"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! "
2 Corinthians 5:17
When my father gave his life to Jesus a few years back, I saw a big change in him. He became a new person. His priorities changed as did the way he saw people. At the same time however, he was still the same person he had always been, he was still my dad. It was almost as if God had taken the things that were already in him, but simply enhanced them, and slowly began to work on the things that we all need to deal with.
This got me thinking about verses such as the one above. When we enter into a relationship with Jesus, we change, there is no doubt about that. Galations 2:20 says "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me." But didn't God create us all unique and according to His will? "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." (Psalm 139:14) If God loves us as we are, and He created our personality just for us, why would he change it when we give our lives to him.
Then I had a thought. When we become a Christian, I don't think it is our personality that changes. Our personality is ours, and was made just as it was supposed to be. If someone has a wild and crazy personality before they get saved, they will become wild and crazy for Jesus. I think when we are saved God changes something else in us, our Character. Our personality is who we are, but so is our character. I think this is what the Holy Spirit works on, to make more like Jesus' character. It shapes our values and the way we see and treat others.
If we want to be a better person, we need to develop the character of Jesus, and only God can do that. This doesn't mean the responsibility is all His, but it means if we try to do it in our own strength we're not going to get there.
Lord, help me to develop a character that mirrors yours.
By Adam Collings 28th January 2001
Why is it that we often view prayer as a last resort? So often people say things like "All I can do is pray," as if prayer were some sort of last ditch option you try when everything else has failed. I know I myself have said words like this before. Even as Christians it is easy to fall into the trap of thinking this way. I think we have been so conditioned by Hollywood that we tend to think that praying is something you try when nothing else has worked. This is would seem to be the view that most non-Christians have. Shouldn't we be trying to show them differently?I don't believe that this is the way God intends us to pray. I think he's there waiting, longing for us to bring the things that concern us to Him. He wants to be a part of our everyday life, He never intended us to battle along under our own strength and then cry out to him when we're mere centimetres from falling over the cliff. If we'd just come to Him earlier, he could have led us away from the edge long ago.
I have become convinced that prayer is the most powerful thing that a Christian can do in any situation. This is the greatest gift we have to offer to somebody that we care about who is hurting. You see we know the God of the universe personally, and we have the ability to come before him and plead that person's case. Wow, what an awesome privilege. In his book Intercessory Prayer, Dutch Sheets explains that Jesus is standing by the throne of God as we pray, saying "You remember Adam, I died for him, he is coming on my merits not his, he would like to make some requests of you." (Sheets 1996) Jesus is mediating for us; we come through him, because we are not worthy ourselves. Through Jesus, God actually listens to what we have to say. Isn't that incredible!
Matthew 16:19 says "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." I think this could be talking, at least partially, about prayer. When we pray, changes occur in the spiritual realm. This is very humbling. It makes you realise what a powerful thing prayer is. We don't have to use fancy words either; God answers the prayers of little children. They don't have theology degrees, just a childlike faith.
So next time you're faced with a problem or a hurt. Why not come before God at the beginning and pray to him. Why not make prayer your first resort, not your last.
Sheets, D. Intercessory Prayer. Regal Books. 1996
I believe the best thing about sex is not the physical sensation, it is not the pleasure you receive. The very best thing, the most satisfying thing about sex, is what you give to your spouse; and the closeness that it brings.
Love is an unselfish act. Love is totally selfless. 1 Corinthians 13:5* tells us that love "doesn't seek its own way." Jesus' example of love was one of sacrifice, putting aside what was best for him in favour of what was best for others. Philippians 2 says we should "consider others better than ourselves" and "look not only to our own interests but also to the interests of others." If love is an unselfish thing then shouldn't sex, as the ultimate expression of that love, be unselfish too. I think we should approach sex not for what we can get out of it, but for what we can give, in the spirit of true love. Our romantic feelings for someone are usually strengthened by giving something to them.
Don't get me wrong; I'm not saying that we shouldn't enjoy the experience ourselves. God wants us to enjoy it. He built our bodies to enjoy it. Proverbs 5:18* says "Let your spring be blessed. Rejoice in the wife of your youth. A loving doe and a graceful deer. Let her breasts satisfy you at all times. Be captivated always with her love." What I'm saying is about attitude. What attitude do we approach sex with? Is it a selfish attitude that says "me first" and "I want" or is it a selfless attitude that says "I love you so much I want to give you something."
When it comes to sex, the greatest gift we can give another person is of course, our virginity. Since this is a gift that can only ever be given once, and only ever to one person, it is very important to give this at the right time. I would strongly encourage anyone who has not yet given this gift, to save it and treasure it for your wedding night. Give the ultimate gift of yourself to your spouse to celebrate your marriage. This is not a judgement or condemnation on anyone who has already given their virginity before marriage. In Jesus, there is forgiveness and healing. You just need to ask for it.
It's worth thinking about.
* some scripture quotations taken from the World English Bible.
