Beginning A New Life This lesson is not

Beginning A New Life This lesson is not only for new converts, but can be useful to aged veterans of God’s people, and people considering becoming a Christian

Before Becoming A Christian • Ephesians 2 • 1 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, • 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, • 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.

Your condition • Dead—Spiritually dead, separated from God as physical death separates soul from body. • Trespasses—Sins, Iniquities, Failures, Breaking God’s laws, Not doing God’s commands. • Walked…course of world—lifestyle, as the world, culture, society views life. • Everything was done for selfish reasons. • Me, myself, and I took priority in your life.

You Were Lost • Isaiah 59: 1 -8 • 1 ¶ Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, That it cannot save; Nor His ear heavy, That it cannot hear. • 2 But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear. • 3 For your hands are defiled with blood, And your fingers with iniquity; Your lips have spoken lies, Your tongue has muttered perversity. • 4 No one calls for justice, Nor does any plead for truth. They trust in empty words and speak lies; They conceive evil and bring forth iniquity.

You Were Lost • 5 They hatch vipers' eggs and weave the spider's web; He who eats of their eggs dies, And from that which is crushed a viper breaks out. • 6 Their webs will not become garments, Nor will they cover themselves with their works; Their works are works of iniquity, And the act of violence is in their hands. • 7 Their feet run to evil, And they make haste to shed innocent blood; Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; Wasting and destruction are in their paths. • 8 The way of peace they have not known, And there is no justice in their ways; They have made themselves crooked paths; Whoever takes that way shall not know peace.

Without Hope • Ephesians 2: 11 -13 • 11 ¶ Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh--who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands- • 12 that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. • 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

Without God • 9 Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. • To abide is to dwell, stay, live in the doctrine, teaching, precepts of Christ’s teachings. • Christ’s teachings are the very words of God.

Change Takes Place • When you realize that you have sinned against God. • When you are sorrowful for sinning against God. • When you determine to stop the sin in your life. • You turn your life around. • Repentance means “change of direction”.

Some Changes • Colossians 3: 5 Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. • 6 Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, • 7 in which yourselves once walked when you lived in them.

Some Changes • • • Romans 6: 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.

Some Changes • Ephesians 2: 4 ¶ But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, • 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), • 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, • 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. • 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, • 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. • 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

Some Changes • 1 Corinthians 6: 9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, • 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. • 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.

Some Changes • Colossians 3: 8 But now yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. • 9 Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, • 10 and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him,

Some Changes • Galatians 5: 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, • 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. • 24 And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

Now That A Change Has Occurred… • Colossians 3: 1 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. • 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. • 3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. • 4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.

Now That A Change Has Occurred… • 2 Peter 3: 17 You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; • 18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.

Conclusion • There is no easy button when it comes to spirituality. • You must continue to learn about God’s will the day of your death. • You must make a diligent effort in trying to be the person God wants you to be. • You must be faithful until death (Rev. 2: 10)