A New Purpose
When we invite Jesus into our lives, he gives us new purpose and meaning that is centered on our new relationship with him. The apostle Paul puts it this way:
Christ died for all so that those who live would not continue to live for themselves. He died for them and was raised from the dead so that they would live for him (2 Corinthians 5:15, NCV).
What greater purpose could we have than to live for the one who loved us so much that he gave his life for us on the cross so that we could live with him forever as his beloved children? As Paul tells us, such amazing love constrains us to live the rest of our lives for him (2 Corinthians 5:14).
A New Nature
If you received Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, God gives you his nature through the indwelling Holy Spirit. Although your old nature remains with you until you die, you are no longer a slave to it. In fact, the apostle Paul speaks of our old nature, with its pride and sinful cravings as “being crucified with Christ.” He tells the Galatians,
My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So, I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me (Galatians 2:20, NLT).
When he left earth, Jesus told his followers they would receive the Holy Spirit who would give them the power to live for him and share the gospel worldwide (Acts 1:8).
The Christian life will be a continual battle between the old self (flesh) and the new nature (Spirit) which Jesus gives us when we receive him as Savior and Lord. Paul explains,“Our sinful selves want what is against the Spirit, and the Spirit wants what is against our sinful selves. The two are against each other, so you cannot do just what you please.” Paul then explains how living in the flesh produces sinful behavior like lust, greed, hatred and murder.
But living in the Spirit produces the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Portions of Galatians 5:16-23, NCV).
A New Relationship
In the 14th and 15th chapters of John, Jesus tells his disciples that he and the Father will actually abide in their lives by the indwelling Holy Spirit. Paul reveals this amazing truth to the Ephesian Christians.
I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong (Ephesians 3:16-17, NLT).
In the little booklet, My Heart Christ’s Home, Robert Munger writes about his new relationship with Jesus, and how it changed his life. Munger relates,
After Christ entered my heart, in the joy of the new-found relationship,
I said to him, ‘Lord, I want this heart of mine to be yours. I want you to settle down here and be fully at home. I want you to use it as your own….
I want you to enjoy our time together.’
Munger imagined Jesus encouraging him to spend time together in the Bible, learning more about his love and his desire to make us more like himself.
I will be here every morning early. Meet me here and we will start the day together. So, morning after morning, I would come downstairs to the living room. He would take a book of the Bible from the case. We would open it and read together. He would unfold to me the wonder of God’s saving truths. My heart sang as He shared the love and the grace He had toward me.
Give Him Control
As they spent precious time together, Munger discovered that Jesus doesn’t simply want to make improvements in our lives. He wants to become Lord of our lives by the power of his Holy Spirit. And that can only happen when we give him control of our will. Munger referred to this as turning over the “Title Deed” of his house to Christ. Paul writes of it as being dead to self and alive to Christ.
The Bible calls a life controlled by the Holy Spirit, the “Spirit filled life.” When Munger allowed Jesus to transform his house, he discovered the warmth, music and joy that Jesus’ Spirit brought into it. You can discover that too, simply by yielding control to the Holy Spirit and trusting him with every part of your life.
It is important for you to know that the Spirit-controlled life is the normal Christian life. It is God’s plan for your life, and available to each believer. Once you experience the joy, peace and satisfaction it brings, you will never want to go back to a self-centered life.
When you sin (and we all will), confess it immediately and get back in fellowship with your Lord. He will forgive you and hold no grudge. God’s Word promises,
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).
Once you have confessed your sins, trust his promise that you are forgiven and restored into fellowship with God. Then, go on walking in the Spirit by faith.
In his booklet, “Spiritual Breathing,” Dr. Bill Bright compares walking in the Spirit to the way we inhale and exhale oxygen. We inhale fresh oxygen which is necessary for life, and exhale carbon dioxide which is impure and harmful to life.
In a similar way, when we sin, we need to confess our sins (exhale) and breathe in (inhale) the filling of the Holy Spirit by yielding our lives back to him in prayer.
As you learn to walk with Christ, there will be setbacks and times of discouragement. Jesus doesn’t promise that everything in your new life will go smoothly. But he does promise to be there helping you every step of your journey. Paul encourages the Philippians,
I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns(Philippians 1:6, NLT).
Paul’s words remind us that God is faithful and will never give up on you as his beloved child. In fact, as the song says, “His goodness is running after you!”
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