Your Brand-New Beginning

“This month shall be your beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you.” EXODUS 12:2

 

PONDER THIS

I performed a wedding for a young man, and he was frightened to death. After they said, “I do,” he said, “Pastor, is it all over?” I said, “No, son, it’s just beginning.” When you give your heart to Jesus and you feed on the Lamb, you do it with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand. (See Exodus 12:11.) You are getting ready to serve the Lord. And you become a new creature. Exodus 12:2 says: “This month shall be your beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you.” When you give your heart to Jesus, it’s a brand-new day. You’re all tomorrows; you’re no yesterdays. It’s the first day of the rest of your life when you get saved and feed upon the Lamb.

How has Jesus given you a new start?

How has it changed your life to view your future with Jesus as a “brand-new day”?

PRACTICE THIS

Where do you need a fresh start? Journal about the things you need to leave behind to follow Jesus fully.

 

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

 

Change Is Possible

Put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. (Ephesians 4:24)

Christianity means change is possible. Deep, fundamental change. It is possible to become tenderhearted when once you were callous and insensitive. It is possible to stop being dominated by bitterness and anger. It is possible to become a loving person, no matter what your background has been.

The Bible assumes that God is the decisive factor in making us what we should be. With wonderful bluntness, the Bible says, “Put away . . . all malice” and be “tenderhearted” (Ephesians 4:31–32). It does not say, “If you can . . . ” Or, “If your parents were tenderhearted . . . ” Or, “If you have not been terribly abused . . . ” It says, “Be . . . tenderhearted.”

This is wonderfully freeing. It frees us from the terrible fatalism that says change is impossible for me. It frees me from mechanistic views that make my background my destiny.

And God’s commands always come with freeing, life-changing truth to believe. For example,

God adopted us as his children. We have a new Father and a new family. This breaks the fatalistic forces of our “family-of-origin.” “Call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven” (Matthew 23:9).

God loves us as his children. We are “loved children” (Ephesians 5:1). The command to imitate the love of God does not hang in the air, it comes with power: “Be imitators of God, as loved children.” “Love!” is the command and being loved by God is the power.

God has forgiven us in Christ. Be tenderhearted and forgiving just as God in Christ forgave you (Ephesians 4:32). What God did in Christ is powerful. It makes change possible. The command to be tenderhearted has more to do with what God did for you than what your mother or your father did to you. This kind of command means you can change.

Christ loved you and gave himself up for you. “Walk in love, as Christ loved [you]” (Ephesians 5:2). The command comes with life-changing truth. “Christ loved you.” At the moment when there is a chance to love, and some voice says, “You are not a loving person,” you can say, “Christ’s love for me makes me a new kind of person. His command to love is just as surely possible for me as his promise of love is true for me.”

Don’t be a fatalist. Be a Christian. Change is possible. God is alive. Christ is risen. The promises are true.

John Piper 

Out of the Grave, Into Newness of Life

“For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.”  ROMANS 6:5-6

 

PONDER THIS

I'm buried with Christ, and therefore, Satan cannot intimidate me with the bones of my own life. Your sin is in the grave of God's forgetfulness. That means when Satan comes looking for the old Adrian, I can say he's not here. Not only have we died with Him and not only were we buried with Him, but we have also been raised with Him.

Now we walk in newness of life. I'm not with Christ still in the grave because He's not in the grave. He has a life that the tomb could not keep, and when He came out of that grave, I also came out to walk in newness of life. I'm not just a forgiven, patched-up old self. I'm a brand-new person. I have resurrection life.

This reality changes your everyday life. Instead of getting caught in your old habits or way of life, you can look to Jesus to see the new way to live. Instead of being haunted by the mistakes you have made, you are free to live a new life with God.

What are some ways you still feel bound to your past? What are some of the choices you have made that still hurt you?

What are some ways you can embrace new life in Christ? Who has been an example of that for you?

PRACTICE THIS

Talk to someone you know who embraces new life in Christ. Ask how you can grow in this.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

The Life I Now Live

“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” GALATIANS 2:20

 

PONDER THIS

Jesus died for you. But when Jesus died for you, you died with Him. His death had your name on it. When He was nailed to the cross, He was your substitute. He didn't just take your sins to the cross. He took you to the cross. The problem is not what you do. It is what you are. The wages of sin is death. Your sin demanded death and Jesus died for you and you died with Him.

