CHANGE AND CHRISTIANITY

Acts 10:30-35

We generally like for things to stay the same.  Change is a major obstacle in every facet of life—especially our religious views, habits, and traditions. However, God alone has the privilege of remaining as He is.  Being perfect He cannot change and would no longer be perfect if He did change.

We humans must constantly adapt ourselves to be more closely identified with His image.  Acts 10 shows us how people prepared to conform to God’s will can begin to conform to God’s image.      

• A man with a changeable heart
  1. Acts 10:1-8
  2. 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10
  3. Cornelius and Peter represent the opposite of Jonah’s frustrating refusal to obey and appreciate God’s will.
  4. Naaman’s struggle with submission demonstrates the blessings which are found by being willing to submit to God’s will (2 Kings 5).    
  5. A change in Law
     1. Acts 10:9-33
     2. The Dietary Laws of the OT were no longer in effect because God had changed the covenant:

                      i.      Leviticus 11:2-47

                      ii.      Leviticus 20:25

                      iii.      Deuteronomy 14:4-20

                      iv.      In the same way Jesus was able to serve as the High Priest because the OT had been

                               taken away—Hebrews 7:12.

• The Law was changed from the OT to the NT

                  i.      Hebrews 10:9

                  ii.      Jeremiah 31:31

                  iii.      Matthew 26:26-28

1. All mankind must now submit to the NT

                    i.      Acts 11:14

                    ii.      Hebrews 5:9

                    iii.      1 Peter 1:22

                    iv.      John 12:48

1. God shows that change is necessary
   1. God accepts those who adapt to righteous living—Acts 10:34-35.

                     i.      The need for direction in righteousness—Acts 10:33.

                     ii.      The need for true righteousness—Acts 10:34-35.

1. God accepts the unrighteous which are made righteous in Christ—Acts 10:36-43.

                      i.      Jesus makes it possible for us to change to righteousness—Acts 10:36.

                      ii.      Jesus’ life motivates us to live righteously—Acts 10:37-41.

                     iii.      Jesus’ plan allows us entrance into grace—Acts 10:47-48 (Acts 11:13-14).

Since no one is perfect, we all need to change something.  What is that change you need to make today in order to better conform to the image of Jesus?