Tuesday, September 29, 2020 Some material taken from Changes Part 1 by Sam Nobles
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28
The Gospel of Change
Yesterday we talked about change and how we humans resist it rather than embrace it. For Christians, it is a great change that has brought us out of a life of sin and death into a life lived for God. The gospel is all about change. We are sinners and without Jesus Christ changing us we will never enter heaven and stand before God. Due to our sinfulness, we are not qualified to stand before a holy God who cannot look on sin. The change of salvation - the shed blood of Christ that covers our sin - qualifies us to enter the kingdom of heaven and sit at the foot of His throne. Without this change we are destined for eternal separation from God.
We are changed from an old creation into a new creation. We are changed from the kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of Light. We are changed from wretched to righteous. And when Christ returns to this earth, we will be changed physically in the twinkling of an eye and be glorified.
Sam Nobles
The good news of the gospel is that anyone can change! God so loved this world that He gave His only Son to give His life to pay for the sin of mankind. Now, everyone who believes that the death of Jesus paid the penalty for their sin and that His resurrection from the dead validates that claim, can have eternal life, forgiveness from sin, and become part of the family of God.
God Brings Change For A Reason
Everything God does He does for a reason. He never desired for us to sit still and not change, because if you are growing in Him there will be change. He changed us and made us a new creation, but He expects us to keep making the necessary changes we need to so we can continue to grow. Without change there will be no growth. The changes in our lives that He allows serve His purpose and not ours. Remember this kingdom principle - it’s not about me and what I like, it is all about God and His desire. When what we desire does not match up with what God desires, we may change as we move away from God to get what we desire. Embrace change. Watch and pray for how God is working His purpose in and through it. Fight the urge to resist what is different to how you have “always done it” and move forward with change.