October 23, 2017 WE ONCE WERE
Titus 3:1-5: “Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed, to malign no one, to be uncontentious, gentle, showing every consideration for all men. For we also were once foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lust and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another. But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,”
Paul was well aware of the fact that life was one way before his conversion, and a totally different way after his conversion. The difference that comes as a result of our conversion is a key issue in the Christian faith. The essence of the gospel is that Jesus came that we might be redeemed and set free from the power of sin. Either a person has been born again, or he has not. Before conversion, one lives according to the world system that is the domain of Satan, and is separated from God, living in darkness. Contrary to what image may come to mind when we think of someone living in darkness and under the domain of Satan, one who is not a believer, can actually appear to be a likeable, well-adjusted, decent sort of a person. Even though one who does not know God comes across as a ‘good guy’, he is nonetheless living in darkness because he has not been made new in Christ. Those who do not know God are limited to living according to self and do not know the power of Christ living in them, thus the blindness. From Adam and Eve, all are born with a sinful nature, a nature that insist on living according to its own dictates, not submitting God. So, our conversion-our being born again-is indeed a life-changer. We were once in darkness, separated from God, but now we have been given a new nature and have become the sons and daughters of God; we are not who we use to be. We now have new appetites in life, we have a new purpose and a new reason for living. The way we view others, the way we respond to others, the way we think, and our actions should come out of who we are in Christ and who He is in us. We are no longer limited to self and mere humanity, but have the power of God at work in us to equip us to reflect Him in the life we live. It is by experiencing the love of God in us that we are transformed into His image and it is this love that frees us to be the person God designed us to be. As awesome as it is to be a believer, it is possible to live in such a way that our life does not reflect the fact that we have been made new, and in fact, it is possible for us to live the way we did before our conversion. As believers, we have the choice of walking according to the Spirit, or according to the flesh. It is paramount that we search the scriptures with the desire to understand what a marvelous work God has done for the believer and to come to know our true identity in Christ. Let us be reminded that we once were not a child of God, but now, by His work in us, we have been transferred from the kingdom of this world and have been transferred to the kingdom of God. Now, let us live according to God, demonstrating His kingdom in the midst of the darkness.
Ephesians 4:22-24: “that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lust of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.”
Blessings,
Buddy
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