HAVE YOU CHANGED? James 1:9-11

Have You Changed?  We continue our study into the book of James  We have spoken of trials and the wisdom offered by God to deal with those trials  What James deals with next may help us understand how things can change in our lives very quickly

Have You Changed?  That word change can certainly scare us  We often become comfortable with who we are and with our status in life  When something comes along to change that, we may resist, even if it’s for our own good  What kind of changes can we expect?

Have You Changed?  1. Change in status  It may not be a coincidence that James speaks of the lowly being exalted and the rich being humbled following a discussion on trials  Trials can change our status in life  A trial can be a financial one (job loss, stock market crash, etc.)

Have You Changed?  1. Change in status  Think about Job, one of the wealthiest men alive during his time  Job lost most of his wealth through personal tragedy  Job went from rich to poor then back to rich again

Have You Changed?  1. Change in status  Job wasn’t concerned with losing his “stuff”  The rich young ruler, however, did not like the thought of a change in status (Matt. 19:16- 22)  He loved his riches much more than the thought of giving them up to be a disciple of Christ

Have You Changed?  2. Change in priorities  When trials come in life, it seems to change our view or understanding on things  It often times can show us what really is important in life  Ex. Death of a loved one, separation from spouse

Have You Changed?  2. Change in priorities  Christ seemed to remind us that trials of life can help us put our priorities in order  Matt. 6:25-34  “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you”

Have You Changed?  2. Change in priorities  God wants to be first in our lives  Matt. 22:36-37  God allows the trials of our lives to shape us and mold us into what we need to be  Part of that is when we realize that God is important in our lives

Have You Changed?  3. Change in attitude  Trials have a way of changing our attitude, or outlook on things in life  Someone who is a hardened criminal may come out a changed person after spending time behind bars  Naaman was a good example of a change in attitude (II Kings 5)

Have You Changed?  3. Change in attitude  He felt he was too good to do what God commanded, even though he had leprosy  Trials have a way of softening our hearts  He did what God asked and was healed  He returned to give thanks (attitude change) to Elisha and to praise God

Have You Changed?  3. Change in attitude  Perhaps our attitudes need some adjusting from time to time  God has a way of humbling His people through the trials of this life  Our attitude can change for the better in the aftermath of tribulation

Have You Changed?  4. Change in spiritual state  Trials in this life can also cause us to change our spiritual state  Many children of God have been born out of adversity  One outstanding example of this is Paul and his conversion (Acts 8-9)

Have You Changed?  4. Change in spiritual state  No one was a bigger enemy of the church and the cross of Christ than Saul  When Jesus appeared to him and blinded him for 3 days, Saul made a change  That 3 day trial (blindness) worked to change Saul into the great apostle Paul

Have You Changed?  4. Change in spiritual state  When we become a child of God, everything changes for us  “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (II Cor. 5:17)  We view the world differently

Have You Changed?  4. Change in spiritual state  There is no more rich or poor  No more slave or free  No more black or white  We are all just as important in the kingdom (Rom. 10:12; Gal. 3:28)  The ground is level at the foot of the cross