Making a Change Rom 6: 16-18 CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO

Making a serious change in your life usually occurs because of one or more things that will convince you to make a necessary change in your life.  The things that get you to change are:

Obedience – Rom 6:16-18 – you change from serving sin to serving righteousness because God said so.  This is the best way and the best reason to change something in your life.  You realize that you aren’t doing right by the Lord because of what his word says.  So, you obey and change.

Chastisement – Heb 12:4-11 – you change because God chastens you.  Through his chastening you bring forth fruit unto righteousness.  In Job 34:31-32, Elihu said about chastening, “I will not offend anymore… I will do no more.”  You realize that God is the one chastening you and correcting your disobedience.

Rebuke – 2 Sam 12:1-14 – David sinned and Nathan got David with a stern rebuke.  David repented and changed [Ps 51:1-7].  A rebuke can be harder to take that the chastening of the Lord because it involves another person.  But the Lord uses rebuke to turn you back to him and to get you to obey him.

Punishment – 1 Cor 5:1-7, 11 – this fornicator was punished by the congregation and he got right [2 Cor 2:6-11].  The punishment was harsh.  They cut off fellowship with him and turned him over to Satan for the destruction of his flesh.  That is rougher than the Lord’s chastening and rougher than a rebuke.  But if punishment is what it takes, them the Lord will oblige.  He wants you serving righteousness, not sin.

Affliction – Lk 15:17 – the prodigal “came to himself,” in the pig pen.  He was hurting.  He realized that he sinned against God and against his father.  The affliction brought him around.  Ps 119:67, 71 says, “before I was afflicted [to afflict is to cause pain or suffering] I went astray, but now… it is good for me that I have been afflicted.”  Two things are necessary when you turn after being afflicted.  You must acknowledge the truth [2 Tim 2:25] and you must acknowledge your sin [Ps 32:5].

Conclusion: God wants us to obey him.  And when we aren’t obedient, we need to make a change.  God will use any of these things to turn you.  He prefers that you change just because he said so.  But when you don’t, he’ll do what he must to get you to make a change.