Romans: Assurance, Providence, and Life in the Spirit: Walking With God

The Theology of Change - 3

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: New Testament Studies

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2018-08-05

Synopsis: John Weaver continues his series on the theology of change, emphasizing that while God is immutable, humanity is mutable and must undergo biblical change. He explains that repentance and conversion are foundational changes necessary for salvation, and that ongoing change is essential for Christian growth. Change is enabled by the Holy Spirit as believers behold Christ, and resistance to change often stems from comfort with traditions and idolatry of self. Ultimately, believers will either change for the better by conforming to Christ or for the worse by conforming to the world.

[John Weaver] 2 Corinthians 3, verse 18, and also Malachi 3, verse 6. You should remember Malachi from the previous messages. Malachi 3, verse 6, we'll read it first, and then go to 2 Corinthians 3, verse 18, because this is the third message in the series, the theology of change. In Malachi 3, verse 6, the Word of God says, For I am the Lord, I change not. Therefore you sons of Jacob are not consumed." Then if you look in 2 Corinthians 3, verse 18, the scripture says, But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass, the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. If you will remember, I have been dealing in the last two messages on the distinction between a preference and a conviction. And I also dealt with things that should not change us, especially should not change our theology, such as profit and pleasure and pressure and persecution. But the truth of the matter is we do change and change is absolutely necessary.

[John Weaver] And when you just think of the word change, All you can say is what a word. It literally depends upon one's frame of reference as well as one's circumstances as to whether or not change is refreshing or dismal. The truth of the matter is we all change. Change may be for the better or it may be for the worse. Yet we all change. And most people do not like change.

[John Weaver] And I'll explain why a little bit later. In fact, the older you get, the more you dislike change, I can assure you. And the more technology advances, the more you hate to see it advance. When we hadn't had a TV in years, but when we had a VCR, I guess for 30 years it still blinked because I never knew how to change the thing. And it blinked until finally we got rid of it.

[John Weaver] So, you know, it's just like these phones today. If something has to be done to my phone, I just hand it to my grandson. I fix it, you know. I don't know anything about it. And, you know, change can be very difficult for us, that is for sure. But the word change refers to that which is altered, replaced, substituted, transformed, or converted. We may not necessarily like change.

[John Weaver] But it is absolutely necessary, especially from a biblical perspective. Changelessness belongs to God alone. He alone is immutable. He is unchangeable. Immutability belongs to the Creator. Mutability belongs to the creature. That is, we are changing individuals. God is the most perfect being. Therefore, he cannot change for the better because he's already perfect, and he cannot change for the worse because then he would be less than perfect. So that's why I said in Malachi 3 and verse 6, for I am the Lord, I change not. And you must remember the same is said concerning Jesus Christ in Hebrews 13 and verse 8, when it said, Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever.

[John Weaver] Now, when God created Adam, which we will talk about a little bit more next week, but when God created Adam, He had created him with original righteousness, holiness, and knowledge, but He created him mutable, that is, changeable. Adam was also given dominion. And when you stop and think that Adam was created with original righteousness, holiness, and knowledge, and given dominion, moreover, He lived in an absolutely perfect environment, and yet he sinned. How could he possibly have sinned in a perfect environment? And the answer is, because he was made mutable. That is, he could change. And Adam did change. Adam was not God. He literally changed, and he changed God for Satan, truth for a lie, holiness for rebellion, peace for trouble, comfort for misery, and righteousness for sin. So he changed, and obviously, because of that, he now cannot change back. It is one thing to change from good to bad. But now he has a depraved and fallen nature, and it's impossible now for Adam's posterity to change back in and of itself.

[John Weaver] That's why in Jeremiah chapter 13 and verse 23, God asked this question. Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots? Then may you do good who are accustomed to doing evil. So we not only have a fallen nature, We have also acquired a habitual stance in sinning and rebelling against God. We've become accustomed to it. We are comfortable in it, and we do not necessarily want to change in and of ourselves. That's why in 2 Timothy 3, verse 13, the Bible says that evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse.

[John Weaver] Now, if you would hold 2 Corinthians, we're coming back there. But I want you to look in the book of Romans, chapter 8, very quickly. Romans, chapter 8. And notice, if you would please, verses 6 through 8, just to show you how far Adam fell. Adam became what you and I would call totally depraved. Consequently, all of Adam's posterity are totally depraved as well. to show you the extent of that depravity and inability. In Romans 8, verse 6, the Bible says, For to be carnally minded, that is fleshly minded, for to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Now, he explains why the carnal mind is death. He says, because the carnal mind, that is the fleshly mind, the mind by nature, the carnal mind is enmity against God. The word enmity is a very strong word for hatred, so it's literally like this, because the carnal mind is strong hatred against God, for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. Now because of this truth, look at verse 8, so then, they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

[John Weaver] Anyone that is in the flesh does not have the ability to please God in and of himself. No one has the power to please God in and of himself. And the reason is because the carnal mind is enmity against God. It's not subject to the law of God. Neither, indeed, it can be. If you would turn right over to 1 Corinthians chapter 2. 1 Corinthians chapter 2.

[John Weaver] And look at verse 14. And here the Word of God tells us that fallen man does not have the facilities to discern the truth of God and spiritual things. 1 Corinthians 2 and verse 14. He says, But the natural man, that is the unsaved man, fallen man, but the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God. For they are foolishness unto him, Neither can he know them.

[John Weaver] Can is a term of ability. May is a term of permission. Neither can he know them. Why? Because they are spiritually discerned. So a fallen man does not have the faculties to spiritually discern the truth of God. And the truth of God is absolute foolishness unto him. So unless a man is changed by the grace of God, he will not change so that he can please God and honor God Because he does not have the ability to change in and of himself. Now, you say, but I know men that have changed. Yes, you know men that have changed.

[John Weaver] However, those changes are not necessarily biblical changes, nor are they spiritual changes. It is true that man may change and become more moral. He may change and become more self-controlled or more mannerly. But that does not mean that those are biblical changes and spiritual changes. I've known men that quit smoking. I've known men that quit drinking. I've known men that quit running around. I've known men that quit a lot of things. But that does not necessarily mean that they were Christians, nor does it mean that they pleased God in those changes.

[John Weaver] Now, if you look in your Bibles to Psalm 55 and verse 19, look at what the Bible says. Psalm 55. And verse 19, there are spiritual changes that God demands, and unless these changes are given, there are not going to be anything that will please God. Notice in Psalm 55, verse 19, the Bible says, God shall hear and afflict them, even he that abided of old, Selah. And the word Selah means pause, stop, think about it. Then he says this, because they have no changes, therefore they fear not God. So a man's not going to fear God unless he has been changed. Now, God does demand change. But He is also the One who enables man to change and become pleasing unto Himself. I suppose probably one of the most well-known expressions to designated Christian is that he is a changed man. And that's true.

[John Weaver] I remember preaching in Thomasville, Georgia years ago, and the pastor's brother was converted. God saved him that night. And afterwards, we went out to a restaurant for something to drink afterwards. We were all sitting around. And I never will forget This man started laughing. And his name was Vance. And I looked up and I said, why are you laughing? He said, I'm just sitting here thinking. He said, my bird dogs won't understand a word I say to them now. He said, I'm going to have to retrain every one of them. Well, that's true. I mean, because once God saves you, you are indeed a changed man. That is for sure. But when we're changed, we're changed by the grace of God.

[John Weaver] That's why in Psalm 110 in verse 3, he said, Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power. So it's God's power that makes us willing. In the book of Philippians, if you want to look there, please, at verses 2, chapter 2, verses 12 and 13. Notice, if you would, what the Bible says. Philippians chapter 2. And notice, if you would please, beginning there with verse 12.

[John Weaver] The Apostle Paul writes this. Wherefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. Isn't that amazing? Work out your own salvation. Now he did not say work for your salvation. He said work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. But he goes further. Look in verse 13.

[John Weaver] For it is God who worketh in you both the will to do his good pleasure. So man cannot work it out unless God works it in. God's grace and God's mercy and God's power works it in us that we are responsible to work it out. So unless God works in us, there is absolutely nothing to work out. That's why in Philippians 1 and verse 6, the Apostle Paul wrote, being confident in this very thing, that he who has begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. So once God begins something, he finishes it. That's why in Hebrews chapter 12 and verse 2, the Bible says, looking unto Jesus, the author and the finisher of our faith. So if He's the author of it, He's also the finisher of it. So again, whatever God starts, God also finishes.

[John Weaver] Now, we're talking about change. I want to begin today by pointing out what I'm going to call some absolute basic and necessary changes. and show you how that as Christians, we not only have changed, but we are still to be changing. First of all, repentance is a change. So let me make a statement. If you have not repented, you're not saved. If you have not repented, you're not a Christian.

[John Weaver] Our Lord began his ministry in Mark 1 in verse 15, and he said, The time is fulfilled The kingdom is at hand. Repent ye and believe the gospel. So you cannot believe the gospel without repent. Repentance. Repentance is absolutely necessary. Repent ye, he said, and believe the gospel. When you stop and think of what is passed off today as preaching and as the gospel, there's nothing mentioned of repentance. Repentance is absolutely demanded by God. Let me show you.

[John Weaver] Look in your Bibles to the book of Acts chapter 17. And let's look at verses 30 and 31. Paul has been preaching on Mars Hill. And he is winding up his sermon. And look what he says. Acts chapter 17 verse 30. This is very important. Acts 17 verse 30. He said, in the times of this ignorance, God winked at, but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent. So God commands men to repent.

[John Weaver] So you're going to have to ask yourself why? Well, here's why. Watch carefully. Because he hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained. where he hath given assurance unto all men, and that he raised him from the dead.

[John Weaver] Now let's take this verse apart. God says he commands us to repent. Why? Because he hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness. So God has appointed a judgment day. And then he says, by that man whom he hath ordained, who is none other than Jesus Christ, which I shall show you. And then he says this, whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, and that he had raised him from the dead." So let me spell it out like this, just as surely as God raised Jesus Christ from the dead, just that surely there's going to be a judgment day and Jesus Christ is going to be the judge. So God commands us to repent because He has appointed a day in which He's going to judge the world in righteousness by Jesus Christ, and He gave us certification. He gave us assurance of that fact, and then He raised Jesus Christ from the dead.

[John Weaver] Now, if you would turn back in your Bibles to the book of John, look in John 5, and let's begin reading there with verse 22, and you're going to see this truth spelled out. John 5, verse 22. The Scripture says, for the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son. So now you're going to ask, why has God the Father committed all judgment to the Son? And here's the answer. Verse 23, that all men should honor the Son even as equally, that is, that all men should honor the Son equally or even as they honor the Father He that honoured not the Son honoured not the Father which hath sent him." Jesus Christ is God. Jesus Christ is Judge. And God the Father is going to make sure that everyone honours His Son and everyone bows the knee and confesses and acknowledges that Jesus Christ is Lord.

[John Weaver] So, repentance is absolutely necessary. Why? Well, here's why. Because repentance is a change of mind, which results in a change of direction. Now, the verb for repentance is metanoio, and it literally means to change one's mind, to change one's direction, to change one's mind for the better, to change one's mind in such a way as to amend his doings, And when you think of repentance, you have to think absolutely about a change. So if I'm walking straight toward Steve and I repent, I do 180 degrees and I go the opposite way. So when I changed my mind of walking toward him, I'm now walking away from him. And that change of mind resulted in a change of direction. Now, when we change, when we repent, we change our minds about God. We change our minds about the Bible. We change our minds about sin, about salvation, about Jesus Christ. In fact, the truth of the matter is, we change our minds about a multitude of things. If you would pause just for a moment and think, before God saved you, you hardly ever gave God a thought.

[John Weaver] I mean, you weren't in your minds. In fact, that's one of the charges that God lays against the wicked in Psalm 10, God is not in all their thoughts. I never thought about Jesus Christ. You know, I was raised in church. And so was Alice. I mean, we were in church Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night, any night there was a special meeting. We were there. But I distinctly remember as a young man, God was not in all my thoughts. You know, I never thought much about the Bible, although I was supposed to be hearing it all the time, which I was not. But I'm just simply saying, I remember times in my life when an occasional thought would come to me about God or about dying or something, and I'd just simply pass it off. But you cannot come to Jesus Christ without repentance. Why?

[John Weaver] Because you have to turn from everything that is contrary to Him and embrace him in faith. So when we repent, we change our minds about all of these things. We change our mind about sin. See, for all a man thinks sin is pleasurable and profitable, but God says it's wicked and rebellious and deserves a death penalty. And so we don't think about that until God actually gives us repentance.

[John Weaver] Now, let me try to tie these two things together for you. Because not only is repentance a change, secondly, conversion is a change. I want you to look in your Bibles to the book of Acts chapter 3. Acts chapter 3. And look, if you would please, at verse 19. I want you to see that repentance and conversion go together. Actually, they are two sides of one coin.

[John Weaver] You cannot really repent unless you are converted, and you cannot really be converted unless you repent. We turn from sin to salvation, from disobedience to obedience, from running away from God to running to God. And so in Acts chapter 3 and verse 19, Peter's preaching, he says this, repent ye therefore and be converted. But your sins may be blotted out when the times are refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord." Notice what he said, repent ye and be converted.

[John Weaver] These two things go together. Now, what I want you to do is look at the context with me and let's begin reading with verse 12. Peter's preaching. They have healed a man at the beautiful gate and they've raised him up. Verse 12. And when Peter saw it, that is, all the people running to him and gathering together, he answered unto the people, You men of Israel, why marvel you at this? Or why look you so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we have made this man to walk?

