How do people change?

Is Change Really Possible? In the Navs in college we did a weekly Bible study - wrote an application. A lifetime discipline. What if after 10 years you find you are still writing the same applications? Is change really possible? Are there things you don’t like about yourself - or that you know God doesn’t like - where you see very little change? If there can be change, how does change happen? Is Change Really Possible?

Some True Stories kid in math class - what happened? woman at a conference - God smiled at her man estranged from his father Wytheville Enterprise

“When I experienced God’s love…” “I don’t doubt that God loves me, but…” Are these two statements the same?

“And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God..” –Ephesians 3:17-19

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14 (ESV)

How do people change? And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. As we experience God (who is love) we are changed. It is a process. 2 Corinthians 3:18 (ESV)

The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.” Why didn’t he tell her to quit sinning in the beginning? What happened here? What did she experience? Did this woman sin again? Did she lose her temper at some point? Did she slander someone or act in a way she shouldn’t? What was Jesus thinking of her then? She already knew. She has experienced Jesus - knows Him. He is not condemning her at her worst moment. And that changes her. It is a process… John 8:1-11

If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith… Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Philippians 3:4-12 (ESV) How can we experience God - know him - quit trying to earn or deserve His approval. You already have it. Let go of anything that you think qualifies you. He delights in you. We have to be bought off from trying to do something or thinking there is something we have done or can do that has caused Him to love us and that makes us righteous. Now there are things our children do that cause us to love them in a special way - that are especially pleasing to us - but if they don’t do those things our love is still there. If they displease us, we may feel pain because of our love - because they are our delight. The family is God’s analogy of His relationship to us as a father.

O foolish Galatians. Who has bewitched you O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith— just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”? Galatians 3:1-6 (ESV) go to the cross for your assurance of God’s love

how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. Maybe God wants to speak a personal word to you. Ask Jesus what He thinks about you. What He feels about you. What did the Holy Spirit say to you? Hebrews 9:14 (ESV)