Seeing everything in life as an opportunity to worship God!
God’s love compels transformation, requires change, sheds light on the darkness of our lives, and moves us from our sinful ways into a holy lifestyle! Why? Because “We are His portion and He is our prize, drawn by redemption by the grace in HIS eyes…” His love redeems us and His grace draws us closer to Him as it teaches us to deny ungodliness!
From the outside looking in, from the world’s perspective (and probably the Church’s too), it appears that people who don’t deserve to be shown mercy are speaking of their lives forever changed by the love and goodness of God toward them. Many times we may wonder why, or how, “these people” would receive mercy from God after what “they” have done. Maybe we have forgotten the love that God showed us too, and how little we deserve that sort of grace!
Not only did Emmanuel come 2000+ years ago, but He comes and makes His dwelling in the lives of all who call on Him for salvation in the Person of the Holy Spirit! God makes His dwelling in the life of every believer today, and forever! For this reason, everyone who is godly should rejoice!
– Have you had an encounter with the Lord God Almighty?
– Would other people know that you had that encounter? How?
– Have you celebrated God’s work in your life lately through praising Him?
If not, will you do that right now?
So, as we recognize that by the love and sacrifice of Jesus our Lord we are freed forever from being slaves to sin and the ways of the world, and we hear the words of the Father in Heaven calling us His beloved children, we will more freely give our hearts fully over to Him and will experience the goodness of God to its fullest measure! So, get to it today and grow more and more in your relationship with the Good and Perfect Father who loves you.
So, when you are tempted to forget the freedom that you have in Christ because of the unfailing love that was shown through His death, burial, and resurrection, please remember that when you made your way to the Cross and received forgiveness of your sins through belief and repentance our God adopted you and called you His child forever! He has purchased your inheritance into His Kingdom, and desires for you to walk in the abundant life of freedom that is yours in Christ. When we open our hearts to this understanding and lay ourselves down in order to receive more of Him, that is when we will truly appreciate the level of wholeness and freedom that is ours in Christ! Surrender to Him and watch how He transforms the tyranny of sin into the grace of freedom!
Easter is a day where the culmination of a year long compiling of undeniable evidences of a risen Savior at work in our lives gets expressed through worship and praise! It is the most important day for followers of Christ, because without the hope of its message we are utterly hopeless and to be pitied by all (see 1 Cor 15:16-19)! But, we are not hopeless and we are not to be pitied because the evidence of Christ’s resurrection has been examined and we have found it to be overwhelmingly accurate and true! Since it is true, that makes us the most joyful and free people in the entire world, because our Savior paved the way necessary for us all to access everlasting life in His name! This is what Easter represents, Life everlasting by the victory of Christ Jesus! Hallelujah!
I pray that as you entrust the battles of your life to the Lord, that you would experience His reckless love as you recognize His voice and discover the hope that comes through submission to the Name of Jesus Christ and the grace that He gives us!