No Stranger To Love

All of us were once strangers to righteousness. Holiness was an alien concept to us.

Then we met the One who loved us into life again.

His touch rearranged our DNA.

We began to die in that moment. Our old self was crucified, but our new self came alive.

This intimate knowledge of the Infinite conceived a new life within us.

The resurrection power that raised Christ from the dead was now unleashed within us.

Soon, disobedience to our Abba became strange to us. We became aliens to this world around us.

Who we are now is all that matters. What we once were is not worth mentioning again.

We stand now, as new creations, calling out to the Creator as beloved children made in His image.

We are remade for righteousness.

Our new nature is hard-wired to glorify Him with a clean heart

and lips that speak of grace

and voices that magnify His Holy name

and hands that comfort the broken

and arms that support the weak

with eyes that seek for truth

and ears that listen for the still small voice of One so very big.


You, oh God, are remaking us into a people who are like you,

even though there is no one like you,

and even though

“eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and no heart has yet imagined 

the things that God has prepared for those who love Him…

God has revealed all of this to us through His Spirit.” [1 Cor.2:9-10]

“We have the mind of Christ” [1 Cor. 2:16]

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” [2 Cor. 5:17]

“Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ” [Phil. 1:6]

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control....and those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.” [Gal. 5:22-26]

“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” [2 Peter 1:3]

-kg

Erasing Shame

Today at work I had to erase a giant white board in one of our meeting rooms. It's a huge board that stretches across an entire side of the wall. It's easily 20 yards across. But it was filthy.

Someone had previously attempted to clean the board. That was obvious. It was streaked from top to bottom with a heavy black film. Someone had probably sprayed that cleaning solution all over the board and used the eraser - not a clean paper towel - and instead of cleaning it had just smeared the black ink all over the surface.

It was a mess.

So, before I could use the board I had to grab a wad of paper towels from the kitchen. After I did that I sprayed the entire board with that smelly alcohol solution and waited for it to start dripping from the top of the board to the bottom. Then I took my paper towels and started to clean it off.

This is when I think the Holy Spirit whispered something to me.

"See what happens when you try to clean something the wrong way?"

Yeah, I see that.

"See how filthy this board got when someone applied the cleaning solution in the wrong way and mixed the dirty and the clean together?"

Hmmm...yeah, I see that, too.

"Notice how this cleaning solution, properly applied, completely removes the dark film and leaves the surface totally white?"

Oh, yeah, I do see that, Lord.

"Now that it's clean, do you think it's accurate for anyone to come in this room and call this board 'filthy' again?"

Wow.

I stopped cleaning. I took a step back from the board. It was clean now. Top to bottom. It once was filthy, but now, it was like the day it was first hung on the wall; clean, white, and shiny.

"This is how I want you to see yourself now. You are clean. I have made you that way. Don't call yourself "filthy" again. You are not a sinner. You are my child and you are loved far more than you will ever realize."

I knew that it was true. But I also knew that I wasn't really living my life in light of this truth.

Immediately the following verses of scripture flashed through my mind:

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." - [2 Cor. 5:17]

"There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." - [Roman 8:1]
“If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” - Jesus [John 8:31-32]

Such a simple lesson from an ordinary task, yet it has had such a profound impact on my heart. So, I knew I had to share it with you guys here on the blog.

I hope this blesses you today and that you, also, can begin to really believe that you are now a new creature in Christ Jesus. Your identity is not wrapped up in who you used to be, but who you are in Christ today.

According to Jesus and His Word, we are redeemed, righteous, holy, forgiven, accepted, transformed, and we are partakers of the divine nature. Our lives are hidden in God with Christ. We are immune from condemnation and judgement. 

Those who are in Christ are co-laborers with God. We are branches of the True Vine, filled with the love and the heart of Christ. We are now being made into His image by the indwelling Holy Spirit of God. 

We are members of a royal priesthood, a holy nation, chosen in Him to bear much fruit as we lovingly abide in Him daily.

This is good news, isn't it?

Let someone know about it.

Peace,

-kg