The Lord Will Do Great Things

I have been a Christian for going on 14 years now and I can honestly say that I am not the same person I was. As I walk through this life though, I have come across many who claim the name of Christ and yet I never see change in their life.

The Bible says "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old has gone and the new is here!" - 2 Corinthians 5:17.

Notice it doesn't say, "I am becoming a new creation", instead the "new creation HAS COME: the old is gone the new IS HERE!" It is not a waiting to happen, it has happened. Too many who come to Christ have never been taught that they are a new creation. Salvation isn't just about saying a prayer and going to heaven. That is not why Christ bore the punishment of our sins and died for us so that we can coast through this life and stay in the same muck and garbage He found us in. No, He makes us new; He adopts us as sons and daughters, heirs to the Kingdom.

We are not to conform to the pattern of this world, but we are to "be transformed by the renewing of our minds" (Romans 12:2).  Jesus tells us twice in Luke 13, "unless you repent, you will all perish". the word "repent" in Greek is metanoeo; which means to think differently. When we turn to Christ, our thinking should change.

Look again at 2 Corinthians 5, this time at verses 19-21 "that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." Think about that. God sent His Son so that we could be reconciled (brought back into intimacy and fellowship) with Him. Why? "so that we might become the righteousness of God", representing Him to a lost and dying world.

We are Christ to the world, we represent Him to everyone we meet. Our thoughts and our actions need to be different from the world's thoughts and actions, not to act better than them, but to show them the blessings of joy and peace that God gives to those who follow Him and step out in obedience to Him. Instead when the world looks at the church they see gossip, slander, judgement, hypocrisy; everything that Jesus abhorred about the pharisees is in the church today. There might be times when God calls us to do something radical and unusual by worldly standards and He desires a church that is not going to shrink back because of what others might think of us.

Before the Israelites crossed the Jordan into the promised land in Joshua 3, Joshua tells them in verse 5  to "consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do great things." The word "consecrate" means to make or declare sacred; set apart or dedicate to the service of God. Are you living your life "set apart" or do you blend in with everyone else around you? God showed me this verse in 2011 and convicted me to start setting myself apart. When I started to let go of the "old" ways God did indeed do great things. Today He is, yet again, reminding me, (not just me, but the Church) to "consecrate ourselves" because He is about  to do even greater things. The church should not look the same as the rest of the world. If I am an ambassador for Christ then my life needs to represent Him, not the things of this world. 

I used to be a "people pleaser". Yes, I hear those of you who know me laughing hysterically right now. I was timid, shy, and wanted to be accepted and others around me to be happy, regardless if I was happy or not. I was always trying to conform to blend in, and I was miserable, stressed,and anxious. I was always striving for perfection and acceptance, then something finally sunk in; the only one who can even accomplish perfection is Jesus. I also learned that it was o.k. to not be accepted and liked. If I was walking in Spirit and Truth I actually should expect persecution. It was as if a huge wait was lifted off my shoulders. I could finally be "me", the only problem was I didn't know who "me" was. Then one day a revelation hit me. I don't have to worry about who I am. I am a child of God, I am His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus, to do good works, which He prepared in advance for me to do.(Eph. 2:10); but to do so I have to let go of the world and grab on to the Kingdom. When we as the body of Christ set ourselves apart, then the world will begin to see Christ in us; that is when He will do great things.