[John Weaver] The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus, whom you delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate when he was determined to let him go. But you denied the Holy One and the just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you. And you killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead, whereof we are witnesses. And his name, through faith in his name, hath made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all. I water, I know that through ignorance you did it, as it also your rulers. But those things which God before had showed by the mouth of his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled.

[John Weaver] Repent ye therefore, and be converted." Now wait a minute. Repent ye therefore. What had they done to Jesus Christ? They mocked Him. They scourged Him. They denied Him. They crucified Him. Now he says you better repent. You better change your mind about Jesus Christ. You better change your mind about what the scripture says about Jesus Christ. And you need to be converted. You need to turn your life around and do that which God has commanded.

[John Weaver] So obviously, repentance and conversion go together. So if a person really, genuinely, savingly repents, if he really, savingly changes his mind, it results then in a change Of course, and of conduct.

[John Weaver] Now, the word converted here is epistrepho, which literally means to turn, to be converted, to turn about, to turn to the worship of God, to turn to love and obedience, and to turn to wisdom and righteousness. Now, stop and think about this. You repent, you change your minds about sin, you now view sin the way God views sin, and therefore you turn to God. Repent concerning your views of Jesus Christ before you never really thought of him You never thought of him as being the Son of God or the Savior or Lord But now you repent and now you turn to him in faith in the words Repentance is something that God gives us initially at salvation But it continues through all of our life conversion It's what happens initially when we turn to Jesus Christ, and yet it is possible to be continually converted. I will show you.

[John Weaver] Now, what I want to show you first is I want you to look in 1 Thessalonians 1. Here's a wonderful illustration that God has given us of repentance and conversion and how these two things go together. So 1 Thessalonians 1. Look, if you would please, at verses 9 and 10. 1 Thessalonians 1, verses 9 and 10. The Apostle Paul writes these Thessalonians and he says this, For they themselves show of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how you turn to God from idols, to serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even

[John Weaver] Jesus, who delivered us from the wrath to come." So here is repentance, and here is conversion tied together. You turned from idols, that is, you repented, and then you turned to God to serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven. So, God gives us repentance initially. God converts us initially. But repentance and conversion continue throughout all of our lives. You've heard me say this, I am sure. I repented when God saved me. But I've done far more repenting since I've been saved than when I got saved. Because when God saved me, there were a few things that I was convicted over that I knew were sin, But since that time, as I studied the scripture, I found out there's a whole lot of other things wrong with me. And you have to repent every time that God shows you there's something wrong in your life.

[John Weaver] And also, you have to be converted. Now, let me explain that. Remember, the word converted does not necessarily always imply that a person is lost. For instance, in Luke chapter 22 and verse 32, you remember Jesus Christ looked at Peter and he said, Peter, Satan has desired to have thee, that he may sift thee asweet. But then he goes on to say, But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not. And when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. Now Peter was already a saved man.

[John Weaver] And our Lord acknowledged that. He said, I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not. You are already a believer. But when thou art converted, that is when you are turned back. When you're turned back, you strengthen your brethren. So three times Peter denied our Lord. And our Lord says, when you turn back, when you're changed and you change your course of conduct and action and you obey, then you strengthen your brethren.

[John Weaver] So the word conversion does not necessarily imply an initial conversion, it can be something that goes on in our life on a constant and continual basis. We get converted theologically from one position to another. We get converted intellectually. We get converted emotionally. We get converted in a number of ways. Let me show you something else. Look in your Bibles to the book of James, chapter 5. James, chapter 5. Hebrews, James. Right before 1 Peter, James chapter 5.

[John Weaver] And let's begin reading there with verse 19. James 5 verse 19. And please note that James is writing to brethren. He's writing to Christians. James 5 verse 19. He says, brethren. Uh huh. So we're talking to Christians. Brethren, if any of you That is, if any of you brothers do err from the truth and one convert him, that is turning, let him know that he which converted the sinner, that is the man who has fallen, from the error of his way shall save a soul from death and shall hide a multitude of sins. But notice, if you would please, he says, brethren, if any of you So it is possible for a Christian to be converted because it is possible for Christians to sin. And so James here is talking about Christians being converted.

[John Weaver] So repentance and conversion go together. Here's the third thing I want to show you today. That biblical change is always by the grace and power of God. Initially, I showed you in our introduction how that it's impossible for man to change in and of himself. So that brings you to the third point, that change is always based upon the grace and the power of God. You remember what our Lord said in John 15 in verse 5?

[John Weaver] Without me, you can do what? Nothing. If we can do nothing without Him, obviously our change has to be based upon His grace.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to go back in your Bibles to 2 Corinthians 3 and look, if you would please, at verse 18. I want to emphasize this verse today. 2 Corinthians 3 and verse 18. Look what he says. But we all, and we're talking about Christians, But we all with open face beholding as in a glass or in a mirror the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord. So I want you to note carefully, it is as we behold our Lord that we are changed by the Spirit of the Lord.

[John Weaver] In other words, He must work in us. There is no change apart from beholding Christ, and there is no change apart from the Spirit of the Lord. Now, men may demand change, they may expect change, they may encourage change, but real, genuine change comes only through the Spirit of God as He reveals Jesus Christ to us in a greater measure. So, without the illumination and the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit, We will never change our lives, our culture, our theology. We must be taught.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to hold 2 Corinthians 3. But go in your Bibles to John chapter 16. Look at what the Scripture says. Our Lord is talking about the Holy Spirit in John chapter 16. And let's begin reading there with verse 13. John 16, verse 13. Our Lord says, Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth. For he shall not speak of himself, but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak. And he will show you things to come. He shall glorify me, for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you. All things that the Father hath are mine, Therefore said I that he shall take of mine and will show it unto you." So here the Holy Spirit is referred to as the Spirit of truth. So if we are ever to become more godly, more holy, and more biblically correct theologically speaking, it must be as the Holy Spirit enlightens our mind, illuminates our mind so that we can understand God's revealed truth.

[John Weaver] It is the Holy Spirit who illuminates our mind to the beauty and the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ and to the truth of his word. Now, let me ask you a question. Have you ever noticed how we resist change? Let me make it a little more specific. Have you ever noticed how you resist change? And all of us do. Truthfully, most of us do not like change. Why?

[John Weaver] Well, one of the answers is we get very comfortable with ourselves, with our practices, with our lives, with our theology, and we don't want anything to upset our apple cart, and we don't want to have to do any additional work or additional study. And we just become very comfortable. You remember Stephen was the first martyr in the New Testament? You know what he was charged with? In Acts chapter 6 and verse 16, here's one of the charges.

[John Weaver] For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place and change the customs which Moses delivered unto us. We'll change the customs. We like our customs. We don't want to change. That's exactly what they were saying. Do you realize that one of the most difficult things to change in your life, one of the most difficult things to change in your Christian life, one of the most difficult things to change in your church life, one of the most difficult things to change in your family life, happens to be your customs. or your traditions. We've always done it like this. And we're comfortable in doing it like this. I probably would have told you this, but it's still one of my favorite stories.

[John Weaver] I read it a long time ago. The mother was fixing a roast. And she cut the end of the roast off and laid it in the pan beside the rest of it. And her little daughter watching her and she asked her mother, why did you do that? The mother stopped and said, well, I don't really know. I just always saw my mother do that. And so the little girl said, well, let's ask granny and find out. And so they went to great granny or granny and said, how did you do this? Why? I mean, she said, well, you know, I don't know either. I just saw my mother do it. And so Great Granny was still alive, and they went to her and explained the situation. And they asked her, why did you always cut the end of your roast off?

[John Weaver] And she said, that's simple. My pan was too small for the roast. So you get a tradition going just because somebody sees something done, or you do it a certain way on a regular basis, and then you have that tradition. I want you to look in your Bibles, if you would, please, first of all, to Matthew 15, and then we're going to Mark 7. Matthew 15, and then we'll go to Mark 7.

[John Weaver] I'm trying to tell you that changes are exceedingly difficult when it comes to traditions and customs, and it doesn't really matter When someone points out that our customs or our traditions are unbiblical and unscriptural, we still do not like to change. So notice, if you would, Matthew 15, beginning with verse 1. Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees which were of Jerusalem, saying, Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders?

[John Weaver] For they wash not their hands when they eat bread. But he answered and said to them, why do you also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?"

[John Weaver] Now, these Pharisees were not concerned over sanitation. It was not for sanitary reasons that they washed their hands. It was a religious riot. So if you look in Mark chapter 7, it's further explained, Mark 7. Notice if you would please beginning there with verse 1. And we'll read through verse 9. Watch carefully. Then came together unto him the Pharisees and certain of the scribes which came from Jerusalem.

[John Weaver] When they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, see there's a ceremonial ritual, with defiled, that is to say with unwashed hands, they found fault. In other words, they had this tradition, once they came from the market, they had to wash their hands, lest some germ of some gentile dog had gotten on them. It was all ceremonial. Watch carefully. Verse 3, For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands often eat not, holding the tradition of the elders. And when they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not. and many other things there be which they have received ahold, as the washing of cups, and pots, and brazen vessels, and of tables. Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?

[John Weaver] And he answered and said unto them, Well hath Isaiah prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honour me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. How then in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men as the washing of pots and cups, and many other such like things you do. And he said unto them, look carefully, full well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your own tradition." Wow.

[John Weaver] I'm telling you folks, it is very difficult to deviate, to discontinue, and to turn from traditions and customs. And when someone points out how something is unscriptural or unbiblical, it really doesn't matter to most people, because most people had rather have their tradition, they'd rather have their custom, than they had to be biblically correct. It's just that simple. It's hard to believe that we've been wrong for so many years. It's hard to believe that mother and dad are wrong, grandparents are wrong, great-grandparents are wrong. It's just difficult to believe.

[John Weaver] But that's the way it is. And I remember when God first began opening my eyes to His truth. And I heard someone teach the truth And I opposed it. And the reason I opposed it was simple. Because I realized if this brother was right, and he was a professor, I realized if he was right, not only I was wrong, but all my friends were wrong as well, and I didn't want my friends to be wrong.

[John Weaver] Once you grab hold of something, it's hard to say, I've been taught wrongly all my life. You remember, Our Lord was witnessing to that Samaritan woman in John chapter 4. And she kind of wanted to change the subject. And she said, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. Our fathers worshipped in this mountain, that's Gerizim. But you say that in Jerusalem is where men ought to worship.

[John Weaver] Now, what was she saying? We worship in this mountain. We have our tradition. We have our custom. You Jews, you have your customs. You have your traditions. You worship over there. We worship over here. She wanted to go back to customs and our Lord said, let me tell you something. The time is coming when you neither worship in this mountain nor in Jerusalem. Why? For the Father seeketh such to worship Him who worship in spirit and in truth. Wow. This is one reason the Jews opposed Jesus Christ so viciously and so vehemently because all of those traditions were going down the drain. Now let me tell you something else. Here's another reason I think that we do not like change. Not only are we comfortable with our traditions and our customs, but there is an aspect of idolatry. When you stop and think, Malachi 3.6, I, the Lord, change not. Only God is immutable. Only God is unchangeable. And the truth of the matter is, we like to think that we are right. Everybody else is wrong.

[John Weaver] And there is no need and no necessity for us to change because we're right. In other words, we are immutable. It's not possible for us to change because we are right. And that's idolatry. I've told Alice this before, and each of us have made this statement, and probably you've made this statement as well. You get into circumstances and situations and you're dealing with people and family, friends, and you say, why does everything have to be so complex? Have you ever noticed the complexity of everything today? And we say, well, I wish things were simpler.

[John Weaver] Do you realize that only God is the most simple being? And when we despise the complexity of our situations, what we're saying is we'd like to be God in one sense of the word. We want everything just so simple all the time. Only God has no problems. We have problems and so there's an aspect of idolatry Because we do not want to change because we think that we're right and we're changeless like God And what was the temptation you shall be as God's knowing or determining good and evil for yourself?

[John Weaver] fourthly, let me point this out change is to be constant and in the Christian. Change is to be constant. And when I talk about change, I'm talking about biblical change. There is no reason to fear change. We should not deny change. We should not run from change. But we must learn to change. But we must learn to change in a biblical manner. Our thoughts of God should become clearer. Our devotion to Him should become more real. Our theology should become more sound.

[John Weaver] And our understanding of Him should be increasing daily. We should be going from strength to strength and from faith to faith and glory to glory and grace to grace.

[John Weaver] Now if you go back to 2 Corinthians chapter 3 and look at verse 18 again, look what the scripture says. But we all, that is we all Christians, with open face beholding as in a glass or in a mirror the glory of the Lord. In other words, we look in there and we see the Lord in His glory. And as we view Him, as we look upon Him, we're changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. So we're to be continually beholding the glory of the Lord, and consequently, we're to be continually changed by the Spirit of God. The Bible says in Psalm 84 and verse 7, they go from strength to strength. Every one of them in Zion appeared before God. In Romans 1 and verse 17, he says, For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith. As it is written, the just shall live by faith.

[John Weaver] So it's incumbent upon us to change our lives and bring them in greater conformity to the Lord Jesus Christ and to His Word. Now, here's the fifth truth. The fifth truth is this. We will change. We will change. However, that change may be for the better or for the worse. You cannot avoid change. If you are not going forward in the faith, you are going backwards. If you're not progressing, you are digressing. There is no neutrality. You can't put your life in neutral and say, I'm just going to sit here a while.

