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New Life in Christ

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New Life in Christ Empty New Life in Christ

Post by Christ is My Life! Tue Sep 18, 2007 11:09 pm

New Life in Christ
God created us for a wonderful purpose: that we
might live forever with him in joy, love, perfect holiness, and justice. But the problem
is that humans do not know how to live in perfect love and justice — and even worse,
we don't even live as well as we know we should. And humans ever since the beginning have
disobeyed God and rejected his guidance and friendship.


Even if we wanted to live with God, we are
unable to bridge the gap that is between us. We are not perfect and we are not holy. We do
not deserve to live with God forever. More than that, justice says that
disobedience should be punished. When we rebel against the Author of life, the natural
penalty is cessation of life. We do not deserve to live forever with God.


But God's plan cannot be thwarted. His love
means that he wants to rescue us from the death penalty we deserve. His justice requires
that the penalty be paid. God's justice requires death; his love seeks mercy and rescue.
How can both be done?


The good news is that Jesus Christ has paid the
penalty for us. The penalty has been paid, so love and mercy can triumph. It is
God's gift to us. We can be saved, if we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.


What must we do to be saved? We accept the fact
that we need to be rescued. We admit that we have done wrong and that we do not
deserve to live forever with God. We accept the fact that Jesus paid the penalty for us.


We do not want to live the way of disobedience.
We turn away from our old self-centered approach to life and turn toward God, so that we
seek a Christ-centered life. We ask him to live in us by means of the Holy Spirit, to lead
us in our thoughts and actions. We surrender to his leadership and try to obey what he
says, since we know that he has such wisdom and love that all his commands are for our
long-term good.


If anyone believes in Christ, the Bible tells
us, he or she is a new creation — a new child of God. The Holy Spirit gives us new
life. It's not just us trying to live a good life on our own strength — it is
God living in us, as we allow him. It is a dramatic change, as a new nature begins to be
developed within us — a divine nature. We do not live for ourselves, but for Christ.


To symbolize the beginning of our new life,
believers are baptized — dipped under water to picture the death of the old self and
the rising of a new life, our sins washed away. We are following Jesus Christ, our Lord.


Christians want to obey God, but because
of our weakness, sometimes we disobey. The good news is that God continues to love us, for
Jesus' death has paid the penalty of all disobedience. We are forgiven, not
condemned, with the wonderful hope of living with God forever and ever in incredible joy
and love.

Just as Jesus had pain and sorrow in his earthly
life, Christians also have trials and problems in this life. We sometimes struggle with
poverty, disappointment, pain, hurt feelings and persecution. But in all our trials, we
rejoice in the salvation we have been given in Jesus Christ. We rejoice in the love God
has already shown us. We live the ``give'' way of life, willing to serve others, just as
our Savior served us.
cross
Christ is My Life!
Christ is My Life!
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Female Number of posts : 895
Age : 54
Location : Somewhere between here and there...and praying.
Humor : yup, I have some!
Registration date : 2007-05-18

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