Now Christ lives in me. Not only did He die and I died with Him, but He rose and I rose with Him. And we can say with Paul, “The life I now live, I live by faith in the Son of God.” His faith is in me. His life is in me. He inhabits my humanity. That is true life and freedom.

What parts of your life had to die when you received Christ?

How are you growing in taking on Christ’s life? What are some things that make that challenging?

PRACTICE THIS

Talk to a Christian friend you look up to and ask how your friend has learned to walk in a new way of life with Christ.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

True Holiness Without Pretense

“. . . if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness."EPHESIANS 4:21-24

 

PONDER THIS

When we are renewed, God puts a new nature inside of us. It’s not enough to put off the old man. We must also put on the new man, which is created in righteousness and true holiness. Don’t you love that phrase, true holiness? God forgive us for the icky kind of holiness we hold out, this pretense which is not holiness at all. No, His desire and goal for us is true holiness.

You’ve got a choice: You can grieve the Spirit of God and be filled with the devil, or you can put the devil out and be filled with the Spirit of God. Be filled with the Spirit. ‘There’s no room for the devil when you’re filled with the Spirit. When you are filled with the Spirit, you have God alive and at work in you. What a privilege and opportunity; it is not to be taken lightly.

When was the last time you experienced spiritual renewal? What was that like? What areas of your life were impacted in that time?

What areas of your life are broken and in need of renewal right now?

PRACTICE THIS

Pray and ask God for renewal in the areas you named above.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Heartache and Hunger

“As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’ And he said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ Then the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ So he, trembling and astonished, said, ‘Lord, what do You want me to do?’ Then the Lord said to him, ‘Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.’” ACTS 9:3-6

 

PONDER THIS

In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve had a perfect environment in which to live and be with God and yet they still fell. The truth is, the more we have, the more we tend to forget God.

The problem is not external; it is one of the heart. Man doesn’t need a boost from beneath; he needs a birth from above. He needs a new heart. All people have the same heartaches. Not only do all people have the same heartaches, but all people have the same hungers as well. Paul was an example of this.

Paul, also known as Saul, was a man who seemed so confident. Outwardly he was confident, but inwardly he had a hunger to know God. Religion and philosophy had not satisfied him. Only Jesus could do that.

Who do you know that has a hunger for God? How can you pray for them?

What are some ways we try to ignore our hunger for God? What happens when we do?

PRACTICE THIS

Pray for someone who is not a Christian and look for an opportunity to share the Gospel with that person.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

The Problem Solver Is Alive and Well

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” 2 CORINTHIANS 5:17

 

PONDER THIS

Don grew up in a home where his dad was an all-pro linebacker, but he was also an alcoholic who mentally and physically abused Don’s mom. Don’s family had everything the earth would call success, fame, and fortune. He said, “We had a house that four people lived in, but we didn’t have a home.” Through a Bible study, Don’s mother learned that trusting Jesus was the only way that she was going to be right with God. She immediately was changed and started praying for Don’s dad who then also came to faith in Jesus.

This father was immediately a changed man. He started coming home at 5 p.m.—sober. He started telling his sons how much he loved them. Because Don wanted to be like his dad, he walked the aisle at church and was also baptized, but his life never changed. He didn’t have a personal relationship with Jesus. One day his dad shared today’s verse with him. After that Don trusted Jesus as his personal Savior, and the Lord changed his life. Now he says “I want to become more like my heavenly Father, not my earthly father. I’ve had some problems since then, but I know I have the Problem Solver living inside of me.” Jesus is still changing lives today. He is transforming people. He is alive.

How has Jesus transformed your life? With whom can you share your story?

Who have you learned from because of the transforming work of Christ in their lives? How might you encourage them?

