you. 2 Corinthians 5 verse 13, for whether we be beside ourselves, it is to God, or whether we be sober, it is for your cause. For the love of Christ constraineth us because we thus judge that if one died for all, then we're all dead. And that he died for all. Did you hear that? There was not just a select few Jesus died for. He died for all. I'm glad that's the kind of gospel I've been preaching now. Tomorrow be 42 wonderful years that He died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him which died for them and rose again. Wherefore, henceforth, know we no man after the flesh, yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now, henceforth, know we him no more. Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things are passed away, behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation. to whip that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them, and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us, we pray you, in Christ's stead, be you reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. You may be seated. Look down at your Bible tonight. You'll find our text here in 2 Corinthians 5 and verse 17. The Bible said, therefore, if any man be in Christ, He is a new creature. Old things are passed away. Behold, all things are become new. And I want to preach tonight on the test of true salvation. The test of true salvation. Let's pray. Father, as we bow our heads and our hearts, Lord, we don't even feel worthy to stand behind this sacred desk. Lord, we thank you, God, for your mercy throughout the years. Lord, it's so close to that first time that I stood behind the sacred desk and preached the Word of God. I want to thank you for your amazing grace, your keeping power, your wonderful mercy. Thank you, God, for the man of God you placed here, his faithfulness through the years and the touch of God that has been on his life. I pray you bless his people as they've sacrificed and labored. And God, they poured their hearts and no doubt into this meeting and poured their hearts out to you about him. I pray that you'd honor your son through it. God, you'd stir up the saints of God and you'd allow us, God, in the moments we have together. Lord, the privilege to honor you and bring you honor and glory. Lord, our heart's desire is to please you. Lord, there's no one else tonight we have to please but you. And I pray you'll be honored by the preaching of the scriptures. And Lord, that someone here who may have just made a profession Lord, turn over a new leaf or become religious in light of what they've learned, that they'll turn to Christ. And Lord, take us back to that very place where you found us. Remind us, God, of the goodness of God that brought us to repentance. and God, the miracle of God's grace that brought us out of darkness into his marvelous light. Oh, I pray that you'd honor Jesus tonight and you'd take the Bible and take it from our lips to their hearts. Lord, preaching is not preaching unless you're involved. And I pray your touch and power be with us in this time this evening. Lord, bless your people and bless the house of God with holy presence and allow the people of God to worship you in this place. In Jesus' name, amen and amen. During the Great Awakening, God used a man named Jonathan Edwards in a marvelous way. In fact, depending on who you read behind, we're talking about in the 1700s, maybe sometime between 1730 and 1740. God used that man, Jonathan Edwards, as a human instrument. He used many others, but he used that man, Jonathan Edwards, in an amazing way. But some criticized, if you could imagine, the greatest move of God that's ever been documented in American history, that some criticized the Great Awakening. They criticized it because, they said, some of the converts had emotional experiences. Isn't that remarkable? Now I noticed about the religious world, it's all right to be emotional at the racetrack, the ball game, the stadium, the concert, or whatever you're doing, but it's not okay for you to display joy and praise, adoration and thanksgiving in the house of God. So they criticized the move of God because of some of the emotional experiences that were reported. Others criticized the meeting because, or the error because of various facets they were unhappy with. Some even criticized the conversions because they said that they produced no evidence that they were real in the lives of those who professed them. Some critics attacked and broad-brushed the Great Awakening as simply a movement that was a big emotional stir without true conversions. About six years afterwards, in 1746, Jonathan Edwards wrote a book and a treatise called Religious Affections. He was addressing the problem very similar to the one we're addressing in our Baptist churches in this hour. And that is that he was addressing the problem of the fact that salvation has true evidence within. And that evidence is a biblical idea. of one who has truly been born of God. And so he addressed the idea of the matter of evidence for true conversion. And he said, in defense of true conversion and to expose false conversions, he came to this conclusion. The supreme proof of true conversion