[John Weaver] There's no king's exit, there's no stationary place. Our Lord said it like this in Luke 11, verse 23, He that is not with Me is against Me, and he that gathers not scattereth abroad. So you're either for Him or you're against Him. You're either gathering or you're scattering. You're either progressing in the faith, or you're digressing, you're retreating, you're backing up. If you are not becoming more biblical, you're becoming more emotional, more sentimental, more traditional, more ceremonial, more pragmatic, more pharisaic, and more humanistic.

[John Weaver] The only alternative to conforming your life to Jesus Christ is conforming your life to the world. I'll go over this more next week. But you remember the Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 12, I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, wholly acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service, and be not conformed to this world. to be transformed by the renewing of your mind. So if you are not transformed by the renewing of your mind, you're becoming conformed to the world. The only choice you have is conformity to Jesus Christ or conformity to the world.

[John Weaver] So you will change one way or the other. You'll either become more godly, more holy, more obedient, more biblical, or you'll keep going backwards. and becoming more and more conformed to the world. You know, I found it interesting over the years, you see people get upset sometimes with the preacher, sometimes with the preaching, or sometimes get upset with some family, or just get mad for some reason. And the next thing you know, they're missing Sunday night. Then they're missing Wednesday night. Then they're going to miss Sunday morning. And then they're not coming back. That's the way it goes. If you are not going forward, you are going backwards.

[John Weaver] So let me make an application today. Here it is. Listen carefully. Change is absolutely essential to growth. If you are not growing, you are dying. If you're not increasing in strength, you are growing weaker. Change is inevitable and you will change. It will either be for the better or for the worse, but you will change. To go backwards is to fall under the curse of Galatians that you read about in Galatians chapter 5.

[John Weaver] It is basically declaring yourself unfit for the Kingdom of God. Let me give you two verses. Hebrews 10 verse 38, Now the just shall live by faith. But if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him." That's what God said. The just shall live by faith. But if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. And in Luke 9, in verse 62, Jesus said, No man, having put his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God. You can't look back and say, boy, if I could only do that now or if I could live like that now. No, no, no. If you put your hand to the gospel plow and look back, he said, and desire what you had when you were unconverted, you're not fit for the kingdom of God.

[John Weaver] When you stop and think about this, our wives, Our lives have changed. Repentance is a change. Conversion is a change. Sanctification is a change. And glorification is the ultimate change. We will only be change-less when we are in eternity. Until then, we must continually change for the better to be more biblical, to be more holy, to be more godly, to be more scriptural. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to thee this day.

[John Weaver] We thank you for your word. We thank you for your truth. We understand, Lord, that we are creatures of change. Help us, Father, to change biblically for your honor and for your glory, and to do that which is well-pleasing in thy sight. In the name of Jesus Christ, we ask and pray. Amen.

The Theology of Change - 3

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	81318830174
Subject	New Testament Studies
Course	Romans: Assurance, Providence, and Life in the Spirit: Walking With God
Genre	Sermon
Date	2018-08-05
Dictation Name
Book	Book 111: The Theology of Change — Chapter 3
Source Timed Segments	71

Formatted Transcript

Introduction: The Necessity of Change

Weaver introduces the topic by reading Malachi 3:6 and 2 Corinthians 3:18, contrasting God's immutability with human mutability. He notes that while people often dislike change, it is necessary from a biblical perspective.

2 Corinthians 3, verse 18, and also Malachi 3, verse 6. You should remember Malachi from the previous messages. Malachi 3, verse 6, we'll read it first, and then go to 2 Corinthians 3, verse 18, because this is the third message in the series, "The Theology of Change." In Malachi 3, verse 6, the Word of God says,

Scripture Reading — Malachi 3:6

"For I am the Lord, I change not. Therefore you sons of Jacob are not consumed."

Then if you look in 2 Corinthians 3, verse 18, the scripture says, "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass, the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." If you will remember, I have been dealing in the last two messages on the distinction between a preference and a conviction. And I also dealt with things that should not change us, especially should not change our theology, such as profit and pleasure and pressure and persecution. But the truth of the matter is we do change and change is absolutely necessary.

And when you just think of the word "change," all you can say is what a word. It literally depends upon one's frame of reference as well as one's circumstances as to whether or not change is refreshing or dismal. The truth of the matter is we all change. Change may be for the better or it may be for the worse. Yet we all change. And most people do not like change. And I'll explain why a little bit later. In fact, the older you get, the more you dislike change, I can assure you. And the more technology advances, the more you hate to see it advance. When we hadn't had a TV in years, but when we had a VCR, I guess for 30 years it still blinked because I never knew how to change the thing. And it blinked until finally we got rid of it.

So, you know, it's just like these phones today. If something has to be done to my phone, I just hand it to my grandson. I fix it, you know. I don't know anything about it. And, you know, change can be very difficult for us, that is for sure. But the word "change" refers to that which is altered, replaced, substituted, transformed, or converted. We may not necessarily like change.

God's Immutability and Man's Mutability

God alone is unchangeable because He is perfect. Adam was created mutable and fell into sin, demonstrating that humanity is inherently changeable and unable to change back to righteousness without divine intervention.

But it is absolutely necessary, especially from a biblical perspective. Changelessness belongs to God alone. He alone is immutable. He is unchangeable. Immutability belongs to the Creator. Mutability belongs to the creature. That is, we are changing individuals. God is the most perfect being. Therefore, He cannot change for the better because He's already perfect, and He cannot change for the worse because then He would be less than perfect. So that's why I said in Malachi 3 and verse 6, "For I am the Lord, I change not." And you must remember the same is said concerning Jesus Christ in Hebrews 13 and verse 8, when it said,

Scripture Reading — Hebrews 13:8

"Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever."

Now, when God created Adam, which we will talk about a little bit more next week, but when God created Adam, He had created him with original righteousness, holiness, and knowledge, but He created him mutable, that is, changeable. Adam was also given dominion. And when you stop and think that Adam was created with original righteousness, holiness, and knowledge, and given dominion, moreover, he lived in an absolutely perfect environment, and yet he sinned. How could he possibly have sinned in a perfect environment? And the answer is, because he was made mutable. That is, he could change. And Adam did change. Adam was not God. He literally changed, and he changed God for Satan, truth for a lie, holiness for rebellion, peace for trouble, comfort for misery, and righteousness for sin. So he changed, and obviously, because of that, he now cannot change back. It is one thing to change from good to bad. But now he has a depraved and fallen nature, and it's impossible now for Adam's posterity to change back in and of itself.

That's why in Jeremiah chapter 13 and verse 23, God asked this question:

Scripture Reading — Jeremiah 13:23

"Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots? Then may you do good who are accustomed to doing evil."

So we not only have a fallen nature, we have also acquired a habitual stance in sinning and rebelling against God. We've become accustomed to it. We are comfortable in it, and we do not necessarily want to change in and of ourselves. That's why in 2 Timothy 3, verse 13, the Bible says that evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse.

The Inability of Fallen Man to Change Spiritually

Using Romans 8:6-8 and 1 Corinthians 2:14, Weaver argues that the natural man is at enmity with God and cannot please God or understand spiritual things without being changed by God's grace.

Now, if you would hold 2 Corinthians, we're coming back there. But I want you to look in the book of Romans, chapter 8, very quickly. Romans, chapter 8. And notice, if you would please, verses 6 through 8, just to show you how far Adam fell. Adam became what you and I would call totally depraved. Consequently, all of Adam's posterity are totally depraved as well. To show you the extent of that depravity and inability, in Romans 8, verse 6, the Bible says,

Scripture Reading — Romans 8:6-8

"For to be carnally minded, that is fleshly minded, for to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace."

Now, he explains why the carnal mind is death. He says,

Scripture Reading — Romans 8:6-8

"Because the carnal mind, that is the fleshly mind, the mind by nature, the carnal mind is enmity against God."

The word "enmity

Scripture Reading — Romans 8:6-8

" is a very strong word for hatred, so it's literally like this: because the carnal mind is strong hatred against God, for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. Now because of this truth, look at verse 8, "

So then, they that are in the flesh cannot please God."

Anyone that is in the flesh does not have the ability to please God in and of himself. No one has the power to please God in and of himself. And the reason is because the carnal mind is enmity against God. It's not subject to the law of God. Neither, indeed, it can be. If you would turn right over to 1 Corinthians chapter 2. 1 Corinthians chapter 2.

And look at verse 14. And here the Word of God tells us that fallen man does not have the facilities to discern the truth of God and spiritual things. 1 Corinthians 2 and verse 14. He says,

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 2:14

"But the natural man, that is the unsaved man, fallen man, but the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God. For they are foolishness unto him, neither can he know them."

"Can" is a term of ability. "May" is a term of permission. "Neither can he know them.

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 2:14

" Why? Because they are spiritually discerned. So a fallen man does not have the faculties to spiritually discern the truth of God. And the truth of God is absolute foolishness unto him. So unless a man is changed by the grace of God, he will not change so that he can please God and honor God, because he does not have the ability to change in and of himself. Now, you say, "

But I know men that have changed." Yes, you know men that have changed.

However, those changes are not necessarily biblical changes, nor are they spiritual changes. It is true that man may change and become more moral. He may change and become more self-controlled or more mannerly. But that does not mean that those are biblical changes and spiritual changes. I've known men that quit smoking. I've known men that quit drinking. I've known men that quit running around. I've known men that quit a lot of things. But that does not necessarily mean that they were Christians, nor does it mean that they pleased God in those changes.

Repentance as a Change

Repentance is a change of mind that results in a change of direction. It is commanded by God and necessary for salvation, involving a turning from sin and a change in one's view of God, the Bible, and Jesus Christ.

Our Lord began his ministry in Mark 1 in verse 15, and he said,

Scripture Reading — Mark 1:15

"The time is fulfilled, the kingdom is at hand. Repent ye and believe the gospel."

So you cannot believe the gospel without repentance. Repentance is absolutely necessary. "Repent ye," he said,

Scripture Reading — Mark 1:15

"and believe the gospel."

When you stop and think of what is passed off today as preaching and as the gospel, there's nothing mentioned of repentance. Repentance is absolutely demanded by God. Let me show you. Look in your Bibles to the book of Acts chapter 17. And let's look at verses 30 and 31. Paul has been preaching on Mars Hill. And he is winding up his sermon. And look what he says. Acts chapter 17 verse 30. This is very important. Acts 17 verse 30. He said, "In the times of this ignorance, God winked at, but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent." So God commands men to repent.

So you're going to have to ask yourself why? Well, here's why. Watch carefully. "Because he hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained, whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, and that he raised him from the dead."

Now let's take this verse apart. God says he commands us to repent. Why? Because he hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness. So God has appointed a judgment day. And then he says, "by that man whom he hath ordained," who is none other than Jesus Christ, which I shall show you. And then he says this, "whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, and that he had raised him from the dead." So let me spell it out like this: just as surely as God raised Jesus Christ from the dead, just that surely there's going to be a judgment day and Jesus Christ is going to be the judge. So God commands us to repent because He has appointed a day in which He's going to judge the world in righteousness by Jesus Christ, and He gave us certification. He gave us assurance of that fact, and then He raised Jesus Christ from the dead.

Now, if you would turn back in your Bibles to the book of John, look in John 5, and let's begin reading there with verse 22, and you're going to see this truth spelled out. John 5, verse 22. The Scripture says,

Scripture Reading — John 5:22-23

"For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son."

So now you're going to ask, why has God the Father committed all judgment to the Son? And here's the answer. Verse 23,

Scripture Reading — John 5:22-23

"That all men should honor the Son even as they honor the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him."

Jesus Christ is God. Jesus Christ is Judge. And God the Father is going to make sure that everyone honours His Son and everyone bows the knee and confesses and acknowledges that Jesus Christ is Lord.

So, repentance is absolutely necessary. Why? Well, here's why. Because repentance is a change of mind, which results in a change of direction. Now, the verb for repentance is metanoeo, and it literally means to change one's mind, to change one's direction, to change one's mind for the better, to change one's mind in such a way as to amend his doings. And when you think of repentance, you have to think absolutely about a change. So if I'm walking straight toward Steve and I repent, I do 180 degrees and I go the opposite way. So when I changed my mind of walking toward him, I'm now walking away from him. And that change of mind resulted in a change of direction. Now, when we change, when we repent, we change our minds about God. We change our minds about the Bible. We change our minds about sin, about salvation, about Jesus Christ. In fact, the truth of the matter is, we change our minds about a multitude of things. If you would pause just for a moment and think, before God saved you, you hardly ever gave God a thought.

I mean, you weren't in your minds. In fact, that's one of the charges that God lays against the wicked in Psalm 10: God is not in all their thoughts. I never thought about Jesus Christ. You know, I was raised in church. And so was Alice. I mean, we were in church Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night, any night there was a special meeting. We were there. But I distinctly remember as a young man, God was not in all my thoughts. You know, I never thought much about the Bible, although I was supposed to be hearing it all the time, which I was not. But I'm just simply saying, I remember times in my life when an occasional thought would come to me about God or about dying or something, and I'd just simply pass it off. But you cannot come to Jesus Christ without repentance. Why?

Because you have to turn from everything that is contrary to Him and embrace Him in faith. So when we repent, we change our minds about all of these things. We change our mind about sin. See, for all a man thinks sin is pleasurable and profitable, but God says it's wicked and rebellious and deserves a death penalty. And so we don't think about that until God actually gives us repentance.