PRACTICE THIS

Take time this week to share your testimony of Christ with another person.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

A Butterfly from a Caterpillar

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” ROMANS 12:2

 

PONDER THIS

The word “transformed” is linked to the word “metamorphosis”, which is derived from two words: “meta,” which means a change, and “morphis,” which means a form. It is a change of form. When you present yourself on the altar and the fire consumes you, you are transformed. You’re not conformed—squeezed into the mold of this world—you are transformed.

What is metamorphosis? When you took biology in junior high, you learned this. The caterpillar crawls up into a cocoon. He goes through a metamorphosis, and he comes out a beautiful monarch butterfly. What is the nature of that caterpillar after this transformation? It is a monarch butterfly. The inner nature comes to the surface. That’s what metamorphosis is.

What is the inner nature of a Christian? Jesus. The devil is trying to stuff Jesus in. He doesn’t want Jesus to come out. He’s trying to “conform” you, so you won’t be transformed, metamorphized; he doesn’t want your inner nature to come to the surface. The inner nature of a Christian is Jesus. And when you present yourself as a living sacrifice, you are transformed, metamorphized. Jesus comes to the surface and that is what people see. I want people to see Jesus in me. Don’t you want people to see Jesus in you? We must be transformed.

How has Jesus transformed you? How is your life showing the inner work of Jesus?

What are some areas of your life in which you struggle to let go so that Christ can change you? What has kept you holding onto those areas?

PRACTICE THIS

Share your testimony with someone, telling how Christ has transformed you.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Which Law is Greater?

“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.” ROMANS 8:1

 

PONDER THIS

Because we’re in Christ, there’s no more condemnation for sin, and there’s no more control of sin. Romans 8:2 says, “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.”

In the natural world, there is the law of gravity and the law of aerodynamics. The law of gravity is constantly pulling on us; it holds you in the seat you’re sitting in and causes you to stick to the earth rather than flying off. But there’s another law. Engineers call it the law of aerodynamics. An airplane revs up its engines, roars and sucks in air through its engines, then pushes that air out the back. The plane begins to rumble, roar, and vibrate, and suddenly, it’s flying—ten, twenty, thirty thousand feet up in the air. There is a greater power than the power of gravity; it’s the law of aerodynamics.

We are sinners by birth, by nature, and by choice. There’s a downward pull that the Bible calls the law of sin and death. But I can say “Hallelujah!” I’m no longer pulled downward because of that empty tomb! The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.

Why is important to remember that there is no longer condemnation in Christ Jesus? What causes you to forget the new nature you have in Christ?

How do you feel the weight of sin and shame? How does Christ change the way you relate to sin?

PRACTICE THIS

Since you have been forgiven and made new in Christ, confess any sin you are struggling with right now. Accept God’s forgiveness and His direction for your life, seeking to walk in His new way.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

The Futility of Cleaning a Dirt Floor

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” JOHN 3:16-17

 

PONDER THIS

I heard of a missionary family who moved to a house on a missions compound in a foreign country. When they arrived at their new home, the wife looked at the floor, and it was absolutely filthy. So, she decided to scrub the floor. She repeatedly scrubbed and rinsed, but it was still dirty. She kept cleaning until somebody came in and explained why she could not get the floor clean: it was a dirt floor! And that’s the way our nature is.

We believe we can clean up our nature, but the problem is that we are sinful, and there’s no way you can clean up what’s at the core. Jesus said to Nicodemus, “Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). And that’s true. Here was a man who was a master in Israel. He had many degrees, but he was blind to spiritual things; he couldn’t understand them. All the education, conferences, and books in the world cannot help you see spiritual things. We need a new nature. We need to be changed by Christ completely.

Why is it important to remember our sinful nature as we celebrate Christmas?

How have you seen the damage caused by your sinful nature? How has God shaped you?

PRACTICE THIS

Confess the ways you struggle with your sinful nature and ask God to forgive you and renew you.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Change Is Possible

Put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. (Ephesians 4:24)

Christianity means change is possible. Deep, fundamental change. It is possible to become tenderhearted when once you were callous and insensitive. It is possible to stop being dominated by bitterness and anger. It is possible to become a loving person, no matter what your background has been.

