Yes! You Really Can ChangeSample

Where Do We Get the Power to Change? A lot of Christians strive month after month, year after year, to change. Over time, though, they get weary, feel defeated, and give up. They have forgotten (or never understood) the bedrock truth of what Jesus did on the cross, and what it means for transformation. Jesus bore the penalty of sin by dying in our place, and broke sin’s power over us forever. You joined the winning side the moment you received Him as your Savior! * Your old (sin) nature “died” with Christ. * Your new nature rose with Christ to new life. * Your enemy (Satan) was defeated when Jesus rose from the dead. The evil one has no power over you, no matter how much he tries to convince you otherwise! What does this mean to us as we are wanting to become more Christ-like? How does this objective truth translate into the power to change? When you have faith that God really loves you and empowers you, then you take action, trusting Him to guide and support you. Consider yourself dead to sin but alive to God in Christ. Root yourself in His Word, take steps of faith according to His Word, and connect with other believers who minister the grace you need. Trust God to transform you, and don’t give up. If you do that, I can promise that you will not be disappointed. You will be changed! Reflection: * Are you allowing sin, death, and Satan to control how you see yourself? * Or do you see yourself as a participant in the divine nature of Jesus, able to trample sin, stare death in the face, and live absolutely convinced that nothing can separate you from the love of God? Prayer: Lord, make the truth of Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross and victorious resurrection come alive in my heart. Help me believe that sin has no hold on my life, and that the Holy Spirit can transform me into a more Christ-like child of God.