Now, let me try to tie these two things together for you. Because not only is repentance a change, secondly, conversion is a change. I want you to look in your Bibles to the book of Acts chapter 3. Acts chapter 3. And look, if you would please, at verse 19. I want you to see that repentance and conversion go together. Actually, they are two sides of one coin.

Conversion as a Change

Conversion is linked with repentance as a turning to God. Using Acts 3:19 and 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10, Weaver shows that conversion involves turning from idols to serve God, and it can be an ongoing process for believers.

You cannot really repent unless you are converted, and you cannot really be converted unless you repent. We turn from sin to salvation, from disobedience to obedience, from running away from God to running to God. And so in Acts chapter 3 and verse 19, Peter's preaching, he says this,

Scripture Reading — Acts 3:19

"Repent ye therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord."

Notice what he said, "Repent ye and be converted." These two things go together. Now, what I want you to do is look at the context with me and let's begin reading with verse 12. Peter's preaching. They have healed a man at the beautiful gate and they've raised him up. Verse 12. "And when Peter saw it, that is, all the people running to him and gathering together, he answered unto the people, 'You men of Israel, why marvel you at this? Or why look you so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we have made this man to walk?'"

"The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus, whom you delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate when he was determined to let him go. But you denied the Holy One and the just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you. And you killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead, whereof we are witnesses. And his name, through faith in his name, hath made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all. I wot that through ignorance you did it, as did also your rulers. But those things which God before had showed by the mouth of his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled."

"Repent ye therefore, and be converted." Now wait a minute. "Repent ye therefore." What had they done to Jesus Christ? They mocked Him. They scourged Him. They denied Him. They crucified Him. Now he says you better repent. You better change your mind about Jesus Christ. You better change your mind about what the scripture says about Jesus Christ. And you need to be converted. You need to turn your life around and do that which God has commanded.

So obviously, repentance and conversion go together. So if a person really, genuinely, savingly repents, if he really, savingly changes his mind, it results then in a change of course and of conduct. Now, the word "converted" here is epistrepho, which literally means to turn, to be converted, to turn about, to turn to the worship of God, to turn to love and obedience, and to turn to wisdom and righteousness. Now, stop and think about this. You repent, you change your minds about sin, you now view sin the way God views sin, and therefore you turn to God. Repent concerning your views of Jesus Christ: before you never really thought of Him. You never thought of Him as being the Son of God or the Savior or Lord. But now you repent and now you turn to Him in faith. In other words, repentance is something that God gives us initially at salvation, but it continues through all of our life. Conversion is what happens initially when we turn to Jesus Christ, and yet it is possible to be continually converted. I will show you.

Now, what I want to show you first is I want you to look in 1 Thessalonians 1. Here's a wonderful illustration that God has given us of repentance and conversion and how these two things go together. So 1 Thessalonians 1. Look, if you would please, at verses 9 and 10. 1 Thessalonians 1, verses 9 and 10. The Apostle Paul writes these Thessalonians and he says this,

Scripture Reading — 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10

"For they themselves show of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how you turned to God from idols, to serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus, who delivered us from the wrath to come."

So here is repentance, and here is conversion tied together. You turned from idols, that is, you repented, and then you turned to God to serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven. So, God gives us repentance initially. God converts us initially. But repentance and conversion continue throughout all of our lives. You've heard me say this, I am sure. I repented when God saved me. But I've done far more repenting since I've been saved than when I got saved. Because when God saved me, there were a few things that I was convicted over that I knew were sin. But since that time, as I studied the scripture, I found out there's a whole lot of other things wrong with me. And you have to repent every time that God shows you there's something wrong in your life.

And also, you have to be converted. Now, let me explain that. Remember, the word "converted" does not necessarily always imply that a person is lost. For instance, in Luke chapter 22 and verse 32, you remember Jesus Christ looked at Peter and he said, "Peter, Satan has desired to have thee, that he may sift thee as wheat." But then he goes on to say,

Scripture Reading — Luke 22:32

"But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not. And when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren." Now Peter was already a saved man. And our Lord acknowledged that. He said, "I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not."

You are already a believer. "But when thou art converted," that is when you are turned back. When you're turned back, you strengthen your brethren. So three times Peter denied our Lord. And our Lord says, when you turn back, when you're changed and you change your course of conduct and action and you obey, then you strengthen your brethren.

So the word "conversion" does not necessarily imply an initial conversion; it can be something that goes on in our life on a constant and continual basis. We get converted theologically from one position to another. We get converted intellectually. We get converted emotionally. We get converted in a number of ways. Let me show you something else. Look in your Bibles to the book of James, chapter 5. James, chapter 5. Hebrews, James. Right before 1 Peter, James chapter 5.

And let's begin reading there with verse 19. James 5 verse 19. And please note that James is writing to brethren. He's writing to Christians. James 5 verse 19. He says, "Brethren." Uh huh. So we're talking to Christians.

Scripture Reading — James 5:19-20

"Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth and one convert him, let him know that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death and shall hide a multitude of sins." But notice, if you would please, he says, "Brethren, if any of you..."

So it is possible for a Christian to be converted because it is possible for Christians to sin. And so James here is talking about Christians being converted.

So repentance and conversion go together. Here's the third thing I want to show you today: that biblical change is always by the grace and power of God. Initially, I showed you in our introduction how that it's impossible for man to change in and of himself. So that brings you to the third point, that change is always based upon the grace and the power of God. You remember what our Lord said in John 15 in verse 5? "Without me, you can do what? Nothing." If we can do nothing without Him, obviously our change has to be based upon His grace.

Change by the Grace and Power of God

Biblical change is only possible through the Holy Spirit as believers behold Christ. John 16:13 and 2 Corinthians 3:18 emphasize that the Spirit guides into truth and transforms believers into Christ's image.

Now, I want you to go back in your Bibles to 2 Corinthians 3 and look, if you would please, at verse 18. I want to emphasize this verse today. 2 Corinthians 3 and verse 18. Look what he says. "But we all," and we're talking about Christians, "but we all with open face beholding as in a glass or in a mirror the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord." So I want you to note carefully, it is as we behold our Lord that we are changed by the Spirit of the Lord. In other words, He must work in us. There is no change apart from beholding Christ, and there is no change apart from the Spirit of the Lord. Now, men may demand change, they may expect change, they may encourage change, but real, genuine change comes only through the Spirit of God as He reveals Jesus Christ to us in a greater measure. So, without the illumination and the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit, we will never change our lives, our culture, our theology. We must be taught.

Now, I want you to hold 2 Corinthians 3. But go in your Bibles to John chapter 16. Look at what the Scripture says. Our Lord is talking about the Holy Spirit in John chapter 16. And let's begin reading there with verse 13. John 16, verse 13. Our Lord says, "Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth. For he shall not speak of himself, but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak. And he will show you things to come. He shall glorify me, for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you. All things that the Father hath are mine. Therefore said I that he shall take of mine and will show it unto you." So here the Holy Spirit is referred to as the Spirit of truth. So if we are ever to become more godly, more holy, and more biblically correct theologically speaking, it must be as the Holy Spirit enlightens our mind, illuminates our mind so that we can understand God's revealed truth.

It is the Holy Spirit who illuminates our mind to the beauty and the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ and to the truth of his word. Now, let me ask you a question. Have you ever noticed how we resist change? Let me make it a little more specific. Have you ever noticed how you resist change? And all of us do. Truthfully, most of us do not like change. Why?

Resistance to Change: Traditions and Idolatry

People resist change due to comfort with traditions and customs, as seen in the Pharisees' adherence to hand-washing rituals (Matthew 15, Mark 7). There is also an idolatrous tendency to view oneself as unchangeable like God.

Well, one of the answers is we get very comfortable with ourselves, with our practices, with our lives, with our theology, and we don't want anything to upset our apple cart, and we don't want to have to do any additional work or additional study. And we just become very comfortable. You remember Stephen was the first martyr in the New Testament? You know what he was charged with? In Acts chapter 6 and verse 16, here's one of the charges. "For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place and change the customs which Moses delivered unto us." We'll change the customs. We like our customs. We don't want to change. That's exactly what they were saying. Do you realize that one of the most difficult things to change in your life, one of the most difficult things to change in your Christian life, one of the most difficult things to change in your church life, one of the most difficult things to change in your family life, happens to be your customs or your traditions. We've always done it like this. And we're comfortable in doing it like this. I probably would have told you this, but it's still one of my favorite stories.

I read it a long time ago. The mother was fixing a roast. And she cut the end of the roast off and laid it in the pan beside the rest of it. And her little daughter watching her and she asked her mother, "Why did you do that?" The mother stopped and said, "Well, I don't really know. I just always saw my mother do that." And so the little girl said, "Well, let's ask granny and find out." And so they went to great granny or granny and said, "How did you do this? Why?" I mean, she said, "Well, you know, I don't know either. I just saw my mother do it." And so Great Granny was still alive, and they went to her and explained the situation. And they asked her, "Why did you always cut the end of your roast off?"

And she said, "That's simple. My pan was too small for the roast." So you get a tradition going just because somebody sees something done, or you do it a certain way on a regular basis, and then you have that tradition. I want you to look in your Bibles, if you would, please, first of all, to Matthew 15, and then we're going to Mark 7. Matthew 15, and then we'll go to Mark 7. I'm trying to tell you that changes are exceedingly difficult when it comes to traditions and customs, and it doesn't really matter. When someone points out that our customs or our traditions are unbiblical and unscriptural, we still do not like to change. So notice, if you would, Matthew 15, beginning with verse 1. "Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees which were of Jerusalem, saying, 'Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders?'"

"For they wash not their hands when they eat bread. But he answered and said to them, 'Why do you also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?'" Now, these Pharisees were not concerned over sanitation. It was not for sanitary reasons that they washed their hands. It was a religious rite. So if you look in Mark chapter 7, it's further explained, Mark 7. Notice if you would please beginning there with verse 1. And we'll read through verse 9. Watch carefully. "Then came together unto him the Pharisees and certain of the scribes which came from Jerusalem."

"When they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled," see there's a ceremonial ritual, "with defiled, that is to say with unwashed hands, they found fault." In other words, they had this tradition, once they came from the market, they had to wash their hands, lest some germ of some gentile dog had gotten on them. It was all ceremonial. Watch carefully. Verse 3, "For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands often eat not, holding the tradition of the elders. And when they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other things there be which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, and pots, and brazen vessels, and of tables." Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, "Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?"

"And he answered and said unto them, 'Well hath Isaiah prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups, and many other such like things you do.' And he said unto them, look carefully, 'Full well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your own tradition.'" Wow. I'm telling you folks, it is very difficult to deviate, to discontinue, and to turn from traditions and customs. And when someone points out how something is unscriptural or unbiblical, it really doesn't matter to most people, because most people had rather have their tradition, they'd rather have their custom, than they had to be biblically correct. It's just that simple. It's hard to believe that we've been wrong for so many years. It's hard to believe that mother and dad are wrong, grandparents are wrong, great-grandparents are wrong. It's just difficult to believe.

But that's the way it is. And I remember when God first began opening my eyes to His truth. And I heard someone teach the truth, and I opposed it. And the reason I opposed it was simple. Because I realized if this brother was right, and he was a professor, I realized if he was right, not only I was wrong, but all my friends were wrong as well, and I didn't want my friends to be wrong. Once you grab hold of something, it's hard to say, "I've been taught wrongly all my life." You remember, our Lord was witnessing to that Samaritan woman in John chapter 4. And she kind of wanted to change the subject. And she said, "Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. Our fathers worshipped in this mountain, that's Gerizim. But you say that in Jerusalem is where men ought to worship."

Now, what was she saying? We worship in this mountain. We have our tradition. We have our custom. You Jews, you have your customs. You have your traditions. You worship over there. We worship over here. She wanted to go back to customs and our Lord said, "Let me tell you something. The time is coming when you neither worship in this mountain nor in Jerusalem. Why? For the Father seeketh such to worship Him who worship in spirit and in truth." Wow. This is one reason the Jews opposed Jesus Christ so viciously and so vehemently, because all of those traditions were going down the drain. Now let me tell you something else. Here's another reason I think that we do not like change. Not only are we comfortable with our traditions and our customs, but there is an aspect of idolatry. When you stop and think, Malachi 3:6, "I, the Lord, change not." Only God is immutable. Only God is unchangeable. And the truth of the matter is, we like to think that we are right. Everybody else is wrong.

And there is no need and no necessity for us to change because we're right. In other words, we are immutable. It's not possible for us to change because we are right. And that's idolatry. I've told Alice this before, and each of us have made this statement, and probably you've made this statement as well. You get into circumstances and situations and you're dealing with people and family, friends, and you say, "Why does everything have to be so complex?" Have you ever noticed the complexity of everything today? And we say, "Well, I wish things were simpler."

Do you realize that only God is the most simple being? And when we despise the complexity of our situations, what we're saying is we'd like to be God in one sense of the word. We want everything just so simple all the time. Only God has no problems. We have problems and so there's an aspect of idolatry, because we do not want to change because we think that we're right and we're changeless like God. And what was the temptation? "You shall be as gods, knowing or determining good and evil for yourself."

Fourthly, let me point this out: change is to be constant in the Christian. Change is to be constant. And when I talk about change, I'm talking about biblical change. There is no reason to fear change. We should not deny change. We should not run from change. But we must learn to change. But we must learn to change in a biblical manner. Our thoughts of God should become clearer. Our devotion to Him should become more real. Our theology should become more sound.

And our understanding of Him should be increasing daily. We should be going from strength to strength and from faith to faith and glory to glory and grace to grace.

