How can I be changed to make a difference for Christ?

How can a person change and become a doer of the word rather than just a hearer of the word. Can a person really change portions of their lives? If I cannot change even a simple thing like my weight, how can I change inside in other areas? I see so many who claim to be Christians, but there is absolutely no difference from those who have no faith. I want my life to be different! Can someone please tell me how I can become a person that makes a difference for Christ. How can I be changed from within?

AmazedbyGod wrote:How can a person change and become a doer of the word rather than just a hearer of the word. Can a person really change portions of their lives? If I cannot change even a simple thing like my weight, how can I change inside in other areas? I see so many who claim to be Christians, but there is absolutely no difference from those who have no faith. I want my life to be different! Can someone please tell me how I can become a person that makes a difference for Christ. How can I be changed from within?Hi,I'm glad you're amazed by God! I noticed that your message was about to drop off the bottom of the list and felt it was too valuable to go unanswered. The answer is... I don't exactly know. Shall we find out together?That's the great thing about sermonindex and all the teachings as well as the chance to discuss things. I'm going to treat this question with the honest simplicity with which you presented it. Hope it is not too simplistic sounding.I know we all get caught up in trying to live a life pleasing to God, but, at its basis is the fact that we can only rely on Christ's righteousness, appropriating it to ourselves through faith in His perfectly accomplished work.Keep on hanging in here for good teaching. One thing we all need is a firm foundation in the faith. Though there are many approaches to a theological understanding of the Word, the basics go back to the cross. We can never move forward until we have accepted Jesus Christ's sacrifice - bleeding and dying for our sins. This absolutely complete work of his life and death completely satisfied the Father. Because we are in Him we are partakers of Jesus' death, and partakers of His Life. Apart from Him we can do nothing.This is something I struggle with all the time, as do we all. I do believe, however that greater maturity brings greater rewards. Having believed in Christ Jesus, our response is 100% surrender. Easily said, but impossible to achieve. Our old nature does not want to stay on that cross! Only by his power and Spirit is there any hope.I have received a great deal of good from the following books - all available free on-line. "The Normal Christian Life" by Watchman Nee, "The Pursuit of God" by A. W. Tozer, and "The School of Obedience" by Andrew Murray. There are many others to be sure, but most here would agree these are a good start. They're available at the following site. http://www.worldinvisible.com in the library section. The sermons and videos there from Ernest O'Neill are foundational and extremely challenging as well. All these resources will lead you to realize that you must surrender to the Lord and devote yourself to study and prayer. My life got all messed up by studying and ministering, but praying little. It's incredible that anything gets accomplished without fervent prayer. I'll pray for you - God's already given me a burden for that. My e-mail address is bumping around here somewhere if you choose to use it. I'd say "Good Luck" at this point, but I don't believe in it so I'll just say, "Good Lord!"JeffreyFinally, from an article called - "The Apostle of Abiding Love" (Andrew Murray - source: http://jmm.aaa.net.au/articles/15694.htm ) "One day I was talking with a missionary," writes Andrew Murray, "and he said to me, 'Brother, remember that when God puts a desire into your heart, He will fulfill it.' That helped me; I thought of it a hundred times. I want to say the same to you who are plunging about and struggling in the quagmire of helplessness and doubt. The desire that God puts into your heart He will fulfill.jeffrey_godspeace@yahoo.com

Good advice given already. I'll try to phrase it in the context of my own personal experience. You're in a marvelous place, believe it or not. It's marvelous because you're not trying to do it in self-effort. It's not about trying harder but it about dying to self and surrendering to Jesus. It's not likely to be a quick transition from being a hearer to a doer because there's a lot of work needs to be done. It's a process that the Holy Spirit wants to lead you in and it's generally not instaneous, except perhaps in true revival. I recommend regularly praying in the closet and reading the Bible, so the Holy Spirit can begin to more intensely quicken your heart.How can a person change and become a doer of the word rather than just a hearer of the word..I'm uncomfortable giving you a pat answer because I'm finding that it's an excruciatingly painful process. The fact that you can actually see this in your heart is an encouraging sign.I prayed this one verse (see below) for months crying out Lord I'm wretched, miserable, poor and blind would you open my eyes and the Holy Spirit has been faithful to show me the hidden sins of heart (and is still doing so). (Rev 3:17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:)Can a person really change portions of their lives?. No, it's not done in the flesh but through the power of the blood as sin is broken away from our hearts. Jesus said "Apart from me, you can do nothing." You cannot make this transition into a spiritual man through human effort. The Watchman Nee book you can find online and that might prove beneficial, particularly the book on the "Normal" Christian life.If I cannot change even a simple thing like my weight, how can I change inside in other areas?. Because it's not about you, it's about Jesus. It requires that you submit and surrender everything to Him but it's His work.I see so many who claim to be Christians, but there is absolutely no difference from those who have no faith.. I read the Barna reports from week to week and have for some time and they reveal that's there's nothing different about the "average" Christian than the "average" Pagan and I'll pray that the Holy Spirit will begin to show you why this true with your other friends who claim to be Christians.Blessings to you. If you seek Jesus you will find him. I thought this verse may encourage to seek Jesus with all your heart. I don't have all the answers but know that Jesus does and he wants to abide with you.Jeremiah 23:23 Am I a God at hand, saith the LORD, and not a God afar off?

