Lock, Stock, and Barrel
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” - 2 Corinthians 5:17 –
A NEW APPROACH TO A NEW YEAR
You and I have been given the gift of a new year. Some of us will continue to do things as we always have.
For some that might be the right thing to do. Unless ….. you have not been very successful in doing things the same way you have always done them.
For many, taking a new approach to life requires getting a second opinion. I like to ask people I trust to give me their view on a particular problem or situation. In fact, the book of Proverbs tells us: “but in the multitude of counselors there is safety.”
I have my family and some trusted friends to rely on for sound recommendations and insights that I might otherwise never have considered.
Sometimes even good advice is not enough to save a bad idea or an untenable situation. Maybe the very best advice is to scrap the old ways and make a fresh start. Rather than trying to beat the same old dead horse, I think we should try a new approach altogether.
You know, if we’ll be honest, what we need is a complete makeover, "Lock, Stock, and Barrel", in every area of our lives. New friends, new goals, new direction, and new vision all bring a new hope and a new outlook.
This year we want things to be different and better than ever! We want success and prosperity as well as health and happiness. But what we need most is the soul-prosperity that will lead to all these other achievements.
“Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.” - 3 John 1:2 -
A MAKEOVER MIGHT BE IN ORDER
This is the success secret revealed in our opening verse. “…if any man be in Christ,“.
I experienced just such a makeover almost thirty-eight years ago. It was more than a complete makeover, it was truly an extreme makeover. Gladly there was no surgery involved. I wore the same clothes and kept the same job.
Nothing could really be deduced form outward appearances. In fact, the only external evidence that this makeover had even taken place was a greatly improved countenance. I was happy and at peace with God.
My makeover began in August of 1980 and has continued to this day. My friend, Bill Montgomery, invited me to get out of the barracks at Fort Carson, Colorado and to come over to his house where his wife would make us a home-cooked meal.
After dinner we were to play chess, or something. I did not have the patience or desire to play chess, but Bill had cleverly baited the trap and I was tired of eating at the mess hall on base. I would accept the offer of dinner and then deal with the chess game when we got around to it.
Well, we didn’t play chess after dinner after all; and the “or something” turned out to be a question. A life-changing question. The kind of question that places you at crossroads in your life. It was a simple question; but very hard to answer. And not because I didn’t know the answer, I did.
This one would be hard to answer because I would have to be honest with Bill, honest with God, and honest with myself. Bill simply asked, “Jeff, if you died today would you go to heaven?”
I tried my best to give an adequate answer while my mind raced to find some way to throw him off of this line of questioning. My answers were telling in and of themselves. “I hope so.”, I’m trying to be a good guy.”, etc. It sounds even less convincing now as I type this.
Bill saw that I was not even persuading myself with the answers I gave so he moved on to a more direct question. “Have you ever asked Jesus to be your Saviour?” “I didn’t know that I could ask him.” Was my answer. “I had been taught to rely on religion or to pray to a statue.” I mean, could you really just ask Jesus to save you? I was to find out in just a few, (and I mean like two), minutes.
Before I realized what was happening, I fell under deep guilt and conviction about my sins. And even though I was not the bane of society, my run-of-the-mill sins were enough to bring me to the conclusion that I needed forgiveness and mercy if I was ever going to go to heaven when I died.
“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” - Romans 6:23 -
I found myself kneeling down right there in Bill’s living room asking God to forgive my sins and asking Christ to be my personal Saviour. I am ecstatic to confirm that Jesus said yes! What I soon found out was that he will always say yes to anyone who comes to him in faith asking for mercy.
“All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” - John 6:37 –
“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” - Romans 10:13 -
A WONDERFUL CHANGE
“he is a new creature”
There used to be a show on T.V. called “Extreme Makeover”. A person would be chosen to receive all sorts of surgery, a new wardrobe, and workouts with personal trainers.
At the end there was a great reveal in front of all of this persons’ friends and family. Everyone would comment on how great that person now looked and how glad they were for their success.
