Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another—to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God.
I have the amazing privilege of serving in two special ministries at my church. both are forward facing, meaning that in both positions I directly interact with the congregation. The Lord has allowed me to grow through these opportunities, in ways that are staggering.
This is what happens to people once they have accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and savior; they change and grow in ways that were previously unfathomable. How does this occur? It happens through an interaction with the holy spirit. The moment a person accepts Jesus as Lord of their life, they are washed clean of their sins. their old self, for lack of a better term, has been done away with. Paul put it this way:
knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.
This verse struck me as I was standing before my church family the other night at the end of service. I stood with pastors and members of our prayer team as worship was ending and observed the people I am privileged to serve. They come from all walks of life. As I watched them give praise to the Lord of the universe, my eyes fell on the ones I knew the best. The ones whose testimonies I knew. Some had their hands raised in submission, others heads were bowed, while still others pointed their faces toward heaven. No matter their posture, they all gave praise and thanksgiving to the almighty. As I recount this, it reminds me of a scene we will witness in heaven.
The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!”
Our earthly worship of the Father is a reflection of the worship we will have the privilege to offer in heaven. The worship given only by those who have been transformed by the blood spilled on Calvary and its restorative power.
I called this post, Transformed Lives. I wonder what those of us who have been transformed have done with our freedom in Christ? It is always interesting to know. I love listening to the testimonies of others; hearing what God delivered them from, how God worked out their salvation and brought them to that moment of decision. The testimonies of believers are to be an encouragement to us. They remind us that God is merciful and gracious, both giving us what we don’t deserve (grace) and not giving us what we do (mercy). God has waited for each of us who are saved to come to a decision. Scripture gives us a bible word for it: Long-suffering.
And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abounding in goodness and truth,
God waited for us to come to a decision. In some cases He is still waiting. No matter where you find yourself today, I would like to speak to both groups Because both have a decision to make. First to those of you who have decided to follow Christ, those of you who have been saved from death and given the gift of eternal life; in the words of Sean Connery’s Malone from the Untouchables, “What are you prepared to do?” It is a bold question but also a fair one. You who have received the gift of salvation know the score. We are in a winner take all battle for souls. The hook is, we already know who wins!
And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”
“The former things will pass away”; the short answer is Jesus wins. The truth is, it is not really a battle to begin with and the devil knows it. He knows he won’t win. He is the ultimate underdog; he has no shot. While the ultimate battle has been won, the evil one is in the business of winning souls of his own and in that is the deception of the ages. Satan has on purpose, to kill, steal, and destroy (John 10:10). He can’t have a believers soul, but he can rip us off and steal from us the full measure of God’s plan for our lives. What of those who have not been saved? Simply put, it is open season and whom the devil takes from the camp of the unbeliever will end up in the lake of fire (Revelation 20:14). Knowing what the end looks like, I ask again, what are you prepared to do!?
Finally, for this of you that are on the fence, know that God loves you and is waiting for you. If you have read this you now know the Gospel and are therefore responsible for it. He wants to set you free and ascribe you burdens on Himself; transforming your life into one lived in freedom through Him! I ask you the same question: What are you prepared to do?
Until the Whole World Hears,
LD
*If you would like to know more about a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, email me at savediiserve@gmail.com and let me know! I will be happy to lead you through what the bible says about salvation and accepting Jesus Christ as your savior.*
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