The Constant Nature of Change in the Christian Life

Change is to be constant for believers, who should progress from glory to glory. If not moving forward, one is moving backward, conforming either to Christ or to the world (Romans 12:1-2).

And our understanding of Him should be increasing daily. We should be going from strength to strength and from faith to faith and glory to glory and grace to grace. Now if you go back to 2 Corinthians chapter 3 and look at verse 18 again, look what the scripture says. "But we all," that is we all Christians, "with open face beholding as in a glass or in a mirror the glory of the Lord." In other words, we look in there and we see the Lord in His glory. And as we view Him, as we look upon Him, we're changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. So we're to be continually beholding the glory of the Lord, and consequently, we're to be continually changed by the Spirit of God. The Bible says in Psalm 84 and verse 7, "They go from strength to strength. Every one of them in Zion appeareth before God." In Romans 1 and verse 17, he says, "For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith. As it is written, The just shall live by faith."

So it's incumbent upon us to change our lives and bring them in greater conformity to the Lord Jesus Christ and to His Word. Now, here's the fifth truth. The fifth truth is this: we will change. We will change. However, that change may be for the better or for the worse. You cannot avoid change. If you are not going forward in the faith, you are going backwards. If you're not progressing, you are digressing. There is no neutrality. You can't put your life in neutral and say, "I'm just going to sit here a while."

There's no king's exit, there's no stationary place. Our Lord said it like this in Luke 11, verse 23, "He that is not with Me is against Me, and he that gathers not scattereth abroad." So you're either for Him or you're against Him. You're either gathering or you're scattering. You're either progressing in the faith, or you're digressing, you're retreating, you're backing up. If you are not becoming more biblical, you're becoming more emotional, more sentimental, more traditional, more ceremonial, more pragmatic, more pharisaic, and more humanistic. The only alternative to conforming your life to Jesus Christ is conforming your life to the world. I'll go over this more next week. But you remember the Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 12, "I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, wholly acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service, and be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." So if you are not transformed by the renewing of your mind, you're becoming conformed to the world. The only choice you have is conformity to Jesus Christ or conformity to the world.

Application: Change is Essential for Growth

Weaver concludes that change is essential for spiritual growth; without it, one is dying. He warns against drawing back, citing Hebrews 10:38 and Luke 9:62, and urges believers to change biblically for God's glory.

So you will change one way or the other. You'll either become more godly, more holy, more obedient, more biblical, or you'll keep going backwards and becoming more and more conformed to the world. You know, I found it interesting over the years, you see people get upset sometimes with the preacher, sometimes with the preaching, or sometimes get upset with some family, or just get mad for some reason. And the next thing you know, they're missing Sunday night. Then they're missing Wednesday night. Then they're going to miss Sunday morning. And then they're not coming back. That's the way it goes. If you are not going forward, you are going backwards.

So let me make an application today. Here it is. Listen carefully. Change is absolutely essential to growth. If you are not growing, you are dying. If you're not increasing in strength, you are growing weaker. Change is inevitable and you will change. It will either be for the better or for the worse, but you will change. To go backwards is to fall under the curse of Galatians that you read about in Galatians chapter 5.

It is basically declaring yourself unfit for the Kingdom of God. Let me give you two verses. Hebrews 10 verse 38, "Now the just shall live by faith. But if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him." That's what God said. The just shall live by faith. But if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. And in Luke 9, in verse 62, Jesus said, "No man, having put his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." You can't look back and say, "Boy, if I could only do that now or if I could live like that now." No, no, no. If you put your hand to the gospel plow and look back, he said, and desire what you had when you were unconverted, you're not fit for the kingdom of God.

When you stop and think about this, our lives have changed. Repentance is a change. Conversion is a change. Sanctification is a change. And glorification is the ultimate change. We will only be changeless when we are in eternity. Until then, we must continually change for the better to be more biblical, to be more holy, to be more godly, to be more scriptural. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to thee this day.

We thank you for your word. We thank you for your truth. We understand, Lord, that we are creatures of change. Help us, Father, to change biblically for your honor and for your glory, and to do that which is well-pleasing in thy sight. In the name of Jesus Christ, we ask and pray. Amen.

Study Guide

Major Themes

God's Immutability vs. Human Mutability

Summary: God alone is unchangeable because He is perfect, while humans are inherently changeable and must undergo change to align with God's will.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'Changelessness belongs to God alone. He alone is immutable. He is unchangeable. Immutability belongs to the Creator. Mutability belongs to the creature.'

Repentance and Conversion as Foundational Changes

Summary: Repentance (a change of mind) and conversion (a turning to God) are necessary for salvation and are ongoing processes in the Christian life.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'Repentance is a change of mind, which results in a change of direction... Conversion is a change... Repent ye therefore and be converted.'

The Necessity of Divine Grace for Change

Summary: Humans cannot change spiritually on their own; change is enabled by the Holy Spirit as believers behold Christ and are transformed.

Evidence: Weaver explains, 'There is no change apart from beholding Christ, and there is no change apart from the Spirit of the Lord.'

Resistance to Change Due to Tradition and Idolatry

Summary: People resist biblical change because they are comfortable with traditions and customs, and they idolatrously view themselves as unchangeable like God.

Evidence: Weaver notes, 'It is very difficult to deviate, to discontinue, and to turn from traditions and customs... there is an aspect of idolatry, because we do not want to change because we think that we're right and we're changeless like God.'

The Inevitability and Direction of Change

Summary: Change is inevitable; believers will either change for the better by conforming to Christ or for the worse by conforming to the world.

Evidence: Weaver asserts, 'You will change one way or the other. You'll either become more godly, more holy, more obedient, more biblical, or you'll keep going backwards and becoming more and more conformed to the world.'

Key Arguments

Fallen man cannot change spiritually without God's grace.

Summary: The natural man is at enmity with God and lacks the ability to please God or understand spiritual truths, as shown in Romans 8:6-8 and 1 Corinthians 2:14.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'Anyone that is in the flesh does not have the ability to please God in and of himself... the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God.'

Repentance is a commanded change of mind leading to a change of direction.

Summary: God commands all men to repent (Acts 17:30), which involves a change of mind about sin, God, and Christ, resulting in a turning from sin to God.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'Repentance is a change of mind, which results in a change of direction... God commandeth all men everywhere to repent.'

Conversion is a turning to God that accompanies repentance.

Summary: Conversion (epistrepho) means to turn to God, and it is linked with repentance as two sides of one coin, as seen in Acts 3:19 and 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10.

Evidence: Weaver explains, 'Repent ye therefore and be converted... you turned to God from idols, to serve the living and true God.'

Change is only possible through the Holy Spirit as we behold Christ.

Summary: 2 Corinthians 3:18 shows that believers are changed into Christ's image by the Spirit as they behold His glory; the Spirit guides into truth (John 16:13).

Evidence: Weaver says, 'But we all... are changed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord.'

Traditions and customs hinder biblical change.

Summary: The Pharisees' adherence to hand-washing traditions (Matthew 15, Mark 7) illustrates how people reject God's commandments to keep their own traditions, making change difficult.

Evidence: Weaver notes, 'Full well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your own tradition.'

Change is constant and inevitable; neutrality is impossible.

Summary: Believers are either progressing in faith or digressing; there is no stationary place, as Jesus said, 'He that is not with Me is against Me' (Luke 11:23).

Evidence: Weaver states, 'If you are not going forward in the faith, you are going backwards... There is no neutrality.'

Scripture References

Malachi 3:6

Context: Weaver reads this verse to establish God's immutability: 'For I am the Lord, I change not.'

2 Corinthians 3:18

Context: Weaver reads this verse to show that believers are changed into Christ's image by the Spirit.

Hebrews 13:8

Context: Weaver references this verse to affirm that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Jeremiah 13:23

Context: Weaver quotes this verse to illustrate the inability of fallen man to change his sinful nature.

2 Timothy 3:13

Context: Weaver mentions this verse to show that evil men grow worse, indicating a negative change.

Romans 8:6-8

Context: Weaver reads these verses to demonstrate that the carnal mind is enmity against God and cannot please Him.

1 Corinthians 2:14

Context: Weaver reads this verse to show that the natural man cannot receive spiritual things.

Psalm 55:19

Context: Weaver quotes this verse to indicate that those without changes do not fear God.

Psalm 110:3

Context: Weaver references this verse to show that God's power makes His people willing.

Philippians 2:12-13

Context: Weaver reads these verses to explain that God works in believers to will and to do His good pleasure.

Philippians 1:6

Context: Weaver quotes this verse to affirm that God will complete the work He began in believers.

Hebrews 12:2

Context: Weaver references this verse to call Jesus the author and finisher of faith.

Mark 1:15

Context: Weaver quotes Jesus' command to repent and believe the gospel.

Acts 17:30-31

Context: Weaver reads these verses to show God's command for all men to repent because of the coming judgment.

John 5:22-23

Context: Weaver reads these verses to explain that the Father has committed all judgment to the Son.

Acts 3:19

Context: Weaver reads this verse to link repentance and conversion.

1 Thessalonians 1:9-10

Context: Weaver reads these verses as an illustration of turning from idols to God.

Luke 22:32

Context: Weaver references Jesus' words to Peter about being converted and strengthening brethren.

James 5:19-20

Context: Weaver reads these verses to show that a Christian can be converted from error.

John 15:5

Context: Weaver quotes Jesus' statement that without Him we can do nothing.

Historical References

Pharisees' tradition of hand-washing

Context: Weaver discusses the Pharisees' ceremonial hand-washing tradition as an example of how customs hinder change.

Stephen's martyrdom and charge of changing customs

Context: Weaver references Acts 6:14 where Stephen was accused of changing the customs of Moses.

Samaritan woman at the well

Context: Weaver mentions the Samaritan woman's reference to worship on Mount Gerizim as a tradition.

Important Quotes

Changelessness belongs to God alone. He alone is immutable. He is unchangeable. Immutability belongs to the Creator. Mutability belongs to the creature.

Significance: This quote encapsulates the core theological distinction between God's unchangeable nature and human changeability.

Repentance is a change of mind, which results in a change of direction.

Significance: This concise definition of repentance is central to Weaver's argument about the necessity of change for salvation.

There is no change apart from beholding Christ, and there is no change apart from the Spirit of the Lord.

Significance: This emphasizes the divine enablement required for genuine spiritual change.

Full well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your own tradition.

Significance: Weaver uses Jesus' rebuke of the Pharisees to highlight how traditions can hinder obedience to God.

If you are not going forward in the faith, you are going backwards. If you're not progressing, you are digressing. There is no neutrality.

Significance: This quote underscores the inevitability and directionality of change in the Christian life.

You will change one way or the other. You'll either become more godly, more holy, more obedient, more biblical, or you'll keep going backwards and becoming more and more conformed to the world.

Significance: This application summarizes the two possible trajectories of change for believers.

Discussion Questions

How does understanding God's immutability affect your view of personal change?

Context: Weaver contrasts God's unchangeable nature with human mutability.

In what ways have you experienced repentance as a change of mind and direction?

Context: Weaver defines repentance and its ongoing role in the Christian life.

Why is it impossible to change spiritually without the Holy Spirit's work?

Context: Weaver explains the necessity of divine grace for change using Romans 8 and 1 Corinthians 2.

What traditions or customs in your life might be hindering biblical change?

Context: Weaver discusses the Pharisees' traditions and how they rejected God's commandments.

How can we cultivate a habit of beholding Christ to facilitate ongoing transformation?

Context: Weaver emphasizes 2 Corinthians 3:18 and the role of beholding Christ in change.

What are some signs that a person is changing for the worse rather than for the better?

Context: Weaver warns that change can be negative, leading to conformity to the world.

Applications

Embrace repentance as an ongoing practice.

Summary: Believers should continually repent as God reveals sin in their lives, not just at conversion.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'I've done far more repenting since I've been saved than when I got saved.'

Seek change through beholding Christ and relying on the Spirit.

Summary: Change comes by focusing on Christ and depending on the Holy Spirit, not by self-effort.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'There is no change apart from beholding Christ, and there is no change apart from the Spirit of the Lord.'

Examine and abandon unbiblical traditions.

Summary: Believers must be willing to let go of customs and traditions that contradict Scripture.

Evidence: Weaver warns, 'It is very difficult to deviate, to discontinue, and to turn from traditions and customs.'

Pursue constant spiritual growth.

Summary: Christians should strive to progress in faith, moving from glory to glory, rather than stagnating.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'We should be going from strength to strength and from faith to faith and glory to glory and grace to grace.'

Avoid drawing back from the faith.

Summary: Believers must not look back or draw back, as this displeases God and indicates unfitness for the kingdom.

Evidence: Weaver quotes Hebrews 10:38 and Luke 9:62 to warn against drawing back.

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-06T12:31:04Z

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T13:34:16Z

Clean Transcript

The Theology of Change - 3

Clean readable transcript. This view follows the Commentary.net cleaned segment text while preserving timestamps for audio follow-along.

