The Lord Is Able to Make Us New  

Recently my wife was using our microwave oven when she noticed a little piece of plastic sticking up around the keypad. It turns out that it was one of those clear coverings used to protect a new appliance. When we first purchased and set up our microwave, we had evidently overlooked that protective piece of plastic and had failed to remove it. It had fit so well and was so transparent that we hadn’t noticed it up until now – and we’ve had this oven for several years. So when my wife peeled off the plastic, it resulted in that part of the appliance looking brand new again.

Wouldn’t it be nice if we could peel off a layer of our skin every so often and become like new? Our faith in Christ doesn’t offer us such a physical renewal. If it did there would probably be crowds of people flocking to Christianity for all the wrong reasons. However, the Bible does assure us that there is a definite newness provided for those who put their faith in the Lord. Our bodies may not suddenly become young-looking again, but our spirits and our hearts can be made new.

Even in the Old Testament it looked ahead to a time when God would do such a work of transformation in His people. “I will cleanse you from all your filthiness…I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you…I will put My Spirit within you” (Ezekiel 36:25-27). The New Testament affirms the reality of such a change made possible for those who enter into relationship with Christ. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (II Corinthians 5:17).

 Through what Jesus did for us at the cross, He can peel away all the filthiness associated with our past sins, including the shame and guilt. No matter what we’ve done, He can cleanse us of it. We may still have some consequences of past actions that affect our lives, but we can look brand new spiritually to God. We can have clean hearts and a new spirit as the Holy Spirit comes to live within us.

However, this transformation goes beyond simply our appearing to be new in God’s sight. He actually changes us and makes us new in certain respects. The Bible declares that we “should walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4). There should be a difference evident in some of our actions and in how we live our lives. The Lord can not only change our behavior, but He can begin to peel off some of the layers of selfishness and ungodly attitudes that have plagued us. He can replace our self-centered desires with the greater desire to please Him and to do His will. Rather than primarily looking out for ourselves, He can instill within us a love for Him and a love for other people that will rise to be the main motive behind our actions.

This is good news. No matter how we may have messed up in the past and regardless of the extent of our moral filthiness, faults, and weaknesses, we can be cleansed and made new through faith in Christ. Too often we begin to think, “This is just how I am and nothing can be done about it.” Don’t believe it. There is a newness available in Christ. He can peel away what’s bad and replace it with His righteousness. He can put a new spirit within us that will empower us to live for Him. Let’s put our trust in the One who can make us new.

 

Can We Get Too “On Fire” for Jesus?  

For some of us our mouths start watering whenever we pass by a Krispy Kreme doughnut shop with its “hot now” sign lit up. It lets us know that some of those warm, melt-in-your mouth treats are ready and available. Recently I woke up one morning to the news that one of those long-standing bakery stores in our area had caught fire and burned overnight. I couldn’t help but wonder if the iconic “hot now” sign was turned on at the time. Obviously something in the building got too hot on that occasion.

It’s not unusual at times to hear references to the idea that people need to get “on fire” for the Lord. It’s a concept conveying that we ought to become more dedicated, passionate, and enthusiastic about our relationship with the Lord and our service to Him. It stands in contrast to those who are simply going through religious motions, complacently following their rituals and traditions, and those whose love for the Lord has grown cold. It expresses the need for a personal revival, a stirring of our hearts, and a deepening of our relationship with God.

While many of us might agree with the idea of pursuing such spiritual fire in our lives, others might be hesitant to do so. They want to have some degree of a warm relationship with the Lord, but not go too far. They don’t want to become a fanatic or be labeled as an extremist. It raises the question – can we get too hot in our pursuit of God and in our relationship with Him?

Jesus affirmed that the greatest commandment is to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. He insisted that we can’t love anyone, not even our own family, more than we love Him. He told His followers to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. In certain parables Jesus indicated that one’s relationship with God is worth making every effort to pursue and that nothing is more valuable. He describes it as a hidden treasure and a pearl of great price which is worth selling everything else you have in order to possess it.

None of that sounds like it’s compatible with some carefully measured response out of a fear of going too far. We don’t give God a little of our love. It’s with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind, and all our strength. We don’t welcome Jesus in as simply one of the many parts of our life. We put Him first. We don’t see our relationship with Him as one of the things we do, but as our main pursuit. When it comes to living for the Lord, we shouldn’t just be sticking our toes in the water to test it out or settle for cautiously wading in the shallow end – we ought to be diving in.

I don’t believe we can get too “on fire” for Jesus. Certainly we can get off track if we’re not careful. If we stray from God’s Word along the way, if we let our emotions override the work of the Holy Spirit, or if we by any means let ourselves get in the way of God’s fire in our lives, it can turn into a destructive wildfire. However, if we let the Holy Spirit, God’s Word, and godly wisdom guide us, that growing fire in our lives can be a powerful force the Lord can use to provide light, life, and inspiration.     

Some of us need to stop being concerned about being labeled “extreme”. Let’s go all out for Jesus. May the “hot now” sign always burn brightly in our hearts and lives.