is what is called holy affections. And you don't need a definition if you've been saved. You know exactly what holy affections are. And he said, not only that, these affections are a zeal for holy things, a longing after God and true holiness. And he wrote down in that treatise that the principal evidence of true salvation and saving grace is holy practices. Say amen right there. And Edwards taught that true salvation will always produce an abiding change in a true convert. And so Paul said the very same thing here in the scripture when he said, Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. And he said, Edward said, whenever holiness of life does not accompany a confession of conversion, it must be understood that this person is not a true Christian. Anybody listening tonight? And so I'm preaching tonight on the test of of true salvation. Paul is dealing with that in this chapter. He deals with, in verse number 11, the reality of eternity, the futility of outward appearances, in verse number 12, rather than being real, and the love and the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. He comes to the conclusion that a person who's truly been saved has had a transformation, has had a change of life, And I believe this tonight, if your life has never been changed, that you have never been saved. And so tonight, when we look at the Scripture, we believe that 2 Corinthians 5 and verse 17 is the test of true salvation. I'm thankful tonight. I can go back to a time in my life, I could take you nearly to the very spot. where I got under old time conviction. I heard the preaching of the Word of God. I heard about Christ. I got under such conviction I couldn't stay in my seat back there. I didn't know what it was to come to an altar. But that day I got drawn by God. and I came down the aisle and I got gloriously saved by the grace of God. I really didn't know because I was so ignorant of the scriptures and the gospel and so many other things. I really didn't know the Lord was gonna change me like He did. But I'm here to report tonight that the man I was when I went down on my knees, it's not the man I am tonight. I'm thankful, hallelujah. Glory to God, there has been a change. Hallelujah! I said there has been a change. Bless his holy name. And therefore, if you claim to know Christ and you've not been made a new creature, you've got nothing more than a mere profession of faith. If you've not been transformed and changed according to the scripture, then your religion or your profession will not pass the test of scripture. This is the test which is without appeal. And that is, if a person has professed Christ, have they been changed by the power of God? And so this verse, like John 5, 24, I preached some time ago about the litmus test. John 5, 24 is a litmus test. If you cannot fit your conversion experience in the John 5 24, then friend, you need to come tonight and get gloriously saved. And if you cannot fit tonight your conversion experience in the 2 Corinthians 5 and verse 17, then you need to come and get gloriously saved tonight. I'm glad tonight, hallelujah, He's able to save. He's willing to save. He's mighty to save. He's ready to save. Our Savior is here tonight. He'll take you just like you are. You can junk all your experiences. You can cast aside your religion. Thank God you can come to Christ. He'll save you just like you are. Thank God, nothing in my hand I bring. Simply to the cross I cling. And so tonight in this passage, in 2 Corinthians 5, he reminds us that salvation is a change in position. Therefore, if any man be in Christ, now the results of God's great salvation is related to us as a position. And that God has placed us in this position supernaturally. And so a relationship to our connection to Christ. Therefore, different things said about it in God's holy word. First of all, in Ephesians 2, verse 12, the Bible said, and at that time, you were without Christ. You see, there must have been a time in your life when you realized you were without Christ. I'm glad that I know what it's like to be lost. And I know also what it's like to be saved. I know what it's like to be condemned. But thank God I know what it's like to be justified. I know what it's like for the law to slay me and lay me at the feet of Calvary. I know what it's like, hallelujah. And I come to the realization that there's nothing good about me. And that I've got absolutely nothing to offer to God. And hallelujah to God, I know what it's like to be drawn by the power of Christ. And then to come by faith and cling only to Christ. and find out he's mighty to save. I want to say tonight, hallelujah. I remember when I got lost because when I got lost is when I got saved. I remember when I got down that morning, I didn't know how to pray, didn't know what to say, but I cried out to God and God took me in as a lost sinner. I'm saved here tonight because God placed me in Christ. Hallelujah. I want to say it's inconvenient to be without money. It's miserable to be without friends. And it's also horrible to be without health. But to be without Christ, it's the worst state you could ever be in. Oh, there was a time, though, when