TODAYS BIBLE READING:
 

The same God who has the power to part the Red Sea, the same Jesus who has the power to calm the waves and the wind is the same God who has the power to transform the life of anyone who is willing to allow the transformation. We all were and we all are sinners. Those of us who are God’s children have simply acknowledged this, understand that God’s plan as put forth in His Word is the right way and our way is the wrong way. God’s love is perfect and His love for us is not determined based on how good we are. All of my children have made poor choices at one time or another in their lives. Though I grieved for them as they often reaped the consequences of these poor choices, my love for them never lessened. How much more our Father in heaven whose love is immeasurably greater than any earthly mother or father. Though God loves us, He also has the power to transform us. He does not say come as you are and stay as you are. When Jesus approached the woman caught in adultery, He said, in John 8:11, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.” As Christians we are right to tell others that God loves them, but we are wrong to present a gospel message devoid of repentance. Though we may continue to struggle with one sin or another, we cannot simply tell someone who is acting out in opposition to God’s Word that God understands the way they are, and it is okay. God never said to come as you are and stay as you are. He has the power to transform. He has the power to root out any sin that plagues us.

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Read Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” When we come into a true relationship with Jesus Christ, we change. We also read in Romans 12:1-2, “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.” But some will point to a specific sin, addiction, problem and state, “But you don’t understand, this is just who I am, I can’t change.” To which Jesus would say, as in Matthew 19:26, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” What happened to those sins which plague us? Jesus took them upon Himself, as we read in 2 Corinthians 5:21, “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

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There are so many ways that people question the character or ability of a God. Some like to question God’s fairness. Some question His goodness. One of the most common starts with: “You don’t understand, this person is beyond help, or beyond being reached, etc.”. This questions the capability of our God. God has and God continues to reach the unreachable, the unlovable, etc. We must never waver on the gospel message or the ability of our God. We simply need to be God’s witness to a fallen world. God is more than capable of doing the rest.