Tuesday, July 31, 2018

THE TRUTH THAT TRANSFORMS US

"The Bible was not given to increase our knowledge but to change our lives."  D.L. Moody

Somehow I believe that many of us miss this fact. We want to learn, to grow in wisdom and we will, as we study, but here's the thing. . .all this wisdom we're gaining is for naught if we are unable to truly believe God's Word and apply His wisdom to our life.

        The Bible, God's Holy Word, contains the truth we need to transform our life. This morning, I taught a creative writing class for sixty-four inmates at the local jail. All of them are veterans who are a part of a special program called 'Veterans Moving Forward'. All of them are looking for a way to transform their life. 

        The Bible teaches that God has sovereignly chosen each believer to be His child.  What God initiates, He will complete. Even though we are filled with God's Holy Spirit, we live in a body of flesh; flesh sins and is subject to the woes of this world.  Right now as we live, move and breath this earthly air, He is going through the process of getting our outside (flesh) to match the inside which is holy and righteous. This is called 'sanctification'. 

"For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son..." Romans 8:29

        Can you believe for instance that God has a purpose for every problem we encounter? He knew that we would have trouble in this world. Jesus told his disciples in John 16:33...

"In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

        Now this passage alone probably won't bring you an abundance of peace and joy, not unless you know what Jesus meant. The fact that Jesus overcame the world, i.e. rose from the dead, isn't very helpful until you understand that you as a believer are in Christ. We have now become one with Him. To be one with the Lord of Lords and King of Kings is a tremendously awesome event! I was baptized many years ago with this verse on my lips. 

"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."   Galatians 2:20

        My old self died on the cross with Jesus. Now Jesus lives in me and I can live day by day knowing that I am safe and secure no matter what the world hurls at me. This life I live here in the body, I live by faith. I'm not counting on my wisdom or my faithfulness, I'm counting on my Lord who loves me and died for me! 

        Once we are spiritually re-born, (John 3:3) God sees this new creation - He literally sees His Son in us. This is why Paul could write in Romans 8:1-3 "There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus...For what the law was powerless to do, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. In God's eyes, we are free forever from condemnation and sin. This is what the cross of Jesus did for those who believe. 

        I've known so many people who hold on to their old life. They can't forget all the bad things they've done, maybe even criminal things, so when they come close to peace and have joy in their life, they feel guilty. Guilt may be good in that it shows us that we aren't perfect and need God in our life, but it's also a tool of Satan. If Satan can pull us away from God's truth, he will. Instead of feeling good about our self, we'll feel unworthy and undeserving. So often we will then unconsciously do what made life miserable in the first place. We revert back to the 'old self'. 

         Even when we can't love our self, Jesus loves us unconditionally. We remember all the bad things we did, but the Lord doesn't, He sees the new person in Christ! We are saved by grace (Ephesians 2:8-9), yes totally unworthy and undeserving. 

        I was always so focused on the Galatians 2:20 verse that I didn't pay much attention to verse 21, which says...

"I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!"

        In other words, if we could have been good enough to enter the Kingdom of Heaven by our own good works and righteous deeds, Jesus didn't need to die on the cross. Everyone of us would fail that test, we all need a Savior! The truth transforms us!

Thank you Lord for loving us when we were sinners. Help us daily to apply your Word to our life and enjoy the process of being conformed to Jesus. Encourage my readers to seek Your Face, read Your Word and watch You transform their lives.