every one of us that are saved were strangers and foreigners to God. There were times, friend, when we had no right to the throne of God's grace. Oh, but bless His holy name tonight. Thank God I'm no longer without Christ. I've got Christ in me. And I'm in Christ. Hallelujah. Thank God Christ in you, the hope of glory. And you're in Christ. Hallelujah. In that perfect position. And so the first relationship is to be without Christ. Secondly, the Bible said we're in Christ. Now this is an amazing thing. At the very moment you got saved, God took you and placed you in Christ. And that is what the Bible said here in 2 Corinthians chapter 5. This terminology is exclusive to you and I as Bible-believing Christians. There's not a Buddhist in the world that can say tonight, I want you to know I came to this philosophy and this religion and then supernaturally I was placed in Buddha. No, there's not a Muslim in this world tonight that can say I want you to know I came supernaturally and that I was placed inside of Muhammad. Oh no, there's not a Mormon in this world tonight. that can say, I want you to know that I have been changed and that I have been placed into Joseph Smith. There's not a Jehovah's false witness in this world that can say they've been placed in Charles Russell. Oh, but tonight you and I can be found. The Bible said you're dead and your life is here with Christ in God. And that you and I have been placed in Christ. Thank God the devil can't get to you because he can't find you because you've been placed in Christ. It's wonderful tonight to know I'm saved. Hallelujah. Saved by his power divine. I'm saved in the life sublime. Life now is sweet and my joy is complete for I'm saved, saved, saved. Amen. That's exactly right. I believe those in the ark of Noah were just as safe as they possibly could be. Just like those in the ark of Noah went in that one door. Amen. Just one way in, no way out. Amen. And thank God they went in that door. And when they got in that door, because they heard the message of Noah, they got into the ark of safety. And you and I are in Christ. Just like Noah and his family, we're safe in the ark of safety. And then it's just like being in this building. There was a time when this building was not here. And there was bricks all around this building. But just being around the building does not make the bricks a part of the building. And just being close to the sanctuary, that does not make you a Christian. Just being in the congregation does not make you a Christian. just being a part of the church. Having your name on the roll does not make you a Christian. Oh, but what happens to the bricks around the sanctuary? The master bricklayer picks them up. Thank God he places the mortar on them and places them in the wall. And thank God there was a day when Jesus Christ drew you out of the world and out of sin and out of condemnation, placed you in the house of God as a lively stone, and you and I are in Christ in the same sense. I'm glad tonight, not only was I without Christ, and now I'm in Christ, but the Bible teaches us that we are for Christ. In verse 20 of the same chapter here, now then, we, as ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us, we pray in Christ's name, be you reconciled to God. How God has an unbeatable plan. Amen. He has an unmatched plan. He's taken all those sinners and he's brought out of darkness into marvelous light. He's placed his Holy Spirit on the inside and he's made them ambassadors and ministers of reconciliation. You ask me why I'm happy, so I'll just tell you why. Because my sins are gone and God has placed the power of His transforming grace on the inside of every one of us. He's placed the power of the Spirit of God. I cannot explain this. I got saved by the grace of God on April 25th, 1982. And the first thing I wanted to do was tell others about Jesus and tell them what God had done for me. Thank God it's still good 42 years later. I say hallelujah. Just stand still a few minutes. I'll tell you what He's done for me. I'll tell you about what the grace of God can do in the life of an individual. I'll tell you where He found me, how He brought me out, how good He's been to me. I'll tell you about Jesus and the good news of the gospel. And God has made us ambassadors for Christ. Hallelujah. It's remarkable how God takes those that have believed the gospel as representatives of his own son. In fact, if you're saved, you're an ambassador. And God's looking out for His ambassadors. He's going to declare war on this earth sometime soon, but He's not going to until He calls His ambassadors out. And before the war starts, I'm talking about the tribulation period, before it starts, He's going to call His ambassadors out of this world. I don't know about you, but I'm looking forward to the trumpet sounding. And not only are we without Christ, and in Christ and for Christ. But the Bible said one of these days that you and I will be with Christ. The Bible said to depart and to be with Christ, which is far better. Thank God it's far better, child of God. On the other side, sometimes I think that they're calling me from another country. Sometimes I