It is quite sobering to read the Bible and realize who we are, here on earth. We earthly creatures are born under God’s judgement. Unworthy of Him, we have been condemned to an eternity without Him. It will be life without God, forever. You can choose life with God, or you can choose life totally void of the graces, the goodness, of God our Creator. It is our choice. But, only God’s way leads to Himself.
Jesus Christ came to earth as the one and only “God-man” in order to make it possible for mankind to be forgiven by God. We can either choose to follow God’s way, or make our own way. But only God’s way through Christ will ever make us acceptable to a perfect God. Kind of a narrow way, right? But it is the way God has laid it out. That was His idea, not ours. Why fight your Creator?
When we choose to yield our life to Christ, He changes us completely (I Corinthians 5:17). In an instant, in that specific moment in time, we are forever changed. Forever. And nothing can change that! (Romans 8:..35….) We still look the same, smell the same, and have the same human ills, but in that moment in time – God flips a switch, makes our spirit alive, and He, our Creator, THE CREATOR, makes us brand new creatures. He made all there is, anywhere! And He has chosen to make this THE WAY for all his creation. His choice, not ours. We are the clay, and HE is the potter. We are like a lump of clay in His hand, but He has plans for each of us.
“They are plans for good and not for evil,
to give you a future and a hope.” – Jeremiah 29:11
When we choose to accept the gift of God, good things happen. Real things. Eternal things. At the very moment when we say yes to God’s gift of salvation (His forgiveness of our sin), from that moment in time He accepts us as His Child. At that moment we then are not merely creatures of His creation – but rather – His flesh and blood sons and daughters. From that moment on, we no longer are merely normal human beings.
At that moment we are made brand new creatures inside, destined to live and rule with Christ:
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We no longer have to yield to sin (Romans 6)
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We no longer are under any condemnation whatsoever from God (Romans 8:1)
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(So don’t listen to Satan’s lies when you feel condemned when you sin. That is NOT God speaking guilt to you! God calls us to repent, yes. But He does not condemn us or shame us.)
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And the Spirit of God in that instant makes our (formerly dead) spirit alive, and somehow, from then on, He lives inside us. You do not need to understand it, anymore than any scientist understands what electricity is. They just believe in it, watch what it does, and go with it. Trust God and draw close to Him.
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“All things have changed….” Once that change happens, then a growing and learning process begins. And that is where we all are until we get a new body and a new earth. As they say, “It ain’t easy!”
And although “it ain’t easy…”, we now can talk to God, moment to moment, and He hears and cares and answers us, because now we are His sons and daughters.
Christians (“little Christs” …followers of Christ) are still humans, subject to this earthly experience, and cannot stop: disease, sickness, economic woes, accidents, calamities, death and taxes! “He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” – (Matthew 5:45) So there are no guarantees about any part of our life here – except that He loves us and cares for us in the midst of whatever He allows to come our way, and our eternity with Him can never be taken away from us, ever (Romans 8:…v35…)!
There are many promises to hold onto, and He is intimately involved in our day-to-day living. And God does answer prayer! Although nowhere does His Word say that we can just pray and everything will then be hunky-dory. Life happens and troubles will come our way.
In the midst of all we experience: His Spirit comforts, guides, convicts of sin, forgives, restores, answers prayer, heals, strengthens, gives wisdom; and the fruit of the Spirit is terrific: love, joy, patience, perseverance…(Galatians 5:22, 23…). The Christian life is a process of learning to be who we are.
-Adapted from original article, Letter to Danny.
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