PASTOR I'M TRYING TO CHANGE, BUT IT'S NOT WORKING - HOW CAN I TRULY CHANGE?

'And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.' - Romans 12 vs 2

A lot of Christians are trying to change from one bad attitude into a good one; some are trying to change as regarding an addiction, so they are trying so hard to stop these wrong stuffs, but it's tough; many have quit trying to change, they just decided to be themselves even though that state of their being doesn't please God, they just don't know what to do.

Dearly beloved, trying to change yourself is a difficult task, infact, it's a futile effort. Can a goat change to become a sheep? No, that's impossible. You cannot change what and who you are. - Selah. See this;

'For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.' - Romans 7 vs 18 {KJV}

• In my flesh dwelleth no good thing

The word 'flesh' used in this verse means 'Human Nature'. So it says, in my human nature dwells no good thing. Beloved, this is a fact. You cannot change your human nature from what it is.

SO HOW DO I TURN FROM THIS DARK LIFE TO LIVE THE GOOD LIFE?

Let's examine our opening Bible passage;

'And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.' - Romans 12 vs 2 {KJV}

He tells us not to conform to this world, not to live our lives according to the patterns of this world, then he goes ahead to tell us how that is possible: he says, be ye transformed. We were not asked to change. - Selah. To change is different from to be transformed.

TO CHANGE

To change means, to apply your effort and commitment to living in another way, pattern or style, which is different from the former way.

TO BE TRANSFORMED

To be transformed means, to have change happen to you. - Think about it

The former, you ensure it with labours; the later, it happens to you. - Selah

So the Apostle in our opening Bible passage says, that we should be transformed. How does this transformation takes place in us? He tells it: he says, by the renewing of your mind. This brings to mind the words of David in Psalms 119 vs 11;

'Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.' - {KJV}

Beloved it's the word of God in a man's heart that brings about his transformation in Christ. You must believe and acknowledge the realities of the New Creation. There are realities of the Gospel, there are realities of the man in Christ; these realities are the works of Christ for us, whereby He legally delivered us into victory and dominion over this life, but you've got to know them. One of these realities is seen in Hebrews 9 vs 13 - 14. Let's see it;

'For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh:

How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?' - {KING JAMES VERSION}

It says that the blood of Christ has purged our conscience from dead works. Waow! Do you know what that means? Let me explain it to you. The word "conscience" as used there will have its meaning from the previous verse, because the verse 14 was coming from verse 13, so the Apostle was making a point. Hence, we must interpret that word "conscience" in the context at which it was used. Okay. Now, the previous verse informs us that in the old testament, when the blood of bulls and of goats were sprinkled on the people, they were declared purified. In other words, by that ritual act of sprinkling of animals' blood on the people, they were sanctified and purified according to the Law of Moses. Waow! So the Apostle Paul was making an analytical comparison of superiority of the blood of Christ over the blood of bulls and goats. So he says, if animals' blood could make men clean and sanctified, and purified, the blood of Jesus doesn't just make you clean, the blood of Jesus doesn't just sanctifies you, the blood of Jesus doesn't just purifies you, but it purges you of the dead works (that makes men unclean). In other words, the blood of Jesus declares you justified of having any impurity. Heyyy! Take a moment and think about that. I literally shouted as I typed this. Just think on these words, let it sink, let it settle. You can go back to the explanation and re-read, let it enter your spirit again, let it develop roots in your heart.

• The blood of Jesus declares you justified of having any impurity

This is TRUTH. Since this is truth, it means you don't have to change from your masturbation addiction. You have tried many times and failed, you kept masturbating. But now, all you have to do to be transformed out of that life of masturbation, is to believe and accept the Word, even this truth; believe that the blood of Jesus has purged you of every strand of masturbation in you. Listen, don't try to change! rather, accept God's change which He wrought for all men in Christ. Just take the change God gives you, and that change is 'the revelation of His word', which you are receiving right now. Just take God's change, and you will be changed indeed. Accept and believe that, because the blood of Jesus has purged masturbation away from you, therefore, there's no strand of masturbation in you, and because there's no strand of masturbation in you, you don't masturbate neither do you have any addiction for masturbation. It's simple. Hold on to that believe, hold on to it, hold on to it, assure yourself with that revelation, and convince yourself that that is the truth, because it actually is! And you will find out that you are unable to masturbate. Lo, you are free! That's transformation that has just taken place in that Believer. This is how a Believer can truly change his ways, this is how a Believer can truly and completely drop every filthiness of the flesh and of the world, by holding on to the Truths and Realities of the Gospel. - Selah

Glory to God.

There are many truths and realities of the Gospel in the Book, the Bible. Search them out, and hold on to them, and experience true transformation in every area and aspect of your Christian walk. God is with you.

- Jenning U. Angel