can hear the sweet saints singing, child of God, father wrong, father wrong. Let's go farther. Thank God he gets better farther on. But to be without Christ is to be a natural man. To be in Christ is to be a saved man. And to be with Christ is to be a glorified man. Amen. I'm looking forward to getting my glorified body, aren't you? But you'll never be in glory with Christ until you know for sure that you're in Christ. And you'll never be in Christ until you come to Him and realize you're without Christ and you take Him as your Lord and Savior. And so there's a change in position. Are you with me now? Say Amen. Then secondly, there's a change in practice. The Bible said He is a new creature. Now in the Bible Belt here, we say it a little bit different. We say he might be a new creature. I'm hearing things today, preacher, I never thought I'd hear. When people got saved, when I got saved, if you were an addict, you came out of darkness into God's marvelous light. You said you have a program. No, I took a person. Amen. That's exactly right. I came out of that. And I didn't know God was going to do that for me. In fact, I cannot tell you, my friend, in exact words what it was like when I got up off my knees. I spent every Sunday usually in the pool hall. And I got drunk on Sunday night. But when I got up off my knees, my brother, I want to say this. I knew I wasn't going back to the pool hall. I knew I wasn't going to get drunk Sunday night. I knew I wasn't going to get smoked up on Monday. You say, how'd you know that? The grace of God that reaches us. It's the same grace of God that teaches us. Thank God for the saving grace and the changing grace of God. Amen. That's exactly right. Please notice carefully the language of Paul here. The language of Paul here and the tense in which it's stated. He said, he is, not he might be. He is a new creature. He is a new creature. So if you are saved, you are a new creature. He did not say he was a new creature. No, that would imply that this possibly could be lost. But this great salvation cannot be lost. Nor does he say he could be a new creature, eliminating the possibility that it's only something that will take place after you leave this world. He said if a man is in Christ, and we know that takes place at the moment you take Christ as your Savior. Thus eliminating, my friend, the prospect that someone may not be changed by Christ at the moment of salvation. And so Paul is talking about something that takes place at the very moment you take Christ as your Savior. At the very moment you take Christ, he said, he is a new creature. You see, a miracle has transpired when you take Christ. He is a new creature. God uses the language of the miracle of salvation to parallel the first creation. And Paul does the same thing in the previous chapter. He said, for God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness has shined in our hearts that he might give the light of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. And I want to say this tonight. Thank God this thing of salvation is not a work of man, but it is a work of God. And that word creature indicates that the salvation you have is a product of divine creation. The word creature means that what you have experienced in the new birth is a product of the new creation. Amen. God, hallelujah, amen, has made you a new creature. And creation belongs to God alone. I don't know one creator sitting among us here tonight. Now hear this language, just stay with me now, all right? Because creation belongs to God alone. And only He can create something out of nothing. That is, only God has the power of creation. That is, so only God could have saved you. So just remember this, there's not one fingerprint from your hand on the work of your salvation. No, and I'm not a Calvinist, you know that. Those of you who have heard me preach, you know I'm not a Calvinist. I want to say a potter may take some clay and form a vessel, but he is a craftsman. He is not a creator. A painter may take a canvas and some paint and produce a picture, but he's an artist. He is not a creator. Are you listening now? The scripture implies that when God saved us, he took nothing and he made something out of it. And so creation belongs to God alone. So that your salvation belongs to God alone. And so in order for a man to save himself, he must have the power of creation. But none of us have the power of creation. Only God has the power of creation. And so when God saves you, He didn't take one thing that you had to save you. He did not mend your rags of righteousness. He did not patch up your old works. He did not just straighten you out. Oh no. God reached down. Hallelujah. And God saved you by His mighty power. He took nothing and He made something out of it. Now listen carefully, in order for a man to save himself, he must have the power of creation. Now you say, Preacher, this is awfully strange. No, it's awfully scriptural. He said, for we are his workmanship. What? Created in Christ Jesus unto good works. And so you and I cannot even create a grain of sand. You and I cannot create one single thing, a shred of grass, you cannot create