When we present ourselves to Jesus, we must come to Him like a little child “for the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to such as these.” When Nicodemus approached Jesus at night, Jesus told him that he’d have to be reborn. When Saul of Tarsus started to persecute the Body of Christ, Jesus appeared to him in an incredible flash of glory light which blinded Saul. Saul desperately required a new beginning and so do we all. At some point in our lives, we either decide to enter into the Blood Covenant with Jesus or we remain in the Meal Covenant with Satan.* When we align ourselves with Jesus, we come out of the kingdom of Hell and become a Child of God.
That change of address, which is accomplished in the spirit, must be realized in the natural as well. The fact that transformation is necessary means we must undergo a spiritual process to purify our minds and bodies in Jesus as we become the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. That process is called ‘sanctification.’ It’s also called being “transformed by the renewing of our minds.” Sanctification is the purification process (being made righteous) that is tangible proof of our metamorphosis from a sinner into a saint.
“22 This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— 26 he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.”
I’ve had someone accuse Christianity of being exclusive, but that’s not what Jesus is about. Jesus is as inclusive as possible. He desires that NONE should perish (die for their sins) but that ALL would come to repentance.
Coming to Jesus means we acknowledge our open rebellion toward God (sins) which caused us to have a desperate need for a Savior to rescue us from not only our filthy lives of sin, but from the eternal punishment our sins demand of us — the very real pit of Hell. Each and every sin compounds on one another subject to the Law of the Harvest that perpetuates sin throughout time, throughout the world, and throughout the generations.
Unconfessed/unrepented sin is the number one open door for the devil to come and attack us as satan is given a legal right to wreak havoc on us until the sin is forgiven by God and that legal right is cancelled out by the Blood of Jesus forcing the door(s)/window(s) shut. That very act of repentance is like hitting the reset button on your life.
Photo by Nikita Kostrykin on Unsplash
As we have dealt with the crushing presence of wave after wave of depression, we have determined that we will not be swept away or pulled under by the torrent that threatens us. We have noticed that we are stronger than we ever thought we were (and possessing far more meddle and backbone than others gave us credit for) as we constantly re-discover the faithfulness of God in the middle of each and every storm. But to continue reaching higher and climbing to new heights of freedom and intimacy with God, we have slipped here and there and have felt powerless to stop the encroaching fears and insecurities. We discover, as each new revelation of God reminds or reveals, that God makes a way out of each and every challenge, battle, and wincing moment of torment.
Repeat this statement: I will not be taken captive by the enemy any longer. I have freedom in Jesus.
We all need a second chance. Allow the past to become the dearly departed. Let your dreams of the way things should have gone go once and for all. Hand them over to Jesus and let Him be in charge from now on. He always does a far better job than we can anyhow. He showed me a vision one day: I handed Jesus [something] and He simply cleaned off my fingerprints and handed it back to me with His on it. ‘Hitting the reset button’ doesn’t always mean it’s all gone and you’ve wasted your years. Some things just need to go through the purification process of sanctification — just like us.
Nicodemus went from a Pharisee who taught the leaders of Israel and became a follower of Jesus’ teachings. He was one of two men (Joseph of Arimathea) who took down Jesus’ crucified body and buried it. John and Peter went from fishermen to fishers of men. The Gospel is all about transformation — going from who we thought we were into who God made us to be.
Accept that you will never be the same and as you grow in the Lord and find that His strength is always available for you as you pray in the Spirit and rediscover how His mercies are renewed for us every single blessed day. In other words, every single day presents us a brand new beginning.
Prayer
Lord God of all Creation, I come to You today in need of a new perspective on my life. I am hitting the reset button and allowing You to clean out my closets and I’m clearing out my personal storage facility also known as ‘my soul’. I confess that I’ve tried sweeping things under the rug and have held onto some of my past with tooth and nail. I choose, today, to let it all go. Have Your way, Lord, in me. I submit my whole self to You so You may do what is needed. If I should fast to be rid of evil spirits, let me know You want me to proceed. I am tired of dealing with these fears and sleep-deprived nights. Lead me in The Way everlasting, my Lord and my God. In Jesus’ name, amen.
* To remain in the Meal Covenant means certain eternal death. In other words, humanity desperately requires a Savior who can and will save us from that death sentence our sins demand of us. Saul got his new beginning and Jesus gave him a new name, as well — Paul. (The same Paul who wrote two-thirds of the New Testament.)
Cute banner photo by Carlo Navarro on Unsplash.