“What understanding do you have of the salvation of your
soul? The work of salvation means that in your real life things are dramatically
changed. You no longer look at things in the same way. Your desires are new and
the old things have lost their power to attract you. One of the tests for
determining if the work of salvation in your life is genuine is— has God
changed the things that really matter to you? If you still yearn for the old
things, it is absurd to talk about being born from above— you are deceiving
yourself. If you are born again, the Spirit of God makes the change very
evident in your real life and thought. […] What difference has my salvation and sanctification made? CHAMBERS
2 Corinthians 5:17
(I will let you look it up) is a verse that I share often when I speak in
Haitian churches. Many Haitians struggle
with putting their belief in Voodoo, devotion to their culture, and identity in
their ethnicity behind them. It is easy
to point at other people and discuss their failings in the faith, so before you shake your head and tell me
that you will pray for them, think about your own life. The
truth is, every Christian struggles with the very same challenges. The labels may change .. for Christians in
the US .. Voodoo can be replaced by materialism … money … trust in the
government before God. The point is that, as a Christian, each
of us has been called to a new life .. empowered by the Spirit to live it, and
given the Word to understand it. Our citizenship
is in heaven … but many of us prefer to maintain a dual citizenship. One foot in heaven and one foot in the
world. The problem is, we live our lives satisfied with the compromise
with our old nature. And we miss the
fullness of life that we might enjoy were we willing to pick up our cross and
follow Jesus. The promise is, Jesus
came that you might have life and have it abundantly, but it is up to you to
fully embrace that new life. My job, if
you will, is to remind you and encourage you to not be satisfied with anything less.
ELGIN
(John 10:9-11) “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he
will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal, and
to kill, and to destroy. I have come
that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. "I
am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep."
Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)
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