Under New Management
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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 to 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 a Super Summer Baptism Celebration. 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 is 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 life in Christ.
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!
All Things New! Does that sound inviting to you? This is the theme for our Super Summer Baptism 2021! Baptism symbolizes the transformational power that offers us new life! As we identify with Christ's death through baptism, we die to our old way of life. When He was raised from the dead, we too are raised from our old life by the wonderful power of the Father to experience new life in Christ! The Bible puts it like this in Romans 6:4 (NCV), “When we were baptized, we were buried with Christ and shared His death. So, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the wonderful power of the Father, we also can live a new life.”
There’s simply no other experience or symbol that so powerfully expresses that transformation than baptism! If you’ve never taken that step, it’s not too late! I want to encourage you to join us this weekend for Super Summer Baptism 2 and experience the joy of being raised to life! You can register now at a Woodlands Church campus near you.