it. Therefore, you're totally helpless to save yourself. It took God six days to create everything that was made. Thank God for over 2,000 years though, He's been making new creatures out of sinners by His amazing grace. In Acts 16, it took 19 verses to see a sinner say. In Genesis 1, just one verse. He created all the galaxies and everything else. But God is more interested in sinners getting saved. That He is the world as it stands today. I want to say hallelujah. That's the power of creation. Amen. And then secondly, there's the person of creation. Matthew Henry said about this very text, he said that when God said he is a new creature in actuality, he said, God was creating a new world in your soul. And suddenly through conversion, you are living in a new world. Amen. You see, those of us that are saved have already overcome the world. That's what the Bible says. And we are living in a different way because now we're living in God's universe in a new world. Now the S-U-N is the center of our universe. There are nine planets that revolve around the S-U-N. The S-U-N therefore in the universe has the preeminence over all of those. And when a person gets saved, the S-O-N becomes the center of their world. And Christ has the preeminence in their life. When God saved you, He created a new world in your heart, and your whole world now revolves around the Son. I want to say it's a wonderful life. Thank God it's wonderful to live for Jesus. It's wonderful and I, just to know Him, in the Bible way, my whole life circulates and rotates around the Lord Jesus. Amen. Hallelujah. That's exactly right. Let me ask you this. Has your profession made you a new creature? Salvation, see, is a real change. It's a radical change for every person who's truly saved. Paul said, if any man be in Christ, he didn't say if some men are in Christ. He said, if any man, that means any man, any woman, any boy, or any girl, if a person is united in faith in Christ, and by faith in Christ, they already are a new creature in Christ. then not only is there here the power of creation and the person of creation because there's a miracle that transpires, but there's also a metamorphosis that transforms. Isn't it marvelous that God has put an example of that in creation and also in the new creation? The change that takes place at salvation is a real change. A person may change their habits, they may change their environment, they may change their friends, and they may even change their job. But the one thing they cannot change is who they are. Only one can change who they are. Some time ago, one of our church folks was out in the community, and they were talking to somebody about Christ, and they said, we want you to come to our church, they gave them a gospel tract, and they said, Tommy Wentz is our pastor. And the person leaned up and said, say what? So what'd you say? I said, Tommy Wentzell's our pastor. He said, say that again. Oh, I know him. He said, you ought to come. Amen. Because salvation brings a change. Amen. Now I want to say this, it's an internal change. It's an internal change. You see, I got up that morning, I got saved. I didn't come to church in a suit and a tie. I didn't have a suit. I wore what I had. Somebody asked me some time ago, do you have any standards over there at Unity? I said, yes, we do. I said, for sinners, we don't have any standards. We take them any way they'll come. We got a Savior for them. That's what they need. They can find out about standards after they get saved. Before they get saved, they don't need standards. They need a Savior. I got Jesus in my heart though that morning and that internal change took place. I could not put into words what God did in my heart. I went home that day knowing that something supernatural had taken place in my heart. It's an internal change. I believe that God does it in such a way that it's an eternal change. An internal change, an eternal change, a spiritual change. Amen. Somebody help me preach a little while. That internal change, that spiritual change, changed all my desires. All of my desires. And I mean even on Monday I had opportunity to do things that I used to do in my old life. And I couldn't even tell you why. I couldn't even tell you why that inside there was a big N-O written over my heart. But I'm so glad that this change that begins on the inside, internal, eternal, spiritual change brings about an outward change. And I got saved, I had long hair. Tonight I got de-parted hair and the rest of it's white, amen. That's right. But I want to say this, the Lord began a change in my life that began to work on the outward scale. In those days, I was going to the beauty shop, I had long hair, I needed to. But I remember telling that lady, each time I'd go, I'd say, cut it like this, cut it like this. And finally, one day, she looked at me, Brother Deitch, and she said, she said, Tommy, she said, I just can't, I can't cut hair like a barber. She said, I can't use the clippers and all like a barber. I said, you need to go to the barber shop. And she recommended one, and I started going down there and got my hair cut. And I'm thankful for that. When I got back to work, they