Previously we talked about how different we are in God’s eyes when we are not saved and when we are saved. We saw from the Word there is a great deal of difference.
Now that we are believers are we living like a believer, or are we still living like an unbeliever?
If you are not living as a believer, then you must examine yourself as the Bible says. If there is any doubt in your mind about whether or not you are truly born again, please write to me privately, and we will go over it together. This is very important because the things we will learn will not work for the unbeliever.
2 Corinthians 13:5 Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you–unless indeed you fail the test?
“When you see our situation the same way you would if you were still an unbeliever, you are failing to realize what a great gift God has given you.” (Wayne Mack, The Fear Factor, Hensley Publishing, pg.18.) That gift is the Holy Spirit and all the resources God has.
You see we don’t have to live the same as before. We don’t have to carry all our old baggage with us when we become believers. Take a look at your own life. Can you see any changes in your before and after picture? Did you have panic disorder before you were a Christian? I did. When I became a Christian I did not know that God had made a way for me to be rid of fear. But, it was still true. It took me many years of Bible study to learn this. That is why it took me so long to get better.
When we become a true believer something wonderful happens to us. God creates in us a new person. We are not the same. It is a supernatural work that the Lord does. We don’t look any different in our bodies, it is a spiritual new birth. God gives us the Holy Spirit to come and live inside us. Knowing this gives us the hope we need to be overcomers of any situation that comes up in our lives.
The world teaches us that the key to success is to “believe in yourself.” Have “self-confidence” and good “self-esteem.” Well, no matter how much you believe in yourself, and feel good about yourself it just won’t hold up. We are not that powerful. We cannot stop things from happening in our lives. God is the only one who can control everything. Isn’t that true?
Look at the verse below. It plainly says that if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature. The old things passed away and brand new things have come. Isn’t that amazing? We are actually new creations in Christ!
2 Corinthians 5:17 ‘Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.”
I love that verse because it tells me I am now different. It is possible for me to change. It gives me hope. I want you also to have that hope. You can change too. Fear and anxiety, or whatever other thing plagues you, don’t have to dog us all the days of our lives. We can be victorious.
Here is a story to illustrate this:
Suppose there was a very poor person who had a job but didn’t have any way to get there. So, everyday, that man had to get up extra early to walk the five miles to work. Then, after putting in a full-days work he had to walk all the way back home. He was exhausted, and all he could do was eat some soup and go right to bed to be ready for the next day. He didn’t have a home life with his wife and children. All he did was toil and rest. Sounds like a pretty boring existence doesn’t it?
Then one day along came a rich man who saw this man’s plight and said to him, “Here I will give you this brand new car. It has a full tank of gas. Oh, yes, take this, it’s a gas card so that whenever you need a refill you can fill up the tank.” The poor man was very grateful and carefully parked the car in his driveway.
The next morning he got up and walked to work again and then walked home that evening as had been his habit. He continued on this same way ignoring the wonderful free gift the rich man had given him. Oh, he would take the car out on Sunday and drive it to church and back but that was it.
What is wrong with this picture? It is plain to see that the poor man was not taking advantage of the free gift that was given him.
Isn’t that how some of us live the Christian life? We have been given so much from the Master, but do we really apply it to our lives? He has made us a brand new creation spiritually in Christ. Not only that, He has given us the fuel to run on, the Holy Spirit. That is similar to how the gas in the car gives the car power to run on. The Holy Spirit gives us the power we need to do whatever God asks us to.
But, we too, can be like the man in the story and not use what has been freely given us. It might be because we don’t realize what we have. Or, it can also be like the man who was so used to walking to work that he could not change his habit. We have many old habits that need changing, and God has given us the power and the ability to change them through salvation and the Holy Spirit.
Sometimes we are like the man in the story and only show our spiritual side on Sundays when we go to church. We go, sing songs, listen to a message, and go through the motions, but then just leave everything there behind us. When Monday morning comes along we act like we leave our spiritual side at home. What a waste! If we do this we need to examine ourselves and see if we really are in the faith.
Being a Christian is far more than a Sunday habit. We need to be in the Bible everyday, pray, and meditate on the Word. Then, we can activate the power in our lives to conquer fear and anxiety.
Romans 8:11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
That is another amazing and wonderful scripture.
Blessings,
Bonnie
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