June 2, 2012

 

 “Living Anew”

Scripture:

1 Peter 1:23
For you have been born again. Your new life did not come from your earthly parents because the life they gave you will end in death. But this new life will last forever because it comes from the Eternal Living Word of God. (NLT)

Observation:

The Son of God tells us clearly in His own Words that in order for anyone to receive the gift of eternal life in the Kingdom of God they must be born again (John 3:3), and this rebirth comes not from this dying world but from the infinite Almighty God Himself (John 1:13). Experiencing true rebirthing means that you have been chosen by God the Father, cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ, and renewed by the Holy Spirit, who does the good work of transforming our hearts and minds until our sanctification is completed to perfection and we are glorified—perfect in every way and in union with God forever.

Application:

I still find it so incredibly amazing that after all of my dysfunctional behaviors and many years of rebellion against God that He would cleanse my ugly past and give me a new beginning that has no end. Not long after my rebirth, as the Holy Spirit began to reveal the true meaning of life and what my new future held, did the thought of eternal life really hit me hard, for I had no problem accepting the renewing of my lost and troubled life in the here and now, but the thought of having to continually live forever appealed to me about as much as swimming with hungry sharks did. But as the Lord transformed my heart and my dysfunctional world view I began to see how wonderful and exciting this forever new life was going to be. And as I keep on learning and changing and realizing how infinitely big our God is, the more I look forward to living in His Presence for eternity. As God’s redeemed people we should all be excitedly awaiting that glorious day when Jesus physically returns to the Earth with His angles and saints to eradicate the evil forces that rule this world and establish His Kingdom on Earth for a millennium. And after His thousand year reign the Lord will restore His creation to perfection, bringing the New Jerusalem and the New Heaven down to Earth where His glorified people will reign with Him forever (Revelation 22:5). And this, my friends, is how all of God’s redeemed people will forever live—reigning with Christ in new glorified bodies, never bored, never sad or lonely, and never in pain—exploring the immensity of our infinite and sovereign God who has made it possible for us to, once again, physically live in His Presence forever!

Prayer:

Thank You, dear LORD, for this new life and bright future in Your Presence. Thank You for rescuing me from the fate of this fallen world to give me a clearer picture of who You are and who I am not. Life without knowing these things has a tragic end indeed.   Amen