In Christ - I am a new creature in Christ

I am a new creature in Christ...

II Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 

August 4, 2010

Freed to Start Anew

Sharon Jaynes

Friend To Friend

“Laura lived in a small town with parents who were morally sound and family oriented. She went to church from her earliest remembrance and was baptized when she was twelve-years-old. In high school, she began dating Barry. After Laura went off to college both of Barry's parents died. He was lonely and missed the close-knit family he had once enjoyed.

“After Laura's first year of college, Barry began talking marriage. He had not gone to college and wanted her to come home and be his wife. Laura was torn, but made the decision to marry Barry and continue working toward her degree.

“Laura and I held hands and prayed together before she walked down the aisle. It was a beautiful day as I stood with her and the two were united as man and wife. However, after the wedding comes the marriage - something that neither the nineteen-year-old Laura nor Barry were prepared to face.

After five years, Laura was bored with the marriage, restless in her job, and disappointed in her husband. While working in a medical office, Bob, a salesman for an international medical supply company, took on their account. Bob was older and lived what seemed like an exciting lifestyle. It started as friendly bantering, which progressed to enticing flirtation. Laura found herself looking forward to Thursdays - the day the rep made his weekly visits.

“A touch here, a lunch there, and soon an affair ensued. Laura packed her bags, left her marriage, her job, and her hometown to move to greener pastures. But the greener pastures weren't so green. Thorns infested the relationship. Bob wasn't interested in anything long term. Laura was just a young plaything he toyed with on weekends. What promised to be an exciting life away from small town America, away from a mundane, monotonous marriage, turned into a deep, dark pit of regret and remorse. Laura discovered Bob wasn't anything special. He was just someone different - a diversion. And she was his flavor of the month.

“After her divorce was final, Laura was left all alone in a strange town. What have I done? She cried.

“Laura's husband remarried and put the broken pieces of his life back together. Laura, on the other hand, was just broken.

“Laura turned away from our friendship when she headed down the road to self-destruction, but after she came to her senses, she called me - full of remorse and sadness. I welcomed her in my arms, held her close to my heart, and brought her to my hometown. My husband and I found her a job, helped her get her finances in order, and directed her to a great Bible-based church. That's what it looked like on the outside, but here's what really happened.

“Laura, in her own words would tell you that she stood before Jesus like the woman caught in adultery. She felt the stares of her accusers and recoiled at the rocks that would surely fly. In her own mind, she stood naked and ashamed before her community, her childhood church body, and her lifelong friends. But more importantly, she stood in shame before Jesus.

"’I didn't think God would forgive me,’ she began. ‘I had hurt my family, my husband, and my witness. What would God want with someone like me?’

"’Laura,’ I began, ‘we are all sinners. We are all saved by grace. None of us deserve it. That's what makes grace, grace. You made a terrible mistake, but so did the woman caught in adultery that the Pharisees brought to Jesus. What did Jesus do with that woman? What did He say?’

"’He told her to go and sin no more.’

“’Exactly. He told her to leave her life of sin. That doesn't mean that she never sinned again. But we can safely believe that she left this lifestyle, this sinful relationship, and began a new life. That is what Jesus will do for you. That is what He does for all of us.’

“God promises: ‘If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness’ (1 John 1:9). Another translation uses the words "cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (NASB). I love the picture of God washing away all our sins, erasing the list of offenses, throwing our sins into the deepest of seas - all gone.

“Laura did begin again. She repented of her sin, immersed herself in Bible study and ministry, and began a new life totally committed to the One who forgave her and set her free from condemnation. And that my friend, is what Jesus does for each and every one of us who come to Him with a repentant heart ready to start anew.

“After Laura began her new life, she followed hard after God. She was so grateful for a chance to start again, and she gave her life to serving and honoring Jesus.

“Sometime during her fifth year at her new church, she met a wonderful Christian man, Peter. After they were married, Laura and Peter committed their lives to serving God wherever He led. After a missions trip to Eastern Europe, they both felt God calling them to return on a more permanent basis. Now, for over ten years, Laura and Peter have been serving God in Eastern Europe, planting churches and loving people to Christ. She has agreed with Paul when he wrote, ‘This one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind and straining toward what lies ahead’ (Philippians 3:13). But friend, it is a choice.

“See, God doesn't just set us free from our past. He sets us free to an exciting future. And Jesus showcased the woman caught in adultery in John chapter 8 and my friend, Laura, to show us how.

“Let's Pray - Dear God, thank You for being a God who allows u-turns. Not only do You forgive me of my sin, You allow me to start anew.  In Jesus' Name - Amen.

Now It's Your Turn

“Did you know that God allows u-turns in your own life?

“Is there an area that you need to make a u-turn and head back toward God?

“Are you ready to repent of your sin, accept God's forgiveness, and begin a new life filled with purpose? If so, it is only a prayer away.”

Change IS a choice – God does the work of setting us free from our pasts and giving us a new identity – but we have to CHOOSE to live in that new reality.  That’s hard – especially if we’ve lived a life where we did whatever we had to do to survive.  Habits are deeply ingrained – and it’s so easy to go back to what once “worked” for us.  But GOD wants us to be different – to live the truth of our new identity in Christ.  That means we have to keep our eyes open to things in our life that we are not consciously aware of – if we ask God to show us, He will – and He’ll give us the strength and willpower to change – but we have to be willing to take those first few steps – no matter how uncomfortable they are.  If you know that you’re still living like that old “dead man” – make the u-turn God offers and ask God again for a fresh start – and He’ll give it to you!  Keep moving forward – and eventually you’ll be able to look back and see just how far you’ve come!  Sharon

In Christ - I am the temple of the Holy Spirit

Joni and Friends/June 3, 2010

"One of my favorite summertime activities is to tent camp. There's nothing like a campfire in the morning when you get up. And the smell of those sizzling eggs and bacon... yum.

