Thankful List: Item #3 The changes God has made in me. In my first Thankful post, I mentioned that being saved meant that I was a new creature in Christ. Here I will expound on that and make it a separate thing to be thankful for. As I testify of how God has changed me, it could easily be interpreted as boasting in myself, so I want to state first of all right up front, that any changes for the better in me are by Gods work and not mine. Actually none of us are capable of changing ourselves. Not really. We may change our behaviors for a while. We may be able to act differently by making a conscious effort, but that is not real change. Real change only occurs in the heart. Real change is a change in our DESIRES which then affects our behavior. A change of behavior without a change of the heart is like wearing a false face... the appearance may change, but beyond the appearance is the same old creature with the same desires. Real change does not involve acting at all. Changes made by our own effort are superficial and temporary, because at the core, our nature is the same and after a while our true nature will eventually surface. When ones heart and nature is changed, it results in outward changes that can be seen in behavior, attitudes, etc... The thing is, we can not change our own nature. Only God can change our nature. It is a work of the Holy Spirit that takes up abode in us once we are saved. The super natural changes in me made by the Holy Spirit are so significant and so dramatic that they can only be defined as having been born again! I dont talk or think the same. My passions have changed. My desires have changed. My world view has changed. My attitude has changed. I am able to love those that I could not love before. I am able to forgive those that I could not forgive before. The very same things that I once found pleasure in are offensive to me now. The things that I had no interest in such as attending church, reading the bible, discussing scripture and the works of the Lord are now the things that I love to discuss. The things that I once gave no consideration at all such as the spiritual condition of my loved ones and the eternal destiny of my lost friends and loved ones are now the things that burden me and drive me to my knees in prayer. One of the things that I point to that stands as proof to me that God is real is that He made changes in me that I was unable to make on my own. Although I am still very capable of sin, the omission of sin is now accompanied by conviction. This is perhaps the biggest change of all. That conviction (godly sorrow) leads to repentance and confession, and when I confess my sins, and see the Lords forgiveness with a sincere heart, he is just to forgive my sins and cleanse me of all unrighteousness! It is an on going thing... it is a new lifestyle. This Christian life is not a life of perfection but a life of repentance. Im still far from perfect. Along with the changes that God has made in me, there still exist the sin nature of this flesh, but I will be changed one more time! One day, in a moment, in the twinkle of an eye, I will put off corruption and put on the incorruptible and I will be made perfect.... suitable for the Kingdom of God. Until then, a spiritual warfare rages inside and I am therefore between what I was and what I will be.
Posted on: Mon, 04 Nov 2013 06:29:13 +0000
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