Saturday, February 24, 2018

Transformed





Jesus is gentle and compassionate, kind and humble.  The Bible says that God is love.  But did you know that Jesus came to change you.  He came to draw you out of your comfort zone.  He is a jealous God, who wants all of you. 
 
He desires to transform you like a caterpillar morphs into a beautiful butterfly.  He is a good God.  He loves you the way you are but does not want to leave you that way.  He us always pulling us into something better, something brighter, something more noble.

God has called us to be like Him.  He is ever changing us to reflect Him more and more.
 
But not everyone has embarked on this grand journey.  The way to begin is to first acknowledge our need for a Savior.  Jesus came to save us from our sins.  His death on the cross became the sacrifice that paid for our forgiveness.  “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whoever believes on Him shall not die but shall have everlasting life.” John 3:16.

God the Father gave His one and only Son.  Jesus brutally suffered for our sake and died. Then after three days, He rose victorious over death. 

Salvation can only come to us by receiving it as a gift.  No amount of hard work or good deeds can earn us a place in heaven.  Ephesians 2:8-9 says, For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God not by works, so that no one can boast.  No one can be worthy enough receive salvation.  It took the work of Christ's death and resurrection to purchase that for us. 

If we will come to Him, He will transform us.  The scripture says that when we come to Christ, we become new creations – He changes us (See 2 Corinthians 5:17).  He promises to lead us through this life in serving Him and He offers us a home in heaven. 
So what must we do to be saved?  We must turn from our sins and turn to Him.  We must confess that He is the Lord over our lives and believe that He forgives us of our sin.  If you would like to experience new life in Christ and have him turn you into a beautiful butterfly, come and pray this prayer aloud and from your heart.

Dear Lord Jesus,
Thank you for dying for me, for suffering brutally so that I can be forgiven.  I receive your forgiveness and your gift of salvation for me.  I choose to turn from my sin and follow you.  I understand that I cannot earn your forgiveness, so I thank you for offering it to me as a gift.  I thank you that I can now embark on a new journey where you will change me from glory to glory.

If you have prayed  a prayer like this for the first time, I encourage you to read the Bible and pray daily, and also to attend church regularly.  Look for a church where the Bible is preached with conviction and compassion.  Congratulations, you have made the most important decision of your life.  All of Heaven is rejoicing at your choice to follow Him.