said, hey, what'd you do with your hair? I said, got it cut off. Nobody told me I needed to get it cut off. And I'm not saying it's wrong to tell some to get it cut off, but nobody told me. See, something was happening on the inside of my life. I had not changed, but God had changed me on the inside. I did make some changes and I did make some decisions that God helped me to change some things about the direction of my life. But religious men are forever trying to change. They're never achieving a change like comes from Christ, which is a result of salvation. Some even try to change churches. They try to change styles of worship, Bible versions, denominations. They're looking for something new that they can't find. They can't find it because it's in Christ, amen. Amen. In fact, believers who have been saved are not looking for anything new. You know why? We've already got something new. Already been made new. A new creature in Christ. You and I that are saved were already been made new. Amen. Not only that, I've got a new song too, amen. Didn't take me long after I was saved. Listen, I didn't hear any preaching about this. It's not our pastor didn't preach on it, he did. And I remember one day I was sitting there trying to read my Bible and I had the stereo on. And the Holy Spirit stopped me and said, hey, think about what you're listening to. And I just a young Christian, I hadn't even saved a year, probably just a matter of months. And I started listening, I started thinking, wow, that's awful. Listen to that, what they're saying, that's awful. And I just, I mean, just one fell swoop, I went over where I had all my albums and all my music, album, big black CD. Y'all look kind of confused, I'm just trying to explain it to you. Think big black CD. Different player, but big black CD. Went and gathered them all up and I had all kinds of music in there. Went out to the, we lived in the country, got the garbage can, dropped her in, squeezed the jiffy light, dropped the max. Somebody come, I said, what are you doing? I said, burning the devil's garbage. Amen. Boy, music's a big deal nowadays. Some of you liked me till I said that, didn't you? Help me, Lord, amen. I'm glad I got a new song though. Not only that, I got a new Testament. That's pretty good. Been made a new man. Amen. Got a new name. Headed to a new heaven and a new earth. Looking forward to the day when God said, I make all things new. Everything about the world's gone now. All the old bad memories I had from the old life, all the scars that sin caused are going to be gone. Hallelujah. I'm glad God is able to make a person brand new. Amen. Then there's the nature of the change. The Bible said old things are passed away. All things are become new. You see, those old things now are passed away. That is, there are things in your life when you meet Christ that become old because they are cast aside, they are discarded, they're scrapped. These old things are things you once loved. Now you've lost your affection for them. Why? Because a new love has taken place in your heart. Amen. Now because the new creature has been made in your heart and the miracle of God has taken place in your heart, these things become old habits and old desires that pass away from your practice. Why? Because you got Christ in your heart. Hallelujah. Oh yes, I'm thankful that there are some things now that become worthless and valueless because you're now in Christ. Paul even said that about his religious life. He said, I count them but done. All of his credentials, all of his religious experience, he cast it aside because now he was in Christ. What kind of change is it, preacher? It's a kind that old things pass away and all things become new. It's a sudden change. I believe that salvation is instantaneous. Now you may not believe this, but I sit way back there, I think either the last row or the second or the next to the last row. And I believe when the pastor said, would you come? I believe when I stood up, the Holy Ghost said to the rider in heaven, write his name down. Write his name down. His will's already bowed to God. Write his name down. Everything's all right. Put his name in the book. Mighty angel. Oh, thank God all over heaven. Tommy Winslow got saved. Tommy Winslow got saved. Tommy Winslow got saved. Hallelujah. Amen. Yes, sir. Hallelujah. Amen. It's a sudden change. It's a spiritual change. When a person passes from death to life. When death moves out and life moves in. When you come out of the graveyard like Lazarus and Jesus said, loose him and let him go. That is when you got the life of God on the inside of your soul. You say, how in the world did you get so religious? I didn't, I got saved. Oh, hallelujah. It's a spiritual change. And it's also a social change. And I got saved in my senior year in high school, and I had lived as much as some people live their whole life in sin. Started out as just a 13-year-old boy, got down in the worst things of this world. And I remember I got saved on April 25th. And about the last 30 days of school was just basically graduation practice and all this nonsense to do with tests and everything to get you out of high school. And I know it's