"Shortly after breakfast my husband, Ken, will let the fire die down. Then, at suppertime, Ken has to start the fire again. But this is an economical man. Instead of starting from scratch, Ken will poke the coals, searching for the tiniest spark of life. Sure enough, way down in the ashes there will usually be a glowing coal left over from the morning campfire. He nurtures it with dry grass and leaves until it's roaring once again. It seems that no matter how small the spark or how dim the flicker, Ken can bring a fire back to life.

"It's the same with the Spirit of Christ in our lives. Sometimes the spark may be small, but if there is the tiniest ember, the slightest hint of obedience in our Christian life, it's not too late to be revived.
God has given us light, knowledge, and a new heart. He has given you and me grace and a new nature -- and he has deprived us of every excuse if we do not live for his praise. So, if we are not holy, whose fault is it but our own? If we do not appear sanctified, who can we blame but ourselves?

"How about you? Do you feel the ashes smoldering, even if faintly? Do you sense life within, even if feeble? Nurture it. Gently fan the spark - follow through on the nudge to obey, spend a little time in prayer, revive yourself in God's Word. Don't neglect the grace, the heart, and the new nature God has given you. Poke around and get the fire of the Spirit going in your life."

There was always to be light in God’s temple – it was the job of a specific family from the tribe of Levi to make sure that the lights burned through the night. Our God is a God of light – and light exposes things that the darkness hides. Maybe that’s why some of us are drawn to the darkness – we don’t want our sins to be discovered. BUT – if you are a true child of God there’s NO hiding from HIS light! There will always be a small ember burning somewhere in our spirit – and just as Ken could coax life back into a campfire, the Spirit is able to fan that ember into "red-hot sold out living for Jesus" – if we let Him. When we come to God – on HIS terms – we become HIS – forever! WE are His temple now – not a building of sticks and stones, mortar and cement – but a living, breathing temple where the Spirit of God resides, just as He did in Solomon’s temple. Keep your light burning brightly – experience His presence – and His power – every moment of every day! Sharon

In Christ - I am dead to sin

I am dead to sin...

Romans 6:1-4,17,18
What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.
Daily Word with Pastor Jack Graham
May 5, 2011
"History books tell us that when the slaves were liberated at the end of the Civil War, many of those who had formerly been under the bondage of slavery refused to leave their slave masters and pursue a life of their own. They chose to remain under bondage because it was the only thing they’d ever known!

"There are many Christians today who are still under the bondage of their past. That’s why every believer must always ask himself as he considers doing something: ‘Is this thing becoming my master? Is this controlling me? Does it have the potential to control me?’

"In my years of ministry, I’ve seen pastor after pastor lose his job and his congregation because of this very issue. So many believe they’re above becoming a slave again to sin and they simply refuse to acknowledge their potential weakness.

"So when it comes to sin, don’t buy into the lie that you’re immune to falling back into old patterns of behavior. But when that temptation does come, remind yourself that you’ve been freed already through the death and resurrection of Christ. Live each day on the offensive knowing that, while the enemy prowls around, you have victory in Christ!

"LIVE ON THE OFFENSIVE AGAINST SATAN SO WHEN TEMPTATION TO SIN COMES YOUR WAY, YOU CAN KNOW THAT YOU’VE BEEN FREED FROM SLAVERY TO SIN"

One of the most heartbreaking things I have to deal with daily is hearing Christian after Christian telling me that they are sexually involved with someone – and they’re not married. They’ve somehow convinced themselves that it’s "OK" – that God doesn’t really care that much – that His COMMAND to be sexually pure "isn’t something that’s possible in this day and age." What they don’t realize is that they are IN BONDAGE to the sin of promiscuity – and God DOES take it very seriously. He won’t "wink" at it – He won’t ignore it – and He won’t tolerate it. The Bible says that God is not mocked – we can’t practice sin and think we’re getting away with something. Just because we don’t see immediate consequences (although many of the women I talk to ARE facing the consequences of their choice) doesn’t mean we won’t pay the price at some point.

Now – God WILL forgive – praise be to the Father of Mercy! But He requires something – repentance. To be forgiven we must sincerely agree with God about our sin – and when we can do that, He will forgive us. "Agreeing with God" will be evidenced by a change in behavior. That means that we no longer give in to the temptation to sin – that we flee from those temptations and rely on Him to be the strength we need to live a holy life. How does someone do that? They make plans to avoid the temptation! If you’re a drunk, you don’t hang out in a bar! If you’re struggling with sexual sin you don’t hang out in places where it will be easy to fall! Thank ahead – create and ENFORCE boundaries! Seek accountability – find a mature Christian who will hold you accountable for what you’re doing. Be in fellowship – you can’t thrive in your relationship with Christ if you’re doing your own thing – in your own strength and wisdom! That’s a recipe for disaster! We all need to be accountable to someone – we all need to be surrounded by fellow believers who will pray for us – love us – encourage us – speak the hard truth to us.

Jesus paid the ultimate price for our freedom – and He deserves – and DEMANDS our allegiance! He has vanquished sin – why would we CHOOSE to live in bondage to sin anymore? He LOVES you – and He has GOOD plans for you! Don’t let the enemy rob you of all that God has in store for you! Live a holy life, in full submission to Him! Sharon
__________________________
Sharon Pearce, Director
Silent Voices International
www.silentvoices.org
svoices@pacbell.net
619-422-0757