Salvation Brings a Change
A lesson from Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10)
In these scripture we see a passage that is very familiar to anyone who as a child went to Sunday school or vacation bible school. In this passage we see a man by the name of Zacchaeus who desires to see Jesus who is passing through Jericho. Because Zacchaeus was a short man we could not see Jesus for the multitude of the people. Therefore he climbed up into a sycamore tree to be able to see him. Jesus passed by a told him that he wanted to abide at his house that day and he did just as Jesus said. The word of God says that Salvation came to his house that day and we can also see a great change that took place in Zacchaeus’ life.
We must remember that at the time that Zacchaeus is saved it is before the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. The new birth was not possible until after the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:3) therefore Zacchaeus was not saved just like we are today. He was not born again or spiritually circumcised and there was still an element of works involved in his salvation. Today there is no works involved in us being saved and we also cannot lose our salvation (Ephesians 2:8-9 ; Philippians 1:6).
Even with our salvation being different from Zacchaeus’ we still see something that is the same with both. The common factor is that we a person is saved there is a change that takes place in their lives and it should be visible to others as well as ourselves. In 2 Corinthians 5:17 we see that has a result of the new birth we are a new creature in Christ Jesus. If we are a new creature then we should have some new desires like wanting to please the Lord and not sin as we did before. Many times also we will see these changes in our appearance like the way we dress and the things we may advertise on our clothing like not wearing something that has a vulgar expression on it or maybe even promoting alcohol or tobacco or something of that nature. The music we listen to and the type of shows we watch on TV should also be different. There are many ways for us to be a new creature in Christ Jesus.
4 Ways in which we see the changes in Zacchaeus’ life as a result of Salvation :
1) He became Humble (verse 8)
- Note that he called Jesus Lord. This shows us his humility because in verse 2 we see that he was a chief among the publicans and he was rich. Therefore he was a man with authority and power over people and this leads many to pride.
- Salvation is an humbling experience because we have to realize that there is nothing we can do to be saved and that Jesus Christ is the only one who can save us.
- After salvation we should humble ourselves unto God and do what his word says and not what we want or think is right (1 Peter 5:5-6).
2) He became Generous (verse 8)
- Note that he said he would give half of his goods to the poor. That is a huge change in his life to be able to give away half of his desires.
- Now we do not have to give away half of our possessions just to be saved remember our salvation is different, but we should want to give to the Lord and his work in order to help those in need especially our missionaries (2 Corinthians 9:6-8)
3) He became compassionate (verse 8)
- Note he now had concern for the poor. Most likely he had only cared for himself before this point.
- This is one of the great changes that Salvation brings in our lives is the fact that after we are saved we now have a love for God’s people that we did not have before and also we have a desire for others to get saved.
- Compassion makes a tremendous difference both in the lives of saved people and the lives of the unsaved (Jude 22). Also we see an excellent verse on how God repays the people who lend unto him and have pity on the poor (Proverbs 19:17).
4) He became Honest (verse 8)
- Note that not only was he going to give half of his goods to the poor but he said that if he had taken anything by false accusation he would restore it four fold. This is huge because as a tax collector he had the opportunity to take a lot of money from individuals falsely.
- The four fold is important because it lines up with the Old Testament Law (Exodus 22:1). This shows us that he is also willing to do what God says.
- In Romans 12:17 we are told to provide things honest in the sight of all men. This should also be one of the changes that we should show. The world and lost people will many times take advantage every time they get a chance but we should be different. Whether we are at work, school, church, home or anywhere in public place we should be honest and conduct ourselves in and honest manner for the sake of the word of God and the testimony that we have in regards to Jesus Christ.
Remember that not every saved person will change exactly the same way, you may not have been a morally bad person or a thief or something else society considers to be bad. But once you are saved you can still show a difference between yourself and the world. Remember that we are the children of God and folks should be able to see a difference in us.
Salvation Brings a Change : Handout
A lesson from Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10)
1) What is different doctrinally speaking between Salvation today for us and what Zacchaeus experienced in this passage?
2) Even though his salvation and ours is a little different what can we learn from his experience?
3) What is a good verse for showing us that as a result of Salvation there should be some changes that take place in our lives?
4) List 4 ways that we see how Zacchaeus’ life was changed. Give scripture for each one and an example of how we can apply it to our lives.
5) What are some ways in which our lives will change or have changed as a result of Salvation?