WE ALL HAVE A PAST
“And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience,” Ephesians 2:1-2 (NKJV)
What makes you a sinner is not because you sinned. What makes you a sinner is that you are born a sinner. That was how you were born. And what you didn’t have your hand in the making, you can’t change. You didn’t have a hand in how you were born. That is why it will take only God to change your nature. You can’t change your nature by trying to do certain things so that you can be pleasing to God. Christianity is not what you do so that you can be accepted by God. Christianity is what God has already done for you, so that you can be acceptable to Him. Christ did it! You have no hand in it.
Before you came into Christ, you were dead in trespass and sins. You were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. We were all dead, and we were all born dead. That was your nature when you were born without Christ. You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world; obeying the devil, the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey. The King James version calls them the children of disobedience.
All of us used to live that way. So don’t try to pretend as if you were not a sinner. That is why you need to be patient with other people. The fact that God has been merciful to you and kept you until now should not make you begin to turn up your nose for people. We all have a past. All of us used to live that way, following the passions and inclinations of our sinful nature. We were by our very nature subject to God’s anger just like everyone else. But thank God, Jesus came to set us free.
Further Reading: Romans 5:1-11, Colossians 2:8-15
Daily Bible Reading: Morning- Job 41-42; Evening- Acts 16:22-40
Tuesday – July 11
JESUS LOVES YOU
“But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!” Ephesians 2:4-5 (NLT)
Christianity is not what you do to be acceptable to God, but what God did for us to be acceptable by Him. God did it all! And all we need to do is to receive the salvation that is freely given to us.
God is rich in mercy! He is not limited in mercy! He is not lacking in mercy! There is no shortage of mercy with God. His mercy endures forever! God is rich in mercy and He loves you so much. In case you don’t know, this is the whole basis of Christianity. This truth must never be taken for granted. If you will be blessed, that is the whole basis.
Do you know that whatever you want from God, even when you are under siege of the devil, all you need to do is to affirm yourself by saying: “Jesus loves me”. Walking in the revelation of God’s love for you can heal you of cancer, and any form of affliction. Your youth can be renewed, and your meal barrel can be filled with food just by affirming the love of Christ for you. Your debt can be paid overnight just by knowing that Jesus loves you. Even when your heart is overwhelmed, all you need is to remember that Jesus loves you.
The love of God for you is ironclad, irrevocable, irreversible, unconditional, and blood-bought. It can never be changed by anything. Even when you mess up, Jesus still loves you. He cannot but love you. His love is not like the love of man. Man does not love to give, but the love of Jesus gives. That is the whole essence of Christianity. That is why He came and died for you when you were yet a sinner and did not even deserve it. He paid the price in full for your victory!
Further Reading: 1 John 4:7-21
Daily Bible Reading: Morning- Psalms 1-3; Evening- Acts 17:1-15
