THE TRADE

THE TRADE

Pastor Steve Anderson | 5.07.25

The Christian life is not about “adding Jesus” to our life…..it’s about trading our life for His.

The Christian LIFE STARTS OUT FREE….actually not “free,” but paid-for by Jesus.

• Salvation is FREE because Jesus traded His life and His blood for our sin.

After that point, the joyful Christian life is transactional….a trade!…something required in trade for something else.

We trade things of no value for things of GREAT value:

Old life for new

Sin Nature for Christ’s Nature

My thinking for God’s thinking

Life in this world for eternal life in Heaven

My deserved death for my undeserved eternal life

My broken past for my redeemed future

A meaningless life of futility for life filled with purpose/calling

Bondage for Freedom

Principles of the Trade:

1)  Everything is God’s….so what He asks for or what we trade costs us NOTHING.

2) I need to see what Jesus offers as of great value to me.

Philippians 3:8-9 (NLT) Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ 

9 and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ.

3) I have to be willing to trade it ALL.

Philippians 3:6,9 (NLT) Paul says, … “I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ 

9 and become one with him.”

Luke 18:21-23 (NLT) The man replied, “I’ve obeyed all these commandments since I was young.”

22 When Jesus heard his answer, he said, “There is still one thing you haven’t done. Sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 

23 But when the man heard this, he became very sad, for he was very rich.

Luke 9:59-62 (NLT) He said to another person, “Come, follow me.”The man agreed, but he said, “Lord, first let me return home and bury my father.” 

60 But Jesus told him, “Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead! Your duty is to go and preach about the Kingdom of God.” 

61  Another said, “Yes, Lord, I will follow you, but first let me say good-bye to my family.” 

62  But Jesus told him, “Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.”

4) There ARE some conditions:

I HAVE to trade my love of money and “things” for a Love of God

Matthew 6:24 (NLT) “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.” 

4) Prayer is a trade

– You have to pray in order to get an answer:

James 4:2 (NLT) “…….you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it.”

– You have to pray with right motives:

James 4:3 (NLT) And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.

—You have to pray in FAITH….BELIEVE

James 1:5-6 (NLT) If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. 

6 But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind.

You have to PERSIST

Matthew 7:7 (NLT) “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 

God’s side of the TRADE:

Matthew 7:8 (NLT) For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

NOTES

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