The Bible assumes that God is the decisive factor in making us what we should be. With wonderful bluntness, the Bible says, “Put away . . . all malice” and be “tenderhearted” (Ephesians 4:31–32). It does not say, “If you can . . . ” Or, “If your parents were tenderhearted . . . ” Or, “If you have not been terribly abused . . . ” It says, “Be . . . tenderhearted.”

This is wonderfully freeing. It frees us from the terrible fatalism that says change is impossible for me. It frees me from mechanistic views that make my background my destiny.

And God’s commands always come with freeing, life-changing truth to believe. For example,

God adopted us as his children. We have a new Father and a new family. This breaks the fatalistic forces of our “family-of-origin.” “Call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven” (Matthew 23:9).

God loves us as his children. We are “loved children” (Ephesians 5:1). The command to imitate the love of God does not hang in the air, it comes with power: “Be imitators of God, as loved children.” “Love!” is the command and being loved by God is the power.

God has forgiven us in Christ. Be tenderhearted and forgiving just as God in Christ forgave you (Ephesians 4:32). What God did in Christ is powerful. It makes change possible. The command to be tenderhearted has more to do with what God did for you than what your mother or your father did to you. This kind of command means you can change.

Christ loved you and gave himself up for you. “Walk in love, as Christ loved [you]” (Ephesians 5:2). The command comes with life-changing truth. “Christ loved you.” At the moment when there is a chance to love, and some voice says, “You are not a loving person,” you can say, “Christ’s love for me makes me a new kind of person. His command to love is just as surely possible for me as his promise of love is true for me.”

Don’t be a fatalist. Be a Christian. Change is possible. God is alive. Christ is risen. The promises are true.

John Piper 

Change Is Possible

Put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. (Ephesians 4:24)

Christianity means change is possible. Deep, fundamental change. It is possible to become tenderhearted when once you were callous and insensitive. It is possible to stop being dominated by bitterness and anger. It is possible to become a loving person, no matter what your background has been.

The Bible assumes that God is the decisive factor in making us what we should be. With wonderful bluntness, the Bible says, “Put away . . . all malice” and be “tenderhearted” (Ephesians 4:31–32). It does not say, “If you can . . . ” Or, “If your parents were tenderhearted . . . ” Or, “If you have not been terribly abused . . . ” It says, “Be . . . tenderhearted.”

This is wonderfully freeing. It frees us from the terrible fatalism that says change is impossible for me. It frees me from mechanistic views that make my background my destiny.

And God’s commands always come with freeing, life-changing truth to believe. For example,

God adopted us as his children. We have a new Father and a new family. This breaks the fatalistic forces of our “family-of-origin.” “Call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven” (Matthew 23:9).

God loves us as his children. We are “loved children” (Ephesians 5:1). The command to imitate the love of God does not hang in the air, it comes with power: “Be imitators of God, as loved children.” “Love!” is the command and being loved by God is the power.

God has forgiven us in Christ. Be tenderhearted and forgiving just as God in Christ forgave you (Ephesians 4:32). What God did in Christ is powerful. It makes change possible. The command to be tenderhearted has more to do with what God did for you than what your mother or your father did to you. This kind of command means you can change.

Christ loved you and gave himself up for you. “Walk in love, as Christ loved [you]” (Ephesians 5:2). The command comes with life-changing truth. “Christ loved you.” At the moment when there is a chance to love, and some voice says, “You are not a loving person,” you can say, “Christ’s love for me makes me a new kind of person. His command to love is just as surely possible for me as his promise of love is true for me.”

Don’t be a fatalist. Be a Christian. Change is possible. God is alive. Christ is risen. The promises are true.

John Piper 

Remember When Your Christian Walk Was New?

PRAY OVER THIS

“Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me.’” Matthew 18:2-5

 

PONDER THIS

Never lose the wonder of childhood. The Bible says to put away childish things, but the Bible also says be childlike. A child has wonder and sweetness. Keep that in you—keep the wonder; keep the excitement; keep the joy. Remember when your sins were forgiven. When you get to be a spiritual father or mother, you don’t lose the wonder of childhood, you don’t cease in the battle of manhood or womanhood, you don’t step out of the warfare—you just add to your faith until you become full-grown.