Thank you everyone for your wonderful advice. I will get the recommended books and listen to the sermons. May God in His graciousness bless you all! :-)

Hi again,With all our faults we really really need each other! I just wanted to add that there is some kind of balance to be struck between noticing the worldliness of Christians and refusing to fellowship with them because of it. One of the most sobering passages in the New Testament - Hebrews 10 - cautions us that we should not pull away from assembling with other Christians, with 'falling away' being the likely result. By ourselves we are an easy target for Satan. The first century Christians are my examples. They were always in fellowship. They were of one mind and in one accord, and all that mattered to them was to be with the brethren growing in knowledge of the Lord. I'm struggling very much with this at the moment. I don't have a good fellowship that shares my 'heretical' views of 100% devotion to Jesus. God, in his faithfulness seems to be leading me to people and people to me - however, it's just a trickle at the moment. I feel there will be an outpouring soon. I pray often,"God lead me to the right people." I don't qualify that. It's the right people as he defines them. It's tempters at times, testers at others, but it's also teachers, and learners, and seasoned saints and newborns in Him. People who need help and people who need to help me.I see him answering this prayer everyday.Fellowship -- Word Study -- Prayer-- Testimony&Teaching. To me this a design for future solidity. A table is strongest and most efficient (don't think massive here) with 4 legs. 1 thin leg and it falls over (this isn't a pedistal table) 2 and it falls to one side or the other. 3 works as long as you don't lean on the wrong spot. 4 legs and it's well supported - Fellowship -- Word Study -- Prayer-- Testimony&Teaching. This seems to be the support that God has given me. It's not a fully baked idea, just a way of thinking about it. Do yourself a favor, in fellowship. Ask God to raise up a person you can talk to. Someone you can confess your sins to. I didn't have this support when I really needed it. I wasn't praying either. Looking back, I could have been more active in getting this together. Gotta go.Amazed by God, I certainly would like to hear how you're progressing. E-mail if you so feel led.JeffreyJeffrey

The fact is we are all a case and we all are short of the Glory of God. And we have only one way to be changed and one way to be transformed.It is only the growth of the Divine Life within us which transforms us.Paul in 2 Cor 3:16-18 says:But whenever the heart turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. And the Lord is the Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom. But we all with unveiled face, beholding and reflecting like a mirror the glory of the Lord are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord Spirit"Our only way to be changed and transformed is to turn our heart to the Lord. To call on Him daily, to feed on Him in His Word and to behold Him as He is unveiled to us in His Word.As we do this, the Spirit who is within us transforms us into the same image. We find the Life and Charecter of Christ being formed in us by the Spirit and we are transformed from within by the Spirit.We cannot transform ourselves. We have no capacity to change ourselves or to transform ourselves. All we can do is turn our heart to Him, and call on Him and look to Him to do His work in us as we feed on Him and take Him in every day.Then we begin to act in the reality of "Christ in us". He gains ground in us, He makes His home in our hearts through faith. The Spirit within us sanctifies us in the Truth and our soul and spirit are divided. We are strengthened by His Spirit into our inner man and we manifest His LIfe more and more as we, Walk by the Spirit.We should not be discourged by what we see in ourselves or of our condition. We rather should trustingly turn to the Lord and call on Him and confess our lack and our need of Him and ask Him to accomplish in us His hearts desire to conform us into the image of the First Born Son of God.The more we are constituted with Christ by feeding on Him, the more useful we become to Him. We can't determine to be useful. We are made usful by Christ being constituted into us. Then we act and speak from reality and not from training or knowlege. We speak by our spirit and in the Spirit and we minister to others the Christ we have.The Children of Isreal could not begin to build the tabernackle until they bagan eating the daily manna. They had to be reconstituted with the heavenly food to be useful to build God's dwelling place.In the same way, until we begin to feed on the Heavenly food daily, that is Christ who is our Manna, we cannot be useful to build God's dwelling place, that is the church, the body of Christ. We can't build up others in Christ until we ourselvs are constituted with Christ and to that degree are we useful in God's building.Until we determine to meet with the Lord daily, to contact Him in our spirit, to feed on Him in His Word and to fellowship with Him in intimate communion, we cannot begin to be useful to the Lord in building up others.But as soon as we begin to touch the Lord in this way, we will find ourselves being used by Him in others. We will have substance to share and reality to communicate. Other's will see Christ in us and seek us out. And in the fellowship with other believers we will be those who contribute and have a portion to share and speak and others will be strengthened, uplifted, encouraged, and built up by what we have and we may not even be aware of it. We will speak Christ and not just our knowlege or opinion. We will be broken vessels which release and express the Divine Treasure within. Graftedbranch

AmazedbyGod wrote:How can a person change and become a doer of the word rather than just a hearer of the word. I think there is a lot of folks including myself that could improve on that, Brother don't be so hard on yourself if you have already given you life to Jesus Christ you have already done 100% of what is required, God is no respecter of man and you can turn the world upside down with good deeds and that don't make any difference to God.Now if you feel under some sort of condemnation because you feel you need to reach deeper into works that condemnation is not from God. My advise is just be a good listener and the Holy Spirit will direct "all" your steps.