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Monday, October 21, 2024

The Gospel Affirms and Changes Us



 

The Gospel is a testament to our intimate relationship with God. His affirmation of us is a profound expression of His love (John 3:16), our unity with Him (1 Corinthians 6:17), and our reflection of His image (1 Corinthians 15:49). But the Gospel is not just about affirmation; it's about transformation. It empowers us to live in a way that pleases God. God’s affirmation is a catalyst for change within us. 

 

Our faith becomes truly meaningful when we allow God’s love to transform us. Simply being loved by God is not the end result of the Gospel. If we truly grasp the reality that the all-powerful and ever-present God loves us and dwells within us, should we not draw upon His strength to live according to the life He has given us?  

 

Reflect on these verses:

 

“Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen” (Hebrews 13:20-21).

 

“That you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him” (Colossians 1:10). “…Giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light” (Colossians. 1:12).

 

“Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. I do not say this to condemn; for I have said before that you are in our hearts, to die together and to live together” (2 Corinthians 7:1,3).

 

Do you see the pattern in these verses? It is repeated throughout all of Paul’s letters. Being affirmed through faith in God’s grace should change how we live our lives. These verses confirm our acceptance by God and then urge us to walk in a way that pleases Him. They affirm the unsurpassed greatness of our redemption, the limitless depth of God’s love, and the overpowering immensity of His grace, followed by advice about how to live our lives in this sinful world.

 

God’s grace not only accepts and affirms us but also empowers us to live His life. Receiving God’s grace without responding to it renders it powerless to change us. His grace calls for our response, and faith is the proper response to what Jesus has already done. We walk by faith and not by sight. We allow the love we have received to transform us.

 

God looked beyond my fault and saw my need. Do I look beyond my fault and see Jesus loving me, living in me, and changing me? The Gospel of Grace is the power to do what I can’t. It changes me from the inside out.

 

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 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 12:1-2).

 

 

www.lynnlacher.com/2024/10/the-gospel-affirms-and-changes-us.html

 

 

 

 

 

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