not nonsense, help me Lord. But the graduation practice was. And about every day, my buddies was leaving the parking lot and going to some party somewhere. We were coming across the parking lot. My best friend for many years looked at me and said, I'm not gonna call the name of the person cause they still live here in this town. They're very well known. He said, Tommy, they're having a party over at such and such house, keg party. So why don't you come go with us? I looked at him. I said, Jackie, I don't drink anymore. I said, I got, you know, I got saved. He said, I know. I said, I don't drink anymore. He said, you don't have to drink, just come on, go with us. I said, no. I said, not only did I not drink, I don't even want to be around it anymore. I said, I'm not going. And I watched him ride off that way and I rode off another way. And I want to tell you this, I didn't have to quit anybody. They all quit me because of the direction of my life. And I'm thankful the Lord brings about such a change. I used to love sin and all the ways of disobedience, but suddenly something happened. What was it? It's this thing called the new birth. What was it that changed your speech and your plans and your purposes so that all that you desired to do was please the one who died for you at Calvary and rose again? What was it? It was that moment my will bowed to God. It was that very moment I took Christ. Hallelujah. That time I got out of sin and I got in Christ. Amen. Oh, yes. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord, for that sudden spiritual change. Amen. Then he said, all things are become new. You see, there's not a realm that this radical change will not affect. It'll affect everything in your life. It'll affect everything about you. All things will become new. All that you do now is going to be affected. I remember I was witnessing to a young lady in the break room there at the place where I worked. And I was telling her how I got saved. I said, Don, I know you don't know this. And she had known me all my life. My best friend, she had a crush on him all during high school. I said, but over there at that little church where I've been going, I said, I got saved. I said, the Lord has done a work in my heart. She said, I'll tell you one thing, you sure are different. She said, I haven't even heard you curse one time. I said, that's what Jesus does in your heart and in your life. And I want to say tonight that all things become new. New affections. Brother Sam Banks is here tonight. He got saved at our church and he'd come home after work every day. He's sitting on the couch reading the Bible. His wife looked at him. She said, what's wrong with you? Said, all you do is want to read. He said, I can't explain. I just got a burning desire. I want to find out what it says. I really just want to find out what it says. Hallelujah. Thank God for new affections in Christ. Amen and amen. Thank God for new inclinations. See, my whole life was inclined to do what's wrong. I spent all my life making wrong choices. And now for the first time in my life, I had a desire to do what is right. New directions, new determinations, new desires brought about all of this because of being changed by the indwelling Christ. My fears were all new. My joys were all new. I can remember those early days. I'd be out there in the congregation, that choir get cranked up and they start raising their hands like this. And about that time, somebody say, glory! Say, what were you? I was just absolutely at home. Absolutely at home. You say, she scared me when she screamed. No, she didn't scream, she shouted. Amen. Absolutely at home in that old holy atmosphere. Yeah. Hallelujah. Radically changed by Christ. Our joys are new. Our hopes are new. Our relations are new. And everything about my life was brand new. And for the first time in my life, I felt like my life had purpose. And I'm so glad tonight that Jesus makes all things new. It may be that you're here and you don't know the Lord Jesus as your savior. And you don't know this change that I've been talking about. You don't know this change I've been preaching about, but you need to know it. Christ has never changed your life. You need to come to him so he can. And you don't have to be an addict or a drunkard or any of that. In fact, sometimes when people are self-righteous, it's harder to reach them with the gospel than any other person. But I'm thankful the Lord can still save a Nicodemus and a Cornelius, and he can save you and change your life from the inside out. But this is the test of true salvation. That is, if you as an individual have never been changed, you have never been saved. But if your life has been changed by Christ, you could go back to that very point, couldn't you? You know, it troubles me when you ask people about whether or not they're saved and they get angry at you. It's troubling when a person gets angry when you ask them if they're saved. But I will tell you this, you'd never anger me asking me about whether or not I was saved. In fact, you may have to stand still a little while so I can tell you about it. But I'm glad tonight that this is the test of true salvation.