2 Corinthians 3, verse 18, and also Malachi 3, verse 6. You should remember Malachi from the previous messages. Malachi 3, verse 6, we'll read it first, and then go to 2 Corinthians 3, verse 18, because this is the third message in the series, "The Theology of Change." In Malachi 3, verse 6, the Word of God says, "For I am the Lord, I change not. Therefore you sons of Jacob are not consumed." Then if you look in 2 Corinthians 3, verse 18, the scripture says, "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass, the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." If you will remember, I have been dealing in the last two messages on the distinction between a preference and a conviction. And I also dealt with things that should not change us, especially should not change our theology, such as profit and pleasure and pressure and persecution. But the truth of the matter is we do change and change is absolutely necessary.
#1 | 0:00 to 1:23 | cleaned
And when you just think of the word "change," all you can say is what a word. It literally depends upon one's frame of reference as well as one's circumstances as to whether or not change is refreshing or dismal. The truth of the matter is we all change. Change may be for the better or it may be for the worse. Yet we all change. And most people do not like change.
#2 | 1:23 to 1:52 | cleaned
And I'll explain why a little bit later. In fact, the older you get, the more you dislike change, I can assure you. And the more technology advances, the more you hate to see it advance. When we hadn't had a TV in years, but when we had a VCR, I guess for 30 years it still blinked because I never knew how to change the thing. And it blinked until finally we got rid of it.
#3 | 1:52 to 2:23 | cleaned
So, you know, it's just like these phones today. If something has to be done to my phone, I just hand it to my grandson. I fix it, you know. I don't know anything about it. And, you know, change can be very difficult for us, that is for sure. But the word "change" refers to that which is altered, replaced, substituted, transformed, or converted. We may not necessarily like change.
#4 | 2:24 to 2:50 | cleaned
But it is absolutely necessary, especially from a biblical perspective. Changelessness belongs to God alone. He alone is immutable. He is unchangeable. Immutability belongs to the Creator. Mutability belongs to the creature. That is, we are changing individuals. God is the most perfect being. Therefore, He cannot change for the better because He's already perfect, and He cannot change for the worse because then He would be less than perfect. So that's why I said in Malachi 3 and verse 6, "For I am the Lord, I change not." And you must remember the same is said concerning Jesus Christ in Hebrews 13 and verse 8, when it said, "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever."
#5 | 2:51 to 3:43 | cleaned
Now, when God created Adam, which we will talk about a little bit more next week, but when God created Adam, He had created him with original righteousness, holiness, and knowledge, but He created him mutable, that is, changeable. Adam was also given dominion. And when you stop and think that Adam was created with original righteousness, holiness, and knowledge, and given dominion, moreover, he lived in an absolutely perfect environment, and yet he sinned. How could he possibly have sinned in a perfect environment? And the answer is, because he was made mutable. That is, he could change. And Adam did change. Adam was not God. He literally changed, and he changed God for Satan, truth for a lie, holiness for rebellion, peace for trouble, comfort for misery, and righteousness for sin. So he changed, and obviously, because of that, he now cannot change back. It is one thing to change from good to bad. But now he has a depraved and fallen nature, and it's impossible now for Adam's posterity to change back in and of itself.
#6 | 3:45 to 5:10 | cleaned
That's why in Jeremiah chapter 13 and verse 23, God asked this question: "Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots? Then may you do good who are accustomed to doing evil." So we not only have a fallen nature, we have also acquired a habitual stance in sinning and rebelling against God. We've become accustomed to it. We are comfortable in it, and we do not necessarily want to change in and of ourselves. That's why in 2 Timothy 3, verse 13, the Bible says that evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse.
#7 | 5:11 to 5:50 | cleaned
Now, if you would hold 2 Corinthians, we're coming back there. But I want you to look in the book of Romans, chapter 8, very quickly. Romans, chapter 8. And notice, if you would please, verses 6 through 8, just to show you how far Adam fell. Adam became what you and I would call totally depraved. Consequently, all of Adam's posterity are totally depraved as well. To show you the extent of that depravity and inability, in Romans 8, verse 6, the Bible says, "For to be carnally minded, that is fleshly minded, for to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace." Now, he explains why the carnal mind is death. He says, "Because the carnal mind, that is the fleshly mind, the mind by nature, the carnal mind is enmity against God." The word "enmity" is a very strong word for hatred, so it's literally like this: because the carnal mind is strong hatred against God, for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. Now because of this truth, look at verse 8, "So then, they that are in the flesh cannot please God."
#8 | 5:51 to 7:10 | cleaned
Anyone that is in the flesh does not have the ability to please God in and of himself. No one has the power to please God in and of himself. And the reason is because the carnal mind is enmity against God. It's not subject to the law of God. Neither, indeed, it can be. If you would turn right over to 1 Corinthians chapter 2. 1 Corinthians chapter 2.
#9 | 7:11 to 7:40 | cleaned
And look at verse 14. And here the Word of God tells us that fallen man does not have the facilities to discern the truth of God and spiritual things. 1 Corinthians 2 and verse 14. He says, "But the natural man, that is the unsaved man, fallen man, but the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God. For they are foolishness unto him, neither can he know them."
#10 | 7:41 to 8:12 | cleaned
"Can" is a term of ability. "May" is a term of permission. "Neither can he know them." Why? Because they are spiritually discerned. So a fallen man does not have the faculties to spiritually discern the truth of God. And the truth of God is absolute foolishness unto him. So unless a man is changed by the grace of God, he will not change so that he can please God and honor God, because he does not have the ability to change in and of himself. Now, you say, "But I know men that have changed." Yes, you know men that have changed.
#11 | 8:13 to 8:50 | cleaned
However, those changes are not necessarily biblical changes, nor are they spiritual changes. It is true that man may change and become more moral. He may change and become more self-controlled or more mannerly. But that does not mean that those are biblical changes and spiritual changes. I've known men that quit smoking. I've known men that quit drinking. I've known men that quit running around. I've known men that quit a lot of things. But that does not necessarily mean that they were Christians, nor does it mean that they pleased God in those changes.
#12 | 8:51 to 9:26 | cleaned
Now, if you look in your Bibles to Psalm 55 and verse 19, look at what the Bible says. Psalm 55. And verse 19, there are spiritual changes that God demands, and unless these changes are given, there are not going to be anything that will please God. Notice in Psalm 55, verse 19, the Bible says, "God shall hear and afflict them, even he that abided of old, Selah." And the word "Selah" means pause, stop, think about it. Then he says this, "Because they have no changes, therefore they fear not God." So a man's not going to fear God unless he has been changed. Now, God does demand change. But He is also the One who enables man to change and become pleasing unto Himself. I suppose probably one of the most well-known expressions to designate a Christian is that he is a changed man. And that's true.
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I remember preaching in Thomasville, Georgia years ago, and the pastor's brother was converted. God saved him that night. And afterwards, we went out to a restaurant for something to drink afterwards. We were all sitting around. And I never will forget, this man started laughing. And his name was Vance. And I looked up and I said, "Why are you laughing?" He said, "I'm just sitting here thinking." He said, "My bird dogs won't understand a word I say to them now." He said, "I'm going to have to retrain every one of them." Well, that's true. I mean, because once God saves you, you are indeed a changed man. That is for sure. But when we're changed, we're changed by the grace of God.
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That's why in Psalm 110 in verse 3, he said, "Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power." So it's God's power that makes us willing. In the book of Philippians, if you want to look there, please, at verses 2, chapter 2, verses 12 and 13. Notice, if you would, what the Bible says. Philippians chapter 2. And notice, if you would please, beginning there with verse 12.
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The Apostle Paul writes this: "Wherefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." Isn't that amazing? Work out your own salvation. Now he did not say work for your salvation. He said work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. But he goes further. Look in verse 13.
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"For it is God who worketh in you both the will to do his good pleasure." So man cannot work it out unless God works it in. God's grace and God's mercy and God's power works it in us that we are responsible to work it out. So unless God works in us, there is absolutely nothing to work out. That's why in Philippians 1 and verse 6, the Apostle Paul wrote, "Being confident in this very thing, that he who has begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ." So once God begins something, he finishes it. That's why in Hebrews chapter 12 and verse 2, the Bible says, "Looking unto Jesus, the author and the finisher of our faith." So if He's the author of it, He's also the finisher of it. So again, whatever God starts, God also finishes.
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Now, we're talking about change. I want to begin today by pointing out what I'm going to call some absolute basic and necessary changes, and show you how that as Christians, we not only have changed, but we are still to be changing. First of all, repentance is a change. So let me make a statement. If you have not repented, you're not saved. If you have not repented, you're not a Christian.
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Our Lord began his ministry in Mark 1 in verse 15, and he said, "The time is fulfilled, the kingdom is at hand. Repent ye and believe the gospel." So you cannot believe the gospel without repentance. Repentance is absolutely necessary. "Repent ye," he said, "and believe the gospel." When you stop and think of what is passed off today as preaching and as the gospel, there's nothing mentioned of repentance. Repentance is absolutely demanded by God. Let me show you.
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Look in your Bibles to the book of Acts chapter 17. And let's look at verses 30 and 31. Paul has been preaching on Mars Hill. And he is winding up his sermon. And look what he says. Acts chapter 17 verse 30. This is very important. Acts 17 verse 30. He said, "In the times of this ignorance, God winked at, but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent." So God commands men to repent.
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So you're going to have to ask yourself why? Well, here's why. Watch carefully. "Because he hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained, whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, and that he raised him from the dead."
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Now let's take this verse apart. God says he commands us to repent. Why? Because he hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness. So God has appointed a judgment day. And then he says, "by that man whom he hath ordained," who is none other than Jesus Christ, which I shall show you. And then he says this, "whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, and that he had raised him from the dead." So let me spell it out like this: just as surely as God raised Jesus Christ from the dead, just that surely there's going to be a judgment day and Jesus Christ is going to be the judge. So God commands us to repent because He has appointed a day in which He's going to judge the world in righteousness by Jesus Christ, and He gave us certification. He gave us assurance of that fact, and then He raised Jesus Christ from the dead.
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Now, if you would turn back in your Bibles to the book of John, look in John 5, and let's begin reading there with verse 22, and you're going to see this truth spelled out. John 5, verse 22. The Scripture says, "For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son." So now you're going to ask, why has God the Father committed all judgment to the Son? And here's the answer. Verse 23, "That all men should honor the Son even as they honor the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him." Jesus Christ is God. Jesus Christ is Judge. And God the Father is going to make sure that everyone honours His Son and everyone bows the knee and confesses and acknowledges that Jesus Christ is Lord.
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So, repentance is absolutely necessary. Why? Well, here's why. Because repentance is a change of mind, which results in a change of direction. Now, the verb for repentance is metanoeo, and it literally means to change one's mind, to change one's direction, to change one's mind for the better, to change one's mind in such a way as to amend his doings. And when you think of repentance, you have to think absolutely about a change. So if I'm walking straight toward Steve and I repent, I do 180 degrees and I go the opposite way. So when I changed my mind of walking toward him, I'm now walking away from him. And that change of mind resulted in a change of direction. Now, when we change, when we repent, we change our minds about God. We change our minds about the Bible. We change our minds about sin, about salvation, about Jesus Christ. In fact, the truth of the matter is, we change our minds about a multitude of things. If you would pause just for a moment and think, before God saved you, you hardly ever gave God a thought.
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I mean, you weren't in your minds. In fact, that's one of the charges that God lays against the wicked in Psalm 10: God is not in all their thoughts. I never thought about Jesus Christ. You know, I was raised in church. And so was Alice. I mean, we were in church Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night, any night there was a special meeting. We were there. But I distinctly remember as a young man, God was not in all my thoughts. You know, I never thought much about the Bible, although I was supposed to be hearing it all the time, which I was not. But I'm just simply saying, I remember times in my life when an occasional thought would come to me about God or about dying or something, and I'd just simply pass it off. But you cannot come to Jesus Christ without repentance. Why?
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Because you have to turn from everything that is contrary to Him and embrace Him in faith. So when we repent, we change our minds about all of these things. We change our mind about sin. See, for all a man thinks sin is pleasurable and profitable, but God says it's wicked and rebellious and deserves a death penalty. And so we don't think about that until God actually gives us repentance.
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Now, let me try to tie these two things together for you. Because not only is repentance a change, secondly, conversion is a change. I want you to look in your Bibles to the book of Acts chapter 3. Acts chapter 3. And look, if you would please, at verse 19. I want you to see that repentance and conversion go together. Actually, they are two sides of one coin.
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You cannot really repent unless you are converted, and you cannot really be converted unless you repent. We turn from sin to salvation, from disobedience to obedience, from running away from God to running to God. And so in Acts chapter 3 and verse 19, Peter's preaching, he says this, "Repent ye therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord." Notice what he said, "Repent ye and be converted."
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These two things go together. Now, what I want you to do is look at the context with me and let's begin reading with verse 12. Peter's preaching. They have healed a man at the beautiful gate and they've raised him up. Verse 12. "And when Peter saw it, that is, all the people running to him and gathering together, he answered unto the people, 'You men of Israel, why marvel you at this? Or why look you so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we have made this man to walk?'"
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"The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus, whom you delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate when he was determined to let him go. But you denied the Holy One and the just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you. And you killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead, whereof we are witnesses. And his name, through faith in his name, hath made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all. I wot that through ignorance you did it, as did also your rulers. But those things which God before had showed by the mouth of his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled."
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"Repent ye therefore, and be converted." Now wait a minute. "Repent ye therefore." What had they done to Jesus Christ? They mocked Him. They scourged Him. They denied Him. They crucified Him. Now he says you better repent. You better change your mind about Jesus Christ. You better change your mind about what the scripture says about Jesus Christ. And you need to be converted. You need to turn your life around and do that which God has commanded.
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So obviously, repentance and conversion go together. So if a person really, genuinely, savingly repents, if he really, savingly changes his mind, it results then in a change of course and of conduct.
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Now, the word "converted" here is epistrepho, which literally means to turn, to be converted, to turn about, to turn to the worship of God, to turn to love and obedience, and to turn to wisdom and righteousness. Now, stop and think about this. You repent, you change your minds about sin, you now view sin the way God views sin, and therefore you turn to God. Repent concerning your views of Jesus Christ: before you never really thought of Him. You never thought of Him as being the Son of God or the Savior or Lord. But now you repent and now you turn to Him in faith. In other words, repentance is something that God gives us initially at salvation, but it continues through all of our life. Conversion is what happens initially when we turn to Jesus Christ, and yet it is possible to be continually converted. I will show you.
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Now, what I want to show you first is I want you to look in 1 Thessalonians 1. Here's a wonderful illustration that God has given us of repentance and conversion and how these two things go together. So 1 Thessalonians 1. Look, if you would please, at verses 9 and 10. 1 Thessalonians 1, verses 9 and 10. The Apostle Paul writes these Thessalonians and he says this, "For they themselves show of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how you turned to God from idols, to serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus, who delivered us from the wrath to come."
