As we live on this earth, God often uses events of this life to make significant changes in us.
On television, they were showing a very "great" house which belonged to a famous person. As I looked at that house on TV, I found I was so glad that I didn't have that house. How different I am now! What happened?
God changed my heart!
And I realized that God used an interesting event to change me.
In February, 2019, I moved from Texas to Colorado. I put my house in Texas on the real estate market. It did not sell, though I often asked God to bring a buyer to that house.
For 1 1/2 years it remained on the market.
When it did sell, I was so grateful to God that it was "finally" over, for it burdened me when I thought of it before it sold! Now I was free!
Ever since that time, I have had no desire to have the responsibility again of dealing with property.
I suspect the delay in the sale of the house was used by God for my benefit to show me how wonderful it is to be free from physical property!
God arranged for me to live in the home of one of our church group. She is truly born again and has the Spirit of God and follows God. This has been better for me than any previous time of my 83 years of this life!
Sometimes when we have gone through a trial, we can look back and see how it helped us to have that trial.
Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to HIS purpose.
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The first big change comes when we are born again by God, by HIS Holy Spirit who now lives in us.
First, we were born of our parents, of the flesh, by the will of humans.
We walked in the flesh, doing the things of the flesh.
Galatians 5:19-21 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
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When we are born again by God by HIS Spirit, we then are changed by God, and the Spirit of God lives in us, and we walk in the Spirit of God, doing as the Spirit shows us to do on this earth.
Galatians 5:22-26 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.
The flesh tries to rise up in us to get us to do the will of our flesh.
But now the Holy Spirit of God lives in us and the Spirit rises up to show us the will of God and we keep our flesh crucified by choosing to go in the way of the Spirit, causing our own flesh to "suffer" because it no longer gets to run wild in us doing it's own will as it once did.
If we follow the Spirit, doing as the Spirit instructs, it is life. To follow our flesh is death to us.
Romans 8
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending HIS own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
(Our flesh brings thoughts and ideas trying to lead us to go in the ways of the flesh. But the Spirit brings opposite ideas showing us another way to go which is the way of God.)
6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
11 But if the Spirit of HIM that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, HE that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by HIS Spirit that dwelleth in you.
12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.
13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
11 But if the Spirit of HIM that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, HE that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by HIS Spirit that dwelleth in you.
12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.
13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
(The flesh tries to lead us but the Spirit brings to our minds another way to do and we choose the way shown us by the Spirit for that way is the way of God.)
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