that if you don’t exchange the heart noting would really change for you. In fact, life might be all the worst for it.

If you would like to exchange your life for the life of Christ, you can do that today.

Call upon the Lord Jesus Christ, confess Him as Lord, believing that GOD has raised Him from the dead, and you shall be saved.

Repent of your sins and receive your new life in Christ.