 

Jesus Is the Perfect Giver of Love  

As we observe Valentine’s Day this weekend, are you looking for love? Or are you celebrating a love that you’ve already found? In either case, I would like to point you to the perfect person for the occasion. And I do mean perfect. He outshines any of the characters in those Hallmark love stories. As you may have guessed by now, I’m referring to Jesus.

Jesus knows absolutely everything about you and still loves you anyway. He is aware of your strange little quirks as well as your more admirable qualities. He knows all about your past, including any skeletons lurking in your closet. He is familiar with your weaknesses as well as your strengths. He has witnessed your proud achievements and He knows all about the times when you’ve shamefully faltered. Nothing about you, even in the inner recesses of your heart and mind, are hidden from Him. Yet He still loves you.

At the same time, Jesus loves you enough to inspire you to be better than what you are. Although He loves you as you are, He wants you to be the best you can be. He desires what is good for you and will encourage you and enable you to possess it. He not only guides you to follow the best paths in your life, but He makes you better as you walk in intimate fellowship with Him. The more you’re around Him, the more you become like Him. He can actually transform your character and impart His own wonderful qualities to you. You won’t ever be perfect as He is in this life, but you can keep growing to resemble your greatest of loves.

Jesus also loves you enough to tell the truth. He will be honest with you about the way this world really is, as well as about yourself. He will let you know about the reality of sin in order than you can experience the joy of salvation. He will point out your personal sin and guilt so that you can see your need to receive forgiveness and cleansing. He will give you the hope of a glorious eternal existence with Him in heaven, but will also warn of the reality of the awful prospect of hell. He won’t tell you that you’re safe and good when you’re not. He’ll love you enough to reveal the issues in your life which need attention so that He can help you deal with them. He’ll love you enough to discipline you when you need it, not simply to punish you, but to correct you and to get you back on the right track.

 Jesus’ love for you is more than a warm feeling which may come and go over time or depending on the circumstances. He is fully committed to you. He will truly love you forever, even if you fail to receive His love or reject Him altogether. If you refuse His love and face the consequences in this life and in eternity of doing so, it will break His heart. He would do anything for you. He would give His very own life for you. And that’s exactly what He did. “Walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God” (Ephesians 5:2). “Christ died for the ungodly…God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:6, 8).

No one loves you more than Jesus. So if you’re looking for love, look to Him. And if you’re already receiving and experiencing the blessings of His love, rejoice in it, be grateful for Him, and share His love with others.

 

Stay Focused on a Great God  

Last Saturday I went over to our church building to transfer some music video files over to our church computer. These were a combination of contemporary praise songs and traditional hymns we would be using in our worship service the next day. After loading them, I took time to play them back to make sure that they were working properly. As I did so, I ended up enjoying a wonderful time of personal worship. These particular songs focused exclusively on God, who He is, His greatness, and His character. There alone in the sanctuary I found it a blessing to pause for a few moments and be reminded about the wonderful, mighty, eternal God whom we serve.

In these times in which the challenges and hardships of life garner so much of our attention, I believe we would all do well to regularly take time to get refocused on the person and character of our God. We need often to remind ourselves that He is greater than the difficulties and obstacles we encounter. Maybe you receive such inspiration through contemporary songs that remind us that there is none like our God. Or maybe you receive more blessing from looking through a hymnal at the words of such classics as “How Great Thou Art”. Spending time in certain passages of the Bible that focus on the marvelous qualities of our Creator and Lord, such as many of the Psalms, may be helpful. Or maybe you’ll find it worshipful to bow quietly in prayer and meditate on all the wonderful attributes of the Almighty. Our world tends to keep our problems in front of us all the time. We need to be intentional to keep the One who is the answer to our problems even more in the forefront of our minds.

In the midst of a pandemic that threatens the globe with sickness and death, we can remember that there is a God who is present everywhere to offer hope, comfort, and healing. No one is quarantined from His presence. He offers faith to those who are fearful. He is the Great Physician who can use the medical professionals, but who can also go beyond what their wisdom and skill allows. He is the Comforter who helps us when we’re suffering pain and grieving over our loss. He is our loving Father who stands beside us through it all.

In times of social turmoil and unrest, we can remember that there is a God who can give us peace in the midst of the storm. He can bring true justice where it’s needed. He can protect those who are unfairly treated. He will one day right all wrongs and make sure that people reap what they sow. Yet He will also show mercy to those who humble themselves before Him.

In times when we may be questioning the wisdom of our political leaders, we can remind ourselves that we serve a God who is still on the throne. He can use those in power or He can overrule them according to His will and purposes. He can even change the hardest of hearts. He may give an ungodly society what it wants, but He can also restrain evil and overturn the plans of the enemy.

In times of confusion, we can remember that there is a God of truth. He has revealed His will in Christ and through His written word. We can still depend on those revelations in spite of a society that has turned away from them. And God is still here to give wisdom to those who ask Him for it.   

So whatever you’re facing today, stay focused on the greatness and goodness of our God. If He is for us who can be against us?