Hear this great promise:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Mt 5:3 NIV
Knowing the truth is what sets us free, right? So understanding that we are changed on the inside, so we no longer want to sin, or in other words, we no longer want to disobey God, but that we still have to mature into this condition so that this new heart becomes our daily reality, should keep us humble. Or as God told me long ago, remember these two truths: never forget who you were apart from Jesus and always remember who you now are in Jesus.
Who we were was a sinner, whose life revolved around MMI. Pride was at the root of all our choices, and we attempted to live “our lives” on our own. We either did not acknowledge God at all or we just put Him to the side and did not lean on Him to help us make any decisions. Too many “church going, well meaning people” are in this category, my Friends. They say they believe in God, but their lives paint a totally different picture. Jesus said you will know a tree by its fruit…if you claim to be a Christian, but continue to act more like this world than Christ, you may want to have that serious talk with God again.
Who we now are is a saint, who is still sinning. The major difference is our life should revolve around Jesus more and more, as it centers on MMI less and less. Remember Jn 3:30? As we grow, we will act more like Jesus- He increases in our way of thinking, speaking and acting- and so we will automatically act less like that old sinner we used to be. A saint is NOT someone who is perfect. A saint is someone who has the Perfect One living on the inside of them. Because of Jesus, we have the potential to become like Him. We will not be sinless, but we will sin less and less, the more we imitate Him. Again, the key is to never forget who we were, but always remember who we now are!
Join me in memorizing 52 verses this year:
January: 1- Jn 3:16; 2- 2Co 5:17; 3- Jas 2:26; 4- Eph 2:10
February: 5- Jn 10:10; 6- Ro 6:23; 7- Rev 21:4; 8- Php 4:13
March: 9- 1Pe 5:7; 10- Jn 8:32; 11- Dt 30:19; 12- Jn 3:30; 13- 2Chron 20:3
April: 14- 2Chron 20:12; 15- 2Chron 20:15b; 16- 2Chron 20:17
May: 17- Ro 8:28; 18- 1Co 13:13; 19- Php 2:12; 20- Mt 5:4
21- Lk 23:42
22- Jas 4:7
23- Pr 22:6
24- Mt 5:3
<>< Peace, Diane
