Memorise: Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a
new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things
are become new. 2nd Corinthians 5:17
One
of the basic signs of redemption in the life of a man is the newness of the
life that he lives. This change of his spiritual living standard is never
covert; rather, it is always obvious. When Zacchaeus, the publican, encountered
Jesus in Jericho ,
his life never remained the same. A notoriously corrupt tax collector said: “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to
the poor; and if I have taken anything from any man by false accusation, I
restore him fourfold.” Luke 19:8
The
memory verse for today corroborates the story in the above quoted scripture.
Indeed, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things must pass
away. Today, it is a different ball-game; people seem to maintain the status
quo of their past lives even after their claims of a born-again experience. The
thief still steals yet he claims to be born-again. The adulterous woman who
succeeded in snatching another woman’s legally and scripturally wedded husband,
lives comfortably with the man, speaking in “tongues”
John
the Baptist, when addressing those who decided to follow godliness by coming
for his baptism, encouraged them to bear fruits that met with genuine
repentance, and take a total turn-around from past sinful living.
The
Bible says “But when he saw many
of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O
generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring
forth therefore fruits meet for repentance.” Matthew 3:7-8
The
above scripture is a food for thought: the religious leaders of John the
Baptist’s time humbled themselves to come for baptism in order to usher in a
new more of spiritual revival. This is a lesson for those who are claiming to
have risen through the ranks and files of established Churches to seek
spiritual reawakening.
This may also account for many older generations embracing the Pentecostal experience. This is very good provided they also “bring forth fruits meet for repentance”, not maintaining the status-quo of their highly esteemed positions in their (former) Churches without transformation. The cry of the regenerative Spirit is change!
This may also account for many older generations embracing the Pentecostal experience. This is very good provided they also “bring forth fruits meet for repentance”, not maintaining the status-quo of their highly esteemed positions in their (former) Churches without transformation. The cry of the regenerative Spirit is change!
You
may need to change your friends, eating and dressing habits to be able to
conform to the image of the Son of the Living God.
Action Point: Look at your past life in comparison
with your newly found faith in Christ and effect necessary changes.
Bible in one year; 1st Samuel 24-25,
Proverbs 8:1-21
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