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So here is repentance, and here is conversion tied together. You turned from idols, that is, you repented, and then you turned to God to serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven. So, God gives us repentance initially. God converts us initially. But repentance and conversion continue throughout all of our lives. You've heard me say this, I am sure. I repented when God saved me. But I've done far more repenting since I've been saved than when I got saved. Because when God saved me, there were a few things that I was convicted over that I knew were sin. But since that time, as I studied the scripture, I found out there's a whole lot of other things wrong with me. And you have to repent every time that God shows you there's something wrong in your life.
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And also, you have to be converted. Now, let me explain that. Remember, the word "converted" does not necessarily always imply that a person is lost. For instance, in Luke chapter 22 and verse 32, you remember Jesus Christ looked at Peter and he said, "Peter, Satan has desired to have thee, that he may sift thee as wheat." But then he goes on to say, "But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not. And when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren." Now Peter was already a saved man.
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And our Lord acknowledged that. He said, "I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not." You are already a believer. "But when thou art converted," that is when you are turned back. When you're turned back, you strengthen your brethren. So three times Peter denied our Lord. And our Lord says, when you turn back, when you're changed and you change your course of conduct and action and you obey, then you strengthen your brethren.
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So the word "conversion" does not necessarily imply an initial conversion; it can be something that goes on in our life on a constant and continual basis. We get converted theologically from one position to another. We get converted intellectually. We get converted emotionally. We get converted in a number of ways. Let me show you something else. Look in your Bibles to the book of James, chapter 5. James, chapter 5. Hebrews, James. Right before 1 Peter, James chapter 5.
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And let's begin reading there with verse 19. James 5 verse 19. And please note that James is writing to brethren. He's writing to Christians. James 5 verse 19. He says, "Brethren." Uh huh. So we're talking to Christians. "Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth and one convert him, let him know that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death and shall hide a multitude of sins." But notice, if you would please, he says, "Brethren, if any of you..." So it is possible for a Christian to be converted because it is possible for Christians to sin. And so James here is talking about Christians being converted.
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So repentance and conversion go together. Here's the third thing I want to show you today: that biblical change is always by the grace and power of God. Initially, I showed you in our introduction how that it's impossible for man to change in and of himself. So that brings you to the third point, that change is always based upon the grace and the power of God. You remember what our Lord said in John 15 in verse 5?
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"Without me, you can do what? Nothing." If we can do nothing without Him, obviously our change has to be based upon His grace.
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Now, I want you to go back in your Bibles to 2 Corinthians 3 and look, if you would please, at verse 18. I want to emphasize this verse today. 2 Corinthians 3 and verse 18. Look what he says. "But we all," and we're talking about Christians, "but we all with open face beholding as in a glass or in a mirror the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord." So I want you to note carefully, it is as we behold our Lord that we are changed by the Spirit of the Lord.
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In other words, He must work in us. There is no change apart from beholding Christ, and there is no change apart from the Spirit of the Lord. Now, men may demand change, they may expect change, they may encourage change, but real, genuine change comes only through the Spirit of God as He reveals Jesus Christ to us in a greater measure. So, without the illumination and the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit, we will never change our lives, our culture, our theology. We must be taught.
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Now, I want you to hold 2 Corinthians 3. But go in your Bibles to John chapter 16. Look at what the Scripture says. Our Lord is talking about the Holy Spirit in John chapter 16. And let's begin reading there with verse 13. John 16, verse 13. Our Lord says, "Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth. For he shall not speak of himself, but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak. And he will show you things to come. He shall glorify me, for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you. All things that the Father hath are mine. Therefore said I that he shall take of mine and will show it unto you." So here the Holy Spirit is referred to as the Spirit of truth. So if we are ever to become more godly, more holy, and more biblically correct theologically speaking, it must be as the Holy Spirit enlightens our mind, illuminates our mind so that we can understand God's revealed truth.
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It is the Holy Spirit who illuminates our mind to the beauty and the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ and to the truth of his word. Now, let me ask you a question. Have you ever noticed how we resist change? Let me make it a little more specific. Have you ever noticed how you resist change? And all of us do. Truthfully, most of us do not like change. Why?
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Well, one of the answers is we get very comfortable with ourselves, with our practices, with our lives, with our theology, and we don't want anything to upset our apple cart, and we don't want to have to do any additional work or additional study. And we just become very comfortable. You remember Stephen was the first martyr in the New Testament? You know what he was charged with? In Acts chapter 6 and verse 16, here's one of the charges.
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"For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place and change the customs which Moses delivered unto us." We'll change the customs. We like our customs. We don't want to change. That's exactly what they were saying. Do you realize that one of the most difficult things to change in your life, one of the most difficult things to change in your Christian life, one of the most difficult things to change in your church life, one of the most difficult things to change in your family life, happens to be your customs or your traditions. We've always done it like this. And we're comfortable in doing it like this. I probably would have told you this, but it's still one of my favorite stories.
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I read it a long time ago. The mother was fixing a roast. And she cut the end of the roast off and laid it in the pan beside the rest of it. And her little daughter watching her and she asked her mother, "Why did you do that?" The mother stopped and said, "Well, I don't really know. I just always saw my mother do that." And so the little girl said, "Well, let's ask granny and find out." And so they went to great granny or granny and said, "How did you do this? Why?" I mean, she said, "Well, you know, I don't know either. I just saw my mother do it." And so Great Granny was still alive, and they went to her and explained the situation. And they asked her, "Why did you always cut the end of your roast off?"
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And she said, "That's simple. My pan was too small for the roast." So you get a tradition going just because somebody sees something done, or you do it a certain way on a regular basis, and then you have that tradition. I want you to look in your Bibles, if you would, please, first of all, to Matthew 15, and then we're going to Mark 7. Matthew 15, and then we'll go to Mark 7.
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I'm trying to tell you that changes are exceedingly difficult when it comes to traditions and customs, and it doesn't really matter. When someone points out that our customs or our traditions are unbiblical and unscriptural, we still do not like to change. So notice, if you would, Matthew 15, beginning with verse 1. "Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees which were of Jerusalem, saying, 'Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders?'"
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"For they wash not their hands when they eat bread. But he answered and said to them, 'Why do you also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?'"
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Now, these Pharisees were not concerned over sanitation. It was not for sanitary reasons that they washed their hands. It was a religious rite. So if you look in Mark chapter 7, it's further explained, Mark 7. Notice if you would please beginning there with verse 1. And we'll read through verse 9. Watch carefully. "Then came together unto him the Pharisees and certain of the scribes which came from Jerusalem."
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"When they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled," see there's a ceremonial ritual, "with defiled, that is to say with unwashed hands, they found fault." In other words, they had this tradition, once they came from the market, they had to wash their hands, lest some germ of some gentile dog had gotten on them. It was all ceremonial. Watch carefully. Verse 3, "For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands often eat not, holding the tradition of the elders. And when they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other things there be which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, and pots, and brazen vessels, and of tables." Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, "Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?"
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"And he answered and said unto them, 'Well hath Isaiah prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups, and many other such like things you do.' And he said unto them, look carefully, 'Full well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your own tradition.'" Wow.
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I'm telling you folks, it is very difficult to deviate, to discontinue, and to turn from traditions and customs. And when someone points out how something is unscriptural or unbiblical, it really doesn't matter to most people, because most people had rather have their tradition, they'd rather have their custom, than they had to be biblically correct. It's just that simple. It's hard to believe that we've been wrong for so many years. It's hard to believe that mother and dad are wrong, grandparents are wrong, great-grandparents are wrong. It's just difficult to believe.
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But that's the way it is. And I remember when God first began opening my eyes to His truth. And I heard someone teach the truth, and I opposed it. And the reason I opposed it was simple. Because I realized if this brother was right, and he was a professor, I realized if he was right, not only I was wrong, but all my friends were wrong as well, and I didn't want my friends to be wrong.
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Once you grab hold of something, it's hard to say, "I've been taught wrongly all my life." You remember, our Lord was witnessing to that Samaritan woman in John chapter 4. And she kind of wanted to change the subject. And she said, "Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. Our fathers worshipped in this mountain, that's Gerizim. But you say that in Jerusalem is where men ought to worship."
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Now, what was she saying? We worship in this mountain. We have our tradition. We have our custom. You Jews, you have your customs. You have your traditions. You worship over there. We worship over here. She wanted to go back to customs and our Lord said, "Let me tell you something. The time is coming when you neither worship in this mountain nor in Jerusalem. Why? For the Father seeketh such to worship Him who worship in spirit and in truth." Wow. This is one reason the Jews opposed Jesus Christ so viciously and so vehemently, because all of those traditions were going down the drain. Now let me tell you something else. Here's another reason I think that we do not like change. Not only are we comfortable with our traditions and our customs, but there is an aspect of idolatry. When you stop and think, Malachi 3:6, "I, the Lord, change not." Only God is immutable. Only God is unchangeable. And the truth of the matter is, we like to think that we are right. Everybody else is wrong.
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And there is no need and no necessity for us to change because we're right. In other words, we are immutable. It's not possible for us to change because we are right. And that's idolatry. I've told Alice this before, and each of us have made this statement, and probably you've made this statement as well. You get into circumstances and situations and you're dealing with people and family, friends, and you say, "Why does everything have to be so complex?" Have you ever noticed the complexity of everything today? And we say, "Well, I wish things were simpler."
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Do you realize that only God is the most simple being? And when we despise the complexity of our situations, what we're saying is we'd like to be God in one sense of the word. We want everything just so simple all the time. Only God has no problems. We have problems and so there's an aspect of idolatry, because we do not want to change because we think that we're right and we're changeless like God. And what was the temptation? "You shall be as gods, knowing or determining good and evil for yourself."
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Fourthly, let me point this out: change is to be constant in the Christian. Change is to be constant. And when I talk about change, I'm talking about biblical change. There is no reason to fear change. We should not deny change. We should not run from change. But we must learn to change. But we must learn to change in a biblical manner. Our thoughts of God should become clearer. Our devotion to Him should become more real. Our theology should become more sound.
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And our understanding of Him should be increasing daily. We should be going from strength to strength and from faith to faith and glory to glory and grace to grace.
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Now if you go back to 2 Corinthians chapter 3 and look at verse 18 again, look what the scripture says. "But we all," that is we all Christians, "with open face beholding as in a glass or in a mirror the glory of the Lord." In other words, we look in there and we see the Lord in His glory. And as we view Him, as we look upon Him, we're changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. So we're to be continually beholding the glory of the Lord, and consequently, we're to be continually changed by the Spirit of God. The Bible says in Psalm 84 and verse 7, "They go from strength to strength. Every one of them in Zion appeareth before God." In Romans 1 and verse 17, he says, "For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith. As it is written, The just shall live by faith."
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So it's incumbent upon us to change our lives and bring them in greater conformity to the Lord Jesus Christ and to His Word. Now, here's the fifth truth. The fifth truth is this: we will change. We will change. However, that change may be for the better or for the worse. You cannot avoid change. If you are not going forward in the faith, you are going backwards. If you're not progressing, you are digressing. There is no neutrality. You can't put your life in neutral and say, "I'm just going to sit here a while."
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There's no king's exit, there's no stationary place. Our Lord said it like this in Luke 11, verse 23, "He that is not with Me is against Me, and he that gathers not scattereth abroad." So you're either for Him or you're against Him. You're either gathering or you're scattering. You're either progressing in the faith, or you're digressing, you're retreating, you're backing up. If you are not becoming more biblical, you're becoming more emotional, more sentimental, more traditional, more ceremonial, more pragmatic, more pharisaic, and more humanistic.
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The only alternative to conforming your life to Jesus Christ is conforming your life to the world. I'll go over this more next week. But you remember the Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 12, "I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, wholly acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service, and be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." So if you are not transformed by the renewing of your mind, you're becoming conformed to the world. The only choice you have is conformity to Jesus Christ or conformity to the world.
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So you will change one way or the other. You'll either become more godly, more holy, more obedient, more biblical, or you'll keep going backwards and becoming more and more conformed to the world. You know, I found it interesting over the years, you see people get upset sometimes with the preacher, sometimes with the preaching, or sometimes get upset with some family, or just get mad for some reason. And the next thing you know, they're missing Sunday night. Then they're missing Wednesday night. Then they're going to miss Sunday morning. And then they're not coming back. That's the way it goes. If you are not going forward, you are going backwards.
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So let me make an application today. Here it is. Listen carefully. Change is absolutely essential to growth. If you are not growing, you are dying. If you're not increasing in strength, you are growing weaker. Change is inevitable and you will change. It will either be for the better or for the worse, but you will change. To go backwards is to fall under the curse of Galatians that you read about in Galatians chapter 5.
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It is basically declaring yourself unfit for the Kingdom of God. Let me give you two verses. Hebrews 10 verse 38, "Now the just shall live by faith. But if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him." That's what God said. The just shall live by faith. But if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. And in Luke 9, in verse 62, Jesus said, "No man, having put his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." You can't look back and say, "Boy, if I could only do that now or if I could live like that now." No, no, no. If you put your hand to the gospel plow and look back, he said, and desire what you had when you were unconverted, you're not fit for the kingdom of God.
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When you stop and think about this, our lives have changed. Repentance is a change. Conversion is a change. Sanctification is a change. And glorification is the ultimate change. We will only be changeless when we are in eternity. Until then, we must continually change for the better to be more biblical, to be more holy, to be more godly, to be more scriptural. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to thee this day.
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We thank you for your word. We thank you for your truth. We understand, Lord, that we are creatures of change. Help us, Father, to change biblically for your honor and for your glory, and to do that which is well-pleasing in thy sight. In the name of Jesus Christ, we ask and pray. Amen.
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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-06T12:31:04Z

