Title: The Exchanged Life

Date: 2009-01-11

Reference: Eph. 4: 22-24

Last week Megan spoke with the children about New Year Resolutions. As usual, many resolutions were made ten days ago, and by now, some have already been broken.

Many resolutions involve weight and dieting. I’m like the guy who said: “I’ve been on a diet for two weeks now and all I’ve lost is two weeks.” Someone else said: “You can lead a person to cottage cheese, but you can’t make him shrink.”

Even so, I believe resolutions are helpful. Our Grand Street Church Sign has a helpful reminder this month. In case you haven’t read it, the sign says: “Let your resolution, be His Solution.”

One of the reasons we don’t follow through on our resolutions is that we take God out of the equation. Our resolutions begin with: “This year I will, I will become, I will do, I will not do, I will change.” Most of our goals are made because we desire to become better persons which is good. But without God there is not much hope for this exchanged life we seek. Our resolutions would have a much better chance if we said: “With God’s Help, I will.”

We do want to reach our full potential as human beings. We are very aware of our negative habits and characteristics. Each of us is born with the same illness, called self. We are often self centered and selfish persons. We would rather be loving, joyful, thoughtful, caring, happy, unselfish, kind, gracious, cooperative, healthy persons of integrity. We want to be at peace with God and at peace with the World around us.

What we are seeking is a new and improved version of ourselves.

It is possible to become the kind of person the Bible describes but only with the help of God. We cannot do it on our own. Our faith tells us how futile it is to try and fix up the old you and the old me. Rather when we welcome Christ into our lives we open under new management.

For instance a truly angry, bitter, mean spirited person does not change simply because he or she resolves on Dec. 31st to become a nicer person. It may last for a while, but just cleaning up our act is never enough. The lasting solution is allowing God to make us new, to change our heart. The Holy Spirit doesn’t just help us change a bit, He comes to make us new persons in Jesus. The Spirit doesn’t make us a new and improved model of ourselves, He makes us different people.

Today’s Scripture reading describes this transformation. The Spirit will change our way of thinking and make each of us into a new person. Daily we choose to give Christ unrestricted access to our lives. We surrender our will to His will. We choose to accept this relationship with Christ which will result in a different outlook and nature. We will finally be able to put off the old self and put on the new self.

This is a daily process. If you were by nature a worry wart, an impatient person before Christ, you will have the same personality after becoming a Christian. Christ will make you aware of your personality and help you to daily overcome the challenges in life that keep you from being happy and fulfilled. I find it helpful, each morning early, to lay all my plans for the day at God’s feet. This is the way Jesus lived and it takes the pressure off. Life is complicated. The Christian faces the same issues as others in the world, but with God’s help it is so much easier to deal with life’s challenges.

When our Walk with Christ is genuine, the world around us will see a connection between our faith and our daily life. What we say and do on Sunday will effect how we conduct ourselves on Monday.

In this New Year, rather than just making empty resolutions, we pray that God will give each of us a new heart as He promised to do. We pray He will put a New Spirit within us. We ask God to pour His love into our hearts and allow us to overflow into the world around us. We ask God to be involved in every aspect of life, in every decision we make, in every word we speak. We pray God’s love will flow through each of us in a healing stream of loving words and actions. We want to become more and more like Jesus in character and in conduct.

It is so exciting to see the light come on when a person discovers how his or her faith can become relevant in daily life. My son attends a group called The Fellowship of Christian Colts at South High School. They meet together each Friday after school. The purpose is to help the kids see how one’s faith in Christ makes a daily difference at home, in school, and at work.

Our Christian Faith has always taught how god desires a personal friendship or relationship with each of us as individuals. We matter to God. We will never be completely fulfilled apart from a personal relationship with God. This friendship is why we were created, it is our highest purpose. Life is so much better when we are enjoying this friendship with God. Millions of persons, over the years, have found peace, purpose, happiness, love, and joy when they turned their lives over to God and allowed the Spirit to lead and direct.

God has helped persons overcome addictions, has healed both mentally and spiritually. God has brought families together and has offered hope where there was no hope before. We call this New Life or the Exchanged Life. Jesus said it this way: “I have come to offer you Abundant full life now, and eternal life later.” Why would any of us hesitate to accept this exchanged life God so willingly offers?

A missionary in India shares about meeting an old Hindu Priest who changed a mantra for hours at a time to chase away evil spirits, to gain merit from the Gods, and to make himself a better person. Fear was this very religious man’s primary, felt emotion. Before he died this old man with glazed over eyes received Christ into his life. The change in his countenance was dramatic. He didn’t even look like the same person. His eyes were now soft without the empty glare. The obvious aura of peace he had spent his life looking for now surrounded his gently smiling face. He had experienced the exchanged life.

Another Christian believer was carrying a heavy bag of potatoes on his back. As he walked along he was joined by a skeptic who asked him: “How can you be sure you have received this exchanged life? How do you know you have been saved?” The man dropped the bag and asked: “How do I know I have dropped the bag of potatoes, I have not looked around?” The skeptic replied: “You can tell you dropped the bag by the lessening of the weight you carry.” “And that is how I know I am saved” replied the believer. “The heavy weight of sin and sorrow has been taken from my shoulders. In their place I found peace, satisfaction, and a relationship with God.”

John Newton who wrote the words to Amazing Grace tried to describe the difference the exchanged life had made for him. He said: “Before I was a Christian, I ran after sin. Now I run from sin, even though I am sometimes still overtaken.” He said: “I am not what I ought to be. I am not what I wish to be. I am not what I hope to become. But by the Amazing Grace of Almighty God I am not what I once was.”

Many of us here have resolved to read the Bible through again this year. There are many promises in the Bible to help those who are attempting to live an exchanged life. Among them: “Fear not, for I am with you. Be not dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen and hop you. I will uphold you” (Is. 41:10) “Those who wait for the Lord shall renew your strength and mount up with wings like eagles, run and not be weary, walk and to be faint.” (Is. 40:29) “God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 5:5) “God will supply your every need.” (Phil. 4:9) “Seek me with all your heart and you shall find me.” (Jer. 29:13)

Jesus himself said: “I stand at the door and knock. If you will open the door of your heart, I will come in.” I was reading about a rescue in Alaska. A woman was walking across a grassy field when suddenly the earth gave way and she fell down into a mine shaft. She fell 15 feet down into the ground and was eventually rescued. She noted how she was at that point totally dependent upon outside help. There was no way she could have pulled herself up. She said: “I would have perished had it not been for help from above.” Her words are an accurate description of our own human condition. We must have help from above in order to live the exchanged life.

Our Wed. Night Group is studying the Gospel of Mark.

Mark begins his book by proclaiming Good News. The Good News is God’s son has come into the world to die for our sins. Our sins can be forgiven. We can live the exchanged life. We can belong to the family of God. And one day we will go to heaven to be with God.

Truly Good News for a New Year.