This week we are going to look at a subject that will change a person’s life. When a person gets saved their lives change. They will be like the apostle Paul. He said after he got saved that the things he once loved he now hated and the things he once hated he now loved. So you see salvation will bring about a change in a persons life. We are not to judge a person but we can look for fruit in their lives. There are many people who claim to be a Christian but you see no fruit in their lives. There has not been a change. They still say and do the same things they have always done. So the Bible tells us to look for fruit. “15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. 16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.” Matt 7:15-20 (KJV)
Jesus is teaching us here that if you are saved things will be different in your life. He uses natural illustrations to get this lesson over to you and me. When one gets saved he is a new creature in Christ Jesus. “17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” 2 Cor 5:17 (KJV)
SO after salvation Jesus makes all things new so we have a new beginning. Things change and we should be a different person. There are people in the Bible that bear this out. In John Chapter 4 it tells us of a woman that came to the well to draw water. She received more than just water that day but she received living water. She was saved. This woman had never thought about Jesus. Now she was face to face with the Master. He told her of her life which this astonished her. A stranger knew every thing about her. “16 Jesus saith unto her, ‘Go, call thy husband, and come hither.’ 17 The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, ‘Thou hast well said, I have no husband: 18 For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly’”. John 4:16-18 (KJV)
After Jesus talked with this woman she asks him for that living water which he gave to her. This woman’s heart was changed. She went out to tell others about Jesus. 29 Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ? John 4:29 (KJV)
Many believed in Jesus because of this woman’s testimony. You have to understand these people knew this woman and the kind of life she was living. Now when she came to them they saw a difference in her. They saw something in her that they had never seen before. In Luke Chapter 19 we find a man by the name of Zaccheus that had got saved and a change took place in his life. “1 And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. 2 And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich. 3 And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature. 4 And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way. 5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, ‘Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house.’ 6 And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully. 7 And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner. 8 And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. 9 And Jesus said unto him, ‘This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.’” Luke 19:1-10 (KJV)
You see this man got a good doss of God’s salvation. I feel that there are a lot of people today that what they need is a good doss of salvation. This man was willing to give half of his goods to the poor and if he had taken anything from any man by false accusation he was willing to restore him fourfold. This mans life had changed. We live in a time when some people all they think about are themselves. Everything is about themselves. Maybe these people need what Zacchaeus got. A good doss of God’s salvation. I tell you it will make a change in your life. In Acts 9 we read about a Pharisee by the name of Saul. “1 And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,” Acts 9:1 (KJV)
This man fought as hard as any body against God and His people. Saul was going to Damascus to punish the people of God there. But on the road to Damascus God saved this man named Saul. “4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, ‘Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?’ 5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.’ 6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, ‘Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.’” Acts 9:4-6 (KJV)
God sent him to a man named Ananias there he was to learn what he was to do. This Saul who God changed his name to Paul was used of God to preach the gospel and write many books of the New Testament. This mans life was changed after he meet the Master. I am well aware that a person can lose the joy of their salvation. You cannot lose the salvation but you can the joy. The way we lose the joy is by turning away from God and everything that He is. When this happens I feel people are most miserable. There are a lot of people out there that looks like they have lost their joy. They have lost their song. You might even say their wood is so wet that you never could get a fire built. There is a man in the Bible by the name of David that lost his joy. “7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 8 Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. 9 Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. 11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. 12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. 13 Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.” Psalms 51:7-13 (KJV)
There are people who say they have been saved but never tell anyone. People I am not ashamed of my salvation or my Jesus. If you are saved you should want to tell everyone we meet.
I trust that this has been a blessing to each one of you that reads it. If you are saved see if there has been a change in your life. Everyone one of us at one point and time in our lives has tried to change the way we were living. It might have lasted for a little while but things would soon return to the old ways. Believe me when God changes a life it is changed. May God bless you.
Yours in Christ
Elder Burdette Thomas
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