The Theology of Change - 3

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

John Weaver continues his series on the theology of change, emphasizing that while God is immutable, humanity is mutable and must undergo biblical change. He explains that repentance and conversion are foundational changes necessary for salvation, and that ongoing change is essential for Christian growth. Change is enabled by the Holy Spirit as believers behold Christ, and resistance to change often stems from comfort with traditions and idolatry of self. Ultimately, believers will either change for the better by conforming to Christ or for the worse by conforming to the world.

Introduction: The Necessity of Change

Scripture Reading — Malachi 3:6

"For I am the Lord, I change not. Therefore you sons of Jacob are not consumed."

God's Immutability and Man's Mutability

Scripture Reading — Hebrews 13:8

"Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever."

That's why in Jeremiah chapter 13 and verse 23, God asked this question:

Scripture Reading — Jeremiah 13:23

"Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots? Then may you do good who are accustomed to doing evil."

The Inability of Fallen Man to Change Spiritually

Using Romans 8:6-8 and 1 Corinthians 2:14, Weaver argues that the natural man is at enmity with God and cannot please God or understand spiritual things without being changed by God's grace.

Scripture Reading — Romans 8:6-8

"For to be carnally minded, that is fleshly minded, for to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace."

Now, he explains why the carnal mind is death. He says,

Scripture Reading — Romans 8:6-8

"Because the carnal mind, that is the fleshly mind, the mind by nature, the carnal mind is enmity against God."

The word "enmity

Scripture Reading — Romans 8:6-8

" is a very strong word for hatred, so it's literally like this: because the carnal mind is strong hatred against God, for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. Now because of this truth, look at verse 8, "

So then, they that are in the flesh cannot please God."

And look at verse 14. And here the Word of God tells us that fallen man does not have the facilities to discern the truth of God and spiritual things. 1 Corinthians 2 and verse 14. He says,

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 2:14

"But the natural man, that is the unsaved man, fallen man, but the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God. For they are foolishness unto him, neither can he know them."

"Can" is a term of ability. "May" is a term of permission. "Neither can he know them.

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 2:14

" Why? Because they are spiritually discerned. So a fallen man does not have the faculties to spiritually discern the truth of God. And the truth of God is absolute foolishness unto him. So unless a man is changed by the grace of God, he will not change so that he can please God and honor God, because he does not have the ability to change in and of himself. Now, you say, "

But I know men that have changed." Yes, you know men that have changed.

Repentance as a Change

Our Lord began his ministry in Mark 1 in verse 15, and he said,

Scripture Reading — Mark 1:15

"The time is fulfilled, the kingdom is at hand. Repent ye and believe the gospel."

So you cannot believe the gospel without repentance. Repentance is absolutely necessary. "Repent ye," he said,

Scripture Reading — Mark 1:15

"and believe the gospel."

Scripture Reading — John 5:22-23

"For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son."

So now you're going to ask, why has God the Father committed all judgment to the Son? And here's the answer. Verse 23,

Scripture Reading — John 5:22-23

"That all men should honor the Son even as they honor the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him."

Jesus Christ is God. Jesus Christ is Judge. And God the Father is going to make sure that everyone honours His Son and everyone bows the knee and confesses and acknowledges that Jesus Christ is Lord.

Conversion as a Change

Scripture Reading — Acts 3:19

"Repent ye therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord."

Scripture Reading — 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10

"For they themselves show of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how you turned to God from idols, to serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus, who delivered us from the wrath to come."

Scripture Reading — Luke 22:32

"But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not. And when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren." Now Peter was already a saved man. And our Lord acknowledged that. He said, "I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not."

Scripture Reading — James 5:19-20

"Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth and one convert him, let him know that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death and shall hide a multitude of sins." But notice, if you would please, he says, "Brethren, if any of you..."

So it is possible for a Christian to be converted because it is possible for Christians to sin. And so James here is talking about Christians being converted.

Change by the Grace and Power of God

Resistance to Change: Traditions and Idolatry

And our understanding of Him should be increasing daily. We should be going from strength to strength and from faith to faith and glory to glory and grace to grace.

The Constant Nature of Change in the Christian Life

Change is to be constant for believers, who should progress from glory to glory. If not moving forward, one is moving backward, conforming either to Christ or to the world (Romans 12:1-2).

Application: Change is Essential for Growth

The Theology of Change - 3

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	81318830174
Subject	New Testament Studies
Course	Romans: Assurance, Providence, and Life in the Spirit: Walking With God
Genre	Sermon
Date	2018-08-05
Dictation Name
Book	Book 111: The Theology of Change — Chapter 3
Source Timed Segments	71

Lecture Guide

Outline

Introduction: The Necessity of Change: Weaver introduces the topic by reading Malachi 3:6 and 2 Corinthians 3:18, contrasting God's immutability with human mutability. He notes that while people often dislike change, it is necessary from a biblical perspective.
God's Immutability and Man's Mutability: God alone is unchangeable because He is perfect. Adam was created mutable and fell into sin, demonstrating that humanity is inherently changeable and unable to change back to righteousness without divine intervention.
The Inability of Fallen Man to Change Spiritually: Using Romans 8:6-8 and 1 Corinthians 2:14, Weaver argues that the natural man is at enmity with God and cannot please God or understand spiritual things without being changed by God's grace.
Repentance as a Change: Repentance is a change of mind that results in a change of direction. It is commanded by God and necessary for salvation, involving a turning from sin and a change in one's view of God, the Bible, and Jesus Christ.
Conversion as a Change: Conversion is linked with repentance as a turning to God. Using Acts 3:19 and 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10, Weaver shows that conversion involves turning from idols to serve God, and it can be an ongoing process for believers.
Change by the Grace and Power of God: Biblical change is only possible through the Holy Spirit as believers behold Christ. John 16:13 and 2 Corinthians 3:18 emphasize that the Spirit guides into truth and transforms believers into Christ's image.
Resistance to Change: Traditions and Idolatry: People resist change due to comfort with traditions and customs, as seen in the Pharisees' adherence to hand-washing rituals (Matthew 15, Mark 7). There is also an idolatrous tendency to view oneself as unchangeable like God.
The Constant Nature of Change in the Christian Life: Change is to be constant for believers, who should progress from glory to glory. If not moving forward, one is moving backward, conforming either to Christ or to the world (Romans 12:1-2).
Application: Change is Essential for Growth: Weaver concludes that change is essential for spiritual growth; without it, one is dying. He warns against drawing back, citing Hebrews 10:38 and Luke 9:62, and urges believers to change biblically for God's glory.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

Fallen man cannot change spiritually without God's grace.

The natural man is at enmity with God and lacks the ability to please God or understand spiritual truths, as shown in Romans 8:6-8 and 1 Corinthians 2:14.

Weaver says, 'Anyone that is in the flesh does not have the ability to please God in and of himself... the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God.'

Repentance is a commanded change of mind leading to a change of direction.

God commands all men to repent (Acts 17:30), which involves a change of mind about sin, God, and Christ, resulting in a turning from sin to God.

Weaver states, 'Repentance is a change of mind, which results in a change of direction... God commandeth all men everywhere to repent.'

Conversion is a turning to God that accompanies repentance.

Conversion (epistrepho) means to turn to God, and it is linked with repentance as two sides of one coin, as seen in Acts 3:19 and 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10.

Weaver explains, 'Repent ye therefore and be converted... you turned to God from idols, to serve the living and true God.'

Change is only possible through the Holy Spirit as we behold Christ.

2 Corinthians 3:18 shows that believers are changed into Christ's image by the Spirit as they behold His glory; the Spirit guides into truth (John 16:13).

Weaver says, 'But we all... are changed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord.'

Traditions and customs hinder biblical change.

The Pharisees' adherence to hand-washing traditions (Matthew 15, Mark 7) illustrates how people reject God's commandments to keep their own traditions, making change difficult.

Weaver notes, 'Full well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your own tradition.'

Change is constant and inevitable; neutrality is impossible.

Believers are either progressing in faith or digressing; there is no stationary place, as Jesus said, 'He that is not with Me is against Me' (Luke 11:23).

Weaver states, 'If you are not going forward in the faith, you are going backwards... There is no neutrality.'

Scripture References

Malachi 3:6: Weaver reads this verse to establish God's immutability: 'For I am the Lord, I change not.'
2 Corinthians 3:18: Weaver reads this verse to show that believers are changed into Christ's image by the Spirit.
Hebrews 13:8: Weaver references this verse to affirm that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Jeremiah 13:23: Weaver quotes this verse to illustrate the inability of fallen man to change his sinful nature.
2 Timothy 3:13: Weaver mentions this verse to show that evil men grow worse, indicating a negative change.
Romans 8:6-8: Weaver reads these verses to demonstrate that the carnal mind is enmity against God and cannot please Him.
1 Corinthians 2:14: Weaver reads this verse to show that the natural man cannot receive spiritual things.
Psalm 55:19: Weaver quotes this verse to indicate that those without changes do not fear God.
Psalm 110:3: Weaver references this verse to show that God's power makes His people willing.
Philippians 2:12-13: Weaver reads these verses to explain that God works in believers to will and to do His good pleasure.
Philippians 1:6: Weaver quotes this verse to affirm that God will complete the work He began in believers.
Hebrews 12:2: Weaver references this verse to call Jesus the author and finisher of faith.
Mark 1:15: Weaver quotes Jesus' command to repent and believe the gospel.
Acts 17:30-31: Weaver reads these verses to show God's command for all men to repent because of the coming judgment.
John 5:22-23: Weaver reads these verses to explain that the Father has committed all judgment to the Son.
Acts 3:19: Weaver reads this verse to link repentance and conversion.
1 Thessalonians 1:9-10: Weaver reads these verses as an illustration of turning from idols to God.
Luke 22:32: Weaver references Jesus' words to Peter about being converted and strengthening brethren.
James 5:19-20: Weaver reads these verses to show that a Christian can be converted from error.
John 15:5: Weaver quotes Jesus' statement that without Him we can do nothing.

Historical References

Pharisees' tradition of hand-washing: Weaver discusses the Pharisees' ceremonial hand-washing tradition as an example of how customs hinder change.
Stephen's martyrdom and charge of changing customs: Weaver references Acts 6:14 where Stephen was accused of changing the customs of Moses.
Samaritan woman at the well: Weaver mentions the Samaritan woman's reference to worship on Mount Gerizim as a tradition.

Important Quotes

Changelessness belongs to God alone. He alone is immutable. He is unchangeable. Immutability belongs to the Creator. Mutability belongs to the creature.

This quote encapsulates the core theological distinction between God's unchangeable nature and human changeability.

Repentance is a change of mind, which results in a change of direction.

This concise definition of repentance is central to Weaver's argument about the necessity of change for salvation.

There is no change apart from beholding Christ, and there is no change apart from the Spirit of the Lord.

This emphasizes the divine enablement required for genuine spiritual change.

Full well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your own tradition.

Weaver uses Jesus' rebuke of the Pharisees to highlight how traditions can hinder obedience to God.

If you are not going forward in the faith, you are going backwards. If you're not progressing, you are digressing. There is no neutrality.

This quote underscores the inevitability and directionality of change in the Christian life.

You will change one way or the other. You'll either become more godly, more holy, more obedient, more biblical, or you'll keep going backwards and becoming more and more conformed to the world.

This application summarizes the two possible trajectories of change for believers.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

How does understanding God's immutability affect your view of personal change?

[Context]

Weaver contrasts God's unchangeable nature with human mutability.

[Question]

In what ways have you experienced repentance as a change of mind and direction?

[Context]

Weaver defines repentance and its ongoing role in the Christian life.

[Question]

Why is it impossible to change spiritually without the Holy Spirit's work?

[Context]

Weaver explains the necessity of divine grace for change using Romans 8 and 1 Corinthians 2.

[Question]

What traditions or customs in your life might be hindering biblical change?

[Context]

Weaver discusses the Pharisees' traditions and how they rejected God's commandments.

[Question]

How can we cultivate a habit of beholding Christ to facilitate ongoing transformation?

[Context]

Weaver emphasizes 2 Corinthians 3:18 and the role of beholding Christ in change.

[Question]

What are some signs that a person is changing for the worse rather than for the better?

[Context]

Weaver warns that change can be negative, leading to conformity to the world.

Applications

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