Did you know there ought to be a little boy in every man and a little girl in every woman who’s full-grown? It is time to grow, but don’t lose your wonder at Christ.

What are some things you loved about God when you first came to faith?

What kinds of things often make it difficult to keep childlike wonder in our faith?

PRACTICE THIS

Sing your favorite hymn or praise song to remember the wonder of your faith.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Who Sees the Evidence in You?

PRAY OVER THIS

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17

 

PONDER THIS

When a man is no longer afraid to die, he’s ready to live for the first time. Lazarus knew Jesus was the resurrection and the life. Lazarus’ testimony, loyalty, and faithfulness to Jesus caused many other people to believe (John 12:9-11). He exercised faithfulness to Jesus. The chief priests and others came to intimidate him. But that didn’t slow Lazarus down at all. Are you exercising faithfulness to Jesus? Are you afraid of what people think? You don’t want to carry your Bible to work? You don’t bow your head in a restaurant and pray and thank God because you’re afraid somebody might be watching? Let me tell you something: the best argument for Jesus and the best argument against Jesus is the life of a Christian. They came to see Lazarus, whom Jesus raised from the dead, and there were people being saved because they could see in Lazarus supernatural life.

What about you is different than the rest of the people who live on your street? What about you cannot be explained apart from a miracle? The only right we have to ask anybody else to believe in our Savior is something they cannot explain in our lives. We are the evidence, as well as the witnesses. We are the changed lives. Is that true of you?

What is different about your life relative to the lives of those around you?

Who is an example to you of living a changed life? What can you learn from that person?

PRACTICE THIS

Ask another Christian to share with you how Jesus changed his or her life.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Change Is Possible

Put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. (Ephesians 4:24)

Christianity means change is possible. Deep, fundamental change. It is possible to become tenderhearted when once you were callous and insensitive. It is possible to stop being dominated by bitterness and anger. It is possible to become a loving person, no matter what your background has been.

The Bible assumes that God is the decisive factor in making us what we should be. With wonderful bluntness, the Bible says, “Put away . . . all malice” and be “tenderhearted” (Ephesians 4:31–32). It does not say, “If you can . . . ” Or, “If your parents were tenderhearted . . . ” Or, “If you have not been terribly abused . . . ” It says, “Be . . . tenderhearted.”

This is wonderfully freeing. It frees us from the terrible fatalism that says change is impossible for me. It frees me from mechanistic views that make my background my destiny.

And God’s commands always come with freeing, life-changing truth to believe. For example,

God adopted us as his children. We have a new Father and a new family. This breaks the fatalistic forces of our “family-of-origin.” “Call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven” (Matthew 23:9).

God loves us as his children. We are “loved children” (Ephesians 5:1). The command to imitate the love of God does not hang in the air, it comes with power: “Be imitators of God, as loved children.” “Love!” is the command and being loved by God is the power.

God has forgiven us in Christ. Be tenderhearted and forgiving just as God in Christ forgave you (Ephesians 4:32). What God did in Christ is powerful. It makes change possible. The command to be tenderhearted has more to do with what God did for you than what your mother or your father did to you. This kind of command means you can change.

Christ loved you and gave himself up for you. “Walk in love, as Christ loved [you]” (Ephesians 5:2). The command comes with life-changing truth. “Christ loved you.” At the moment when there is a chance to love, and some voice says, “You are not a loving person,” you can say, “Christ’s love for me makes me a new kind of person. His command to love is just as surely possible for me as his promise of love is true for me.”

Don’t be a fatalist. Be a Christian. Change is possible. God is alive. Christ is risen. The promises are true.

John Piper 

Have You Died to Your Old Ways?

PRAY OVER THIS

“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?” Romans 6:1-2

 

PONDER THIS

Baptism speaks about what God did for you when He saved you. When we get saved, we die to sin. That’s the old way; being saved means dying to the old way. There was a teenage boy who lived in West Palm Beach. He gave his heart to Jesus Christ, and when he did, that teenage boy died. His name was Adrian Rogers. The old Adrian died. When did he die? He died not as a teenage boy, but he died 2000 years ago when Jesus died on that cross, because His death had my name on it. He took my sins, carried them to the cross, and was hung up there for me. He suffered, bled, and died in agony for me. He bore my sins in His body on the cross. He paid my sin debt in full. When He died, through faith, I died with Him.

