How can I be changed?

James 1:18 Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.

There are three things that James says here, and one in particular I'd like to comment on today.

First of all, we are told that It was "Of His own will ......" meaning, that the the Lord is the one who by His will and His love has saved us. We owe our salvation to Him.

Secondly, "He brought us forth by the Word of Truth " that is, He took us from death to life, from darkness to light, from the kingdom of satan to the kingdom of God. He brought us into life, and He did this through His Word.

Thirdly, "that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures. In other words, the early christians that James was writing to, along with himself, were only the first ones to be saved, and their being saved, was an example of the many others that would be saved right on up through the closing chapters of this worlds existence. Many, many others would be saved.

But, to the phrase, "He brought us forth by the Word of truth" Meaning, more specifically, that God used His Word to save James and the others. And, He does the same thing today. Paul said Ro 1:16* For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.

So, God used His word to bring out the born again, saved, justified, forgiven, adopted experience in their lives, and in ours as well.

By way of on-going application, it's still the same way, that is, God still uses His Word to "bring us forth" into the will of God, and into being conformed into the image of Christ, into fruit bearing, into christian maturity, and into all the things that God has for us. Look at what Jesus said about the power of God's Word.........

John 17:17 “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.

Sanctify, means to be made holy, to be set apart to God for His exclusive use. This is what Jesus was praying for, that His followers would be set apart to God, and He states how we are set apart, it's "by Your truth. Your word is truth" So, God uses His word, not only to save us, to accomplish the on-going work of God in our lives, to make us holy, and to bring us into what God has for us, becoming all that He intends for us to be.

Just as a human being needs food to grow and be healthy, God uses His word in our lives to bring us along into what He intends for us.

Thank You Lord for Your Word. And thank You for allowing us to have Bibles, and to have those who teach and preach the Word of God. May we never take those things for granted. And, we pray today, that You would indeed sanctify us. Set us apart Lord to You, for Your exclusive use.

Pastor Bob Grenier

Calvary Chapel Visalia

Application/Promise

1. He saved us through His Word.

2. He continues to work in our lives through His Word.

3. He saved us to sanctify us.

4. He sanctifies us to use us.

5. He brings us into His will by His Word.

6. He teaches us His Word.

7. He calls us to be doers of His Word.