Changes
Dearly beloved of God, since Jesus Christ introduced us to God as our Father we have seen a number of changes in our lives.
Since we were born again of the spirit from God we have gone death unto life. We were dead in sin, but God made us alive with Christ.
We were the children of wrath, but in Christ we are God’s dearly beloved and highly favored children who have been delivered from the wrath to come.
We were natural men in the flesh, but in Christ we no longer are in the flesh, but in the spirit since the spirit from God dwells in us.
In Christ we have gone from being guilty before God to being justified. We were made righteous, holy, blameless, and unimpeachable in His sight. There is no more condemnation to those in Christ Jesus. We will never again come into condemnation.
At one time we were overwrought with fears, doubts, and worries, but in Christ we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. God promises to deliver us from the things that make us afraid.
We no longer have to learn to live with our fears, God has delivered us from the things that make us afraid. The chastisement of our peace was laid on Jesus Christ. "God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." Now we can be at peace, and undisturbed by whatever may come up.
We have gone from being those who were far off from God to those who were made near to God our Father by the accomplishments of the Lord Jesus Christ.
How near are we? He is always present, and He will never leave us nor ever forsake us. We are God’s dwelling place by the spirit!
Christians are no longer strangers and foreigners, we are fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God.
We have gone from being ungodly to having a true, vital spirit based relationship with God as our Father. We received the gift of holy spirit, which enables us to manifest the spirit for godly profit.
We are no longer victims of the power of darkness, we have been delivered from the power of darkness, and we have been transferred into the kingdom of God’s beloved Son. Instead of being a victim, we are more than conquerors in him that loved us.
We have gone from having no spiritual power to being strengthened with might by His spirit in the inner man. He that is in us is greater than he that is in the world. He is able to do exceeding abundantly above all we ask or think about according to the power that works in us.
We were once oppressed by the devil with sickness, but we were healed by the stripes laid on Jesus Christ. There are no incurable diseases for God’s dearly beloved.
We have gone from having no resources to those who are able to share of our abundance. God is able to make all grace abound toward you so that you always have all sufficiency in all things, so you may abound to every good work. God promises to multiply our sown seed. Expect it; He did not lie.
We have gone from wandering aimlessly through life, to being led by the spirit from God. As we trust in the LORD He will direct our paths.
At one time we were ignorant of spiritual matters, but God has revealed His Will to us in His Word. He will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. He will open the eyes of our understanding with His Word so that we have enlightened understanding.
In Christ we have gone from hopeless to having hope of the glory of God. Every Christian has Christ in them, the hope of glory! God called us by His Word to the acquisition of the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. We will be glorified with Christ when he returns to gather us up to meet him in the air.
We no longer have to live with the fear of death. Thanks be unto God Who gives us the victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ. In Christ we have the hope of eternal life at his coming. We will be transformed to have bodies like his glorious body that die no more.
Dearly beloved of God, we do not have to allow the world to condition us to the ideas and maxims of this evil age; be transformed by the renewing of your mind so that you can prove the good, well-pleasing, and perfect will of God.
Dearly beloved, as children of God we have so much more in Christ than we had before we were saved.
We have so many new things in Christ, and there are many more new things to come!
It is good to stop and think about the changes God has wrought in our lives. Be thankful for the goodness of God to us in Christ Jesus. He didn’t have to be that good to us you know. Such grace!