Time For A Change

Fueled by unfulfilled promises, unrealized hopes and mounting difficulties, "It's time for a change" is frequently heard from both politicians and the general public.

There Have Been Changes in the Past

Within the recent past, changes have occurred with surprising suddenness. Governments once thought to be stable have been toppled. Financial institutions have failed. Once-successful businesses have collapsed. More serious than all, the moral fabric of society has been shattered by turning away from God and the principles of His Word, the Bible. The "Do what feels good" philosophy--casting off restraint and the rejection of authority which is really lawlessness, the essence of sin--has broken up families, ruined lives and brought the disillusion, disease, death and destruction we see all around us.

There Will Be More Changes

When Jesus Christ was asked what the signs of His second coming would be, He replied, "Ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars ... and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows" (Matthew 24:6-8).

Also, the Holy Spirit through Paul in 2 Timothy chapter three reveals the coming apostasy, the "falling away," which is the result of professed Christians deliberately rejecting revealed truth concerning the Person of Christ and His work on Calvary. This has already set in, and in verse 13 we read, "But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived." This rapidly increasing apostasy will soon bring a swift change. Instead of God's grace being still offered to all men whereby they may be saved, His judgment will fall upon this godless world of unbelievers to their eternal destruction.

There Must Be a Personal Change

To escape the judgment of God upon sin you need to be changed. The Lord Jesus desires to change you from death to life, from darkness to light, from sin to salvation, from judgment to glory. To enable this change He died on the Cross for you. There He "suffered for sins, the Just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God" (1 Peter 3:18). That work is finished and sin's penalty has been paid. The proof of God's acceptance of that payment with Jesus' shed blood on your behalf is seen in that He rose from the dead. The Lord Jesus lives, and now from heaven, through His Word, declares the way by which you may be changed.

What Must You Do To Be Changed?

The Lord Jesus declares, "Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish" (Luke 13:3,5). To repent means to change your mind as to the wrong course you are following without God. It means you accept His verdict that you have sinned and come short of His glory, and you can do nothing to save yourself. You must REPENT!

Secondly, He says, "Ye must be BORN AGAIN" (John 3:7). New birth is spiritual birth from above--from God. It is brought about by receiving Christ as your Saviour and Lord. "As many as received Him, to them gave He power [authority] to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His Name" (John 1:12). To receive Him is to believe on Him. To believe He died for you makes you a child of God. You receive everlasting life, and thus become a completely new creature in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:17). This is the change you must have, or else perish in eternal separation from God.

The Time For a Change Is Now

"Now is the accepted time; behold, NOW is the day of salvation" (2 Corinthians. 6:2). Trust Christ and be changed in this day of His grace. "Flee from the wrath to come" (Luke 3:7).
--D.T.J.

Posted with permission of Moments with the Book