The Evangelist Speaks
by Evangelist Carolyn Griffin
|
New Life in Christ I pray that everyone had a blessed Easter. We shared wonderful dinners, dressed in new outfits, hid eggs, listened to speeches and enjoyed skits. Many of us heard soul stirring messages about the suffering, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This message is the true meaning of Easter. It is a celebration about new life, purchased by Jesus for all who would call upon his name. And this new life plays itself out in very practical ways. When a friend betrays you, there can be love instead of bitterness. When your child disappoints you, there can be forgiveness instead of distance. When an addiction ravages your soul, there can be hope instead of despair. And when the phone rings with bad news, there can be peace instead of fear. This new life is available because Jesus is no longer in the tomb, but lives inside of all who will accept Him as their Lord and Personal Savior. Romans 10:9-10 state, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. With this, new life in Christ begins. Unfortunately many believers stop there. They state that they are a new creature in Christ. Old things are passed away and behold all things are new. Yet continue in old habits, old ideas and old ways. To experience new life in Christ, we must die daily. We must die to the works of the flesh so the fruit of the Spirit will continue to grow in us. Conforming to the things of this world is a living death. We are transformed daily by the renewing of our minds through our study and meditation on the Word of God and our obedience to Him. A prayer life is essential on this journey as we experience new life. Our daily communication with God helps us to focus on the new as we forget the old. Praise and worship help us to glorify God for the new life that He has given us in Christ and continually thank Him for all that He has done and continues to do in us, through us and for us. Children of God will continue to grow and bring forth fruit that remains. Others should be able to see our new life and desire to know about Christ who has provided it. If you have not accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior, you can’t enjoy this new life. If you haven't sincerely checked out the claims of this Jesus of the Bible, or you have been running from Him, or you've been turned off by a stale religious experience from your past, let me challenge you. He's worth another look. This is not just about new life in Christ today. This is about eternal life. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life. Jesus died for us so that we could experience New Life in Him. It is truly a “Wonderful Life”. Tomorrow morning in churches all over the world, people will be celebrating this new life that is available through Christ. If you haven't sincerely checked out the claims of this Jesus of the Bible, or you have been running from him, or you've been turned off by a stale religious experience from your past, let me challenge you. He's worth another look. This is about life and death. |