I can’t help but think that their makeover was only superficial. It did not change them or their habits. And with no change in their inner person, they would lapse back into the old lifestyle and undo all the external cosmetic work that had been done.
The only way to make a lasting change is to make an inner change. Our countenance; what people see on the outside is governed by what is going on inside of a person. I recently read an article that said human beings can tell within seconds if a person is sick inside just be outward visual cues. The same is true if we are homesick, heartsick, or spiritually sick. No, what is going on inside will surely be evident on the outside.
That was my experience after I called on Christ for salvation. That night when I returned to the barracks I slept like a baby. Gone was the usual worry about things I could not change or about things that had not yet happened. I was at peace and I loved it.
The next morning, I woke up early and broke out my small green pocket Bible I had received during basic training. Immediately I discovered a new change. Although I had read many Bible stories as a kid growing up, there never was a clear comprehension of what God was trying to say. Reading about miracles and the great military victories excited me. But, when the reading began to be hard to decipher I just gave up and went on to a different story.
This first morning after salvation was dramatically different. It was as if blinders had been removed and everything began to be understandable to me. I saw things in the Bible that I had never noticed or understood before. I realized that there was much that I was doing completely wrong in my life. Things I should begin to do in order to please God and be blessed; as well as many things that I should never do again! Until the Spirit of Christ moved in when I was saved, I was not able to comprehend these things until the Holy Spirit moved in.
“But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” - 1 Corinthians 2:14 –
Being such a brand-new babe in Christ, I did not really even understand just how great a makeover had taken place. God himself had moved into my heart!
“Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.” – 1 Corinthians 2:12 –
In fact, one of the things that the Spirit of God does for us is to instruct us in the truth of God’s Word.
“Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth is come, he will guide you into all truth:” - John 16:13 –
That is what I call an extreme makeover! God does things so differently from man. Man works to change the outside because that is all he can change; yet the inner man remains the same. When God makes us over he knows that by changing the inner man and giving him a new heart and a new direction, the outer man would be affected and changed also.
“Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.” - Matthew 23:26 –
DO NOT BE A HOARDER
“old things are passed away”
Have you ever met someone who kept absolutely everything? What a mess their surroundings become. They hold on to things that are obsolete, broken, dirty and useless. Sometimes it out of sentiment, sometimes it is because they are comfortable with things that they know and are unwilling to change or experience something new and refreshing. They don’t even realize that the things they cling to hold them back from progress and success.
Talk about misplaced loyalty! Why would you want to hold on to habits and lifestyles that make you miserable? That drain or hinder your prosperity? That keep you from succeeding in life?
Our opening Scripture tells us that when we are made over by the Holy Spirit, the old man is dead in the eyes of God. And, along with the old you, your old habits and behaviors are dead and gone.
In the dark ages Christians were sometimes tortured by being bound to a dead body. I know that may be unthinkable to most of us. Why would we think it ok to carry around the corpse of our old self when that is what we are trying to escape?
“But ye have not so learned Christ; If so be that ye heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;” - Ephesians 4:20-22 –
A WORK IN PROGRESS
“behold, all things are become new”
Every time I read this verse I am reminded of the song “He’s still working on me. To make me what I ought to be.” We are a work-in-progress! And that is what your goal should be. Day by day make progress.
Do not expect to arrive at your destination overnight. A trip of a thousand miles begins with just one step. Faithfulness and determination will win the day, not speed.
“For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.” - 2 Corinthians 4:16 -
There will be some times when you have a set-back. Just dust yourself off and start again. Start small. By consistently making small changes in your life you will have success.
Small changes add up over time. Write down your goals in life and review them each night before bed and each morning. If you do, by this time next year you will not recognize the old you anymore.
My uncle used to say “Don’t count the days, make the days count!” That is still good advice. Each week add a new biblical success principle to your routine. Just one thing.
Begin to pray each day so you stay in communication with God. Then begin to read your Bible a little every day. With just fifteen minutes of Bible reading a day you will read the entire Bible through in one year.
Next week: “Making the Days Count”. Stay tuned.
God loves you and so do I
