True change begins when we stop relying on ourselves and trust Someone stronger— the Holy Spirit.
When He comes into our lives, He gives us power where we are weak and leads us to live a new life. This transformation is what the Bible calls being converted or born again: not trying harder, but being made new from within.
Every day you wake up in the morning determined to get it right, but before you know it you have sinned. This reminds me of Apostle Paul, who said: “What I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.”
How can we change our lives effectively? The Bible teaches us that when we have exhausted our mental and emotional resources, we can no longer rely on ourselves. At that point, we simply have to trust Someone stronger, wiser, smarter than us – Someone who will manifest His strength in our weakness. To be sure, that Someone is the Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit speaks, changes begin. When He comes into our lives, He completely changes our lives. This is called being converted or born again.
Apostle Paul tells us in Romans 6:3-4,6-8 that when we accepted Jesus Christ as Our Lord and Saviour we were baptized into Christ. This means that we died when He died; therefore, sin’s power over us is broken.
Yet, some of us may not actually know what salvation is. Salvation is being set free from sin and its penalties. Regaining your freedom is not the only thing; you also need to cast aside your old self — your self-righteousness and sinful nature – in order to embrace Jesus. Except we die with Christ, we cannot put on His new life.
What is the meaning of dying with Christ? It means dying to our unworthy past. When your past is over, you are born anew. This is what Apostle Paul means in Galatians 2:20 when he says, “I have been put to death with Christ on His cross, so that it’s no longer I who live; now I live by faith in the son of God who loved me and gave His life for me.”
If you say you are born again, have you really died to your unworthy past? We are to set our eyes heavenward. If we continue to look back, we can never be stable in our spiritual work with God. Let’s not deceive ourselves: If we cannot stand for Jesus Christ, certainly we will not be able to stand against satan and his demons.
Christ is looking for full-time followers, not part-time followers. If you are looking for a more convenient day to accept Jesus Christ, that day may never come. Today is your day of salvation! Today is your day of freedom! Receive Jesus and receive a new way of life. This is a new year and it is a year of overflowing joy. Remember to live life anew and stay through to Jesus Christ alone. Remember: Better is not good enough; the best is yet to come.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, I believe today is my day of salvation. Come and manifest Your strength in my weakness and give me an opportunity to be Your own again. In Jesus Christ’s name! Amen.