How have you experienced a death to your old way of living through Jesus?

Why is this a requirement for every follower of Jesus?

PRACTICE THIS

Make a list of things that you have died to or need to die to now from your old way of living. Ask God for the power through His Spirit to die to those old-way things that remain.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

He Has Saved You a Seat!

BIBLE MEDITATION

“…and raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 2:6

 

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT

Why is the empty tomb so glorious? Because it signifies more than just the fact that God raised Jesus from the dead. He raised you, too, to walk “in newness of life.” (See Romans 6:4.)

I have come out of that grave. I have ascended. You have, too, if you are saved.

Where is Christ today? Seated in the “heavenlies.” Where are you seated? In the same place. You don’t have to die to go to Heaven. In Christ, you are seated there right now.

We encourage our brothers and sisters by telling them to “keep looking up,” when we should be saying, “Keep looking down!” You’re already seated in the “heavenlies,” so you can look down on your problems. You, dear friend, have a brand new life!

ACTION POINT

Take a moment and ask God to give you a brand new life or thank Him for the one He has already given you.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Do You Want a New Life?

BIBLE MEDITATION

“For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light we see light.” Psalm 36:9

 

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT

Jesus had a life that the grave could not keep. While He carried your sins to the grave and left them there, Jesus came out of that grave living, risen, and victorious!

When Jesus rose, you rose with Him. Christians are not just nice people, they are new creatures. We have, living in us, the same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead. We have come out of the grave of the old life. Our old master has no more hold on us. The old debt has no more penalty that we have to pay.

When Jesus came out of that grave, we came out with Him and we have been raised to walk in newness of life.

ACTION POINT

Are you walking around in the grave clothes of your old life? Shed them, my friend! Jesus came to give you new life! Believe that you are now a new creation in Christ!

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Tell What You Are

BIBLE MEDITATION

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17

 

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT

Happiness doesn’t come from what you have, but from what you are. That's why the social gospel will never work. Some well-meaning Christians think that if they could just change people’s conditions, they could somehow change their character and thus change society. That's never going to work. Listen, I want to ask you a question: Where did mankind get into trouble in the first place? In the Garden of Eden. Where are you going to find a better environment than that? Yet Eden was where people decided to rebel against God.

Don't buy into the idea that a better or even perfect environment is going to save the world. Better living conditions improve people’s lives in the sense of meeting their physical needs, and we should want to help people have clean water, sufficient food, clothing, and shelter. But that’s not what we’re talking about here. We’re talking about character.

This is the difference between the social gospel and the saving gospel. The saving gospel realizes you're not going to build the knowledge of God, His character, and His principles into people by providing a nicer environment, any more than you could purify water by painting the pump handle. The Bible puts the emphasis not on what man has, not even primarily on what man does, but on what man is.

ACTION POINT

If you want this world to become a better place, help people understand that what they need is an inward change. To provide the best environment for people to change, share with them the life-changing Gospel.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

You’re Under New Management

BIBLE MEDITATION

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new”

2 Corinthians 5:17

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT

When I first got saved, I learned about Jesus in the Bible, and that was wonderful to me. And then as I began to live the Christian life, I would see what Jesus would do in the lives of other people. I saw Jesus in history and Jesus in action, and that was wonderful. Then as I studied more, I began to learn about Jesus in Heaven, seated at the right hand of God the Father, ruling and reigning from His throne, and that was wonderful.

Jesus is in the Bible, Jesus is in history, and Jesus is in heaven, but—here’s the great truth—Jesus Christ lives in me. “…the glory of this mystery…which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” He possesses me. I am His purchased possession, and therefore, I am under new management.

When we were saved, God put a mark on us. That mark is the Holy Spirit. After we have believed, we have been sealed with the Holy Spirit.

ACTION POINT

If you have made Jesus your Lord and Savior, He lives within you. You can rejoice today with the apostle Paul who said in Colossians 1:27, “To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers