Get rid of it! -In His Word 4-15-19
So we know that Hebrews 11 tells us testimony after
testimony of the great men and women in the Bible who found victory because of
faith in God through many trials and tribulations. These are the cloud of
witnesses spoken of in Hebrews 12. So
what we are finding here should be that we have seen how God can do so much
with even people who make foolish choices such as Moses killing the Egyptian
task master, or Abraham saying Sarah was his sister. Yet, God still chose to
push them forward to walk in His promises.
I can attest to
hearing many witnesses of people in the world today who also have come through
the fire, as they say, to find Christ and follow after Him. Many people were
influenced by the Gospel of Jesus Christ to realize they needed to change.
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a
cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so
easily ensnares us, and let
us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus,
the author and finisher of our faith, who
for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the
shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews
12:1-2
The very love of Jesus, being so unconditional that He wipes
out our sins, our complaining to our murdering people with our thoughts, from
actual obvious sins to the hidden ones; Jesus took them all on at the cross.
For the
love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for
all, then all died; and He died for all, that
those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for
them and rose again.
Therefore, from now on, we regard
no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to
the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no
longer. Therefore, if anyone is in
Christ, he is a new creation; old
things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us
to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of
reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself,
not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of
reconciliation. 2 Corinthians 5:14-19
Because of this cleansing love He compels us to become as
much like Him as we can through His love for us. It’s kind of funny because we
do nothing to gain salvation aside from believe He is who He says He is, and yet,
we desire to do so much for Jesus after we have accepted that He is our Lord
and Savior. It becomes the desire of our hearts to please Him and to share His
love with others that they too would know the Love of Christ Jesus and be saved
and cleansed from sin. That they too could walk knowing that Jesus is with us
always through the Holy Spirit or the Comforter that Jesus said He would leave
with us.
And I will pray
the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you
forever—John 14:16
Now because of all of this that Jesus did for us; should we
not let go of the past that He has cleansed us from? Should we not turn over a
new leave as they say and become the new creation that He planned for us to do?
How can we do this? Really how can we get rid of the old you
or me?
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Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be
saved. Act 16:31-32
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Step out of your old life and become the
new creation mentioned above by accepting that you need to change.
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Ask for help from God, and other believers
who have been through what you are going through.
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Attend some sort of Bible Teaching weekly
and read the Word daily to learn what God has done and what He wants for you.
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Make the choice every day to live a life
acceptable to God Himself because you are living with the Holy Spirit every
day.
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We make the choice to just get rid of the
old influences and fill our hearts and minds and lives with Godly influences
and the Word of God.
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Dear Heavenly Father, help us to become that new creation
that You desire for us to be. Guide our steps to walk in the path You have put
before us each moment of each day drawing us nearer to You, in Jesus name,
amen.
Suggested Readings: Acts 11:1-30, John 14:1-31, John 16:1-33,
and 2 Corinthians 5:1-21