Your Identity In Christ: Day 14 - Pastor Mark Miller
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“When someone becomes a Christian, he becomes a brand new person inside. He is not the same anymore. A new life has begun! All these new things are from God who brought us back to Himself through what Christ Jesus did. And God has given us the privilege of urging everyone to come into His favor and be reconciled to Him.”
2 Corinthians 5:17-18 (TLB)
Management can make or break a business. The owner who entrusts a manager to exercise executive decisions on his behalf can bring great profit and grow his business or destroy it in bankruptcy. In a real sense, we own nothing, not even our very lives. We were created by God and for God. However, in His Divine wisdom, He limits His sovereignty to permit us to manage our lives by the decisions we make. In that sense, we are simply stewards of all that God has entrusted to us. Sin makes our lives unmanageable and will leave us spiritually and morally bankrupt. That’s why God in His mercy and grace provided a Savior for us. Jesus Christ died in our place to make atonement for our sin and provide for us forgiveness and eternal life. Risen from the dead, He comes by His Holy Spirit to take up residence within our human spirit and offer us new management! If you have experienced all that sin has made of you, think of how gloriously wonderful your new life in Christ can make of you when you are under new management! This is what Paul meant when he wrote to the Corinthian believers, “When someone becomes a Christian, he becomes a brand new person inside. He is not the same anymore. A new life has begun! All these new things are from God who brought us back to Himself through what Christ Jesus did….” 2 Corinthians 5:17-18a (TLB)
When we exchange who we are in our sin for who Christ is in His righteousness, we experience the thrill of what our lives can be under His management! This was the story of a man baptized at our church. He described his life under his old nature of sin as conflicted, confused, lost, depressed, alone, and angry. This was his life before Christ. He writes: “I have been an atheist all of my life and became even more of a non-believer after my mother passed away from Lupus. Then my wife was diagnosed with Lupus and my brother was killed in a low-speed car accident when the airbag exploded. Even though I was happily married, I began looking for a way out for no apparent reason but just being selfish.”
With nowhere else to turn, he said he decided to attend a service at Woodlands Church hoping to find answers and help. He said, “I started to attend The Woodlands Church by myself every Sunday, and every message I heard seemed like it was being spoken directly to me. Every topic hit a nerve and led me back to my wife and kids.”
When he put his trust in Christ and gave Jesus all the confusion, pain, and sorrow, he said his life completely changed! He writes, “I am back home and am working every day to be the best husband and father I can be. My outlook on life has gone from negative to positive.” This is his new life in Christ. He now has a whole new identity!
How different everything had become! What made the difference? New Management! His old life under the management of his sinful nature had been replaced by the life of Christ now indwelling him by faith! Old things began to pass away, and all things became new!
This is the transformational power that God offers us in Christ! We are not the same anymore. A new life has begun! If you would like to put your life under His management, you can. Simply put your trust in Jesus Christ as your Savior from sin, repent of your sin, and offer your heart and life to God. The Bible says, “Anyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:13 (TLB) Why not make that call right now?
Another important part of your daily devotional is spending time with God in prayer. The Woodlands Church Prayer Board lists prayer requests submitted by our members and provides a way to send them some encouragement by using a button on the page to let them know that you prayed for them. Whether you use the Prayer Board, or pray from your heart, the goal is to build the habit of incorporating prayer into your quiet time.
Need prayer yourself? Let us know by submitting a prayer request on the Woodlands Church Prayer Board.