When we confess with our mouths and believe in our hearts that Jesus is our Lord and Savior, through the power of the Holy Spirit, a change takes place, a transformation from the inside out. Our thoughts change, we see things in a different light (the light of Christ) and we begin to live our lives differently. We now have a peace with God because of the sins from which He has pardoned us. We understand that because of our heartfelt confession of Christ He has removed every sin we ever had and any guilt associated with it. God shows us His grace, His love and kindness, despite what we were. We are considered "not guilty" in God's eyes. We did not have to earn it. All we had to do was accept God's grace.
Having all this behind us we can now look forward to the hope of glory we will be able to share with God one day. We are being changed to take on His appearance. We are being changed from glory to glory. This change takes place through the trials of life. When we face suffering, however, we have only to realize that God is there to guide us through. He is in the suffering, as was mentioned a few days ago. It is to our advantage to have Him there. When we go difficult times and we come to the end of it, we can see where we have been, how God has taken us through, how faithful He has been in the process and how we have grown. We will then glorify the Lord. Knowing He was there guiding us, loving us and protecting us gives us strength and faith to know that He will be there next time.
We should look at these difficult circumstances with joy knowing that God is in the midst of them and that each tribulation works in us more patience, more of God's character. We can rejoice because this is the accomplishment of "Christ in you" and we have that "hope of glory." We have a glorious future.
Romans 8:18 - For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
"Our thoughts change." Is there a more powerful 3-word sermon?
ReplyDelete