YOUR NEW LIFE IN CHRIST JESUS

John 1:12 says “But all that received Him (Jesus) were given the power to become the sons of God”. 1 John 3:2 says “Now are we the sons of God”. You are a child of God now. You are in God’s family and kingdom now. God is your Father now. It is a present reality for your life. It is not something you try to gain or struggle to be or you will be when you go to heaven. Mark the Word NOW in 1 John 3:2. Often say to yourself (even now as you read) that “I am a child of God”. That also means you now belong to Him and you have His life. This is not something you have to feel in your body. This is who you are in Christ now. It’s so real. Glory to God!!!!!

This means God no longer counts the sins you committed against you. Those sins are no longer attached to you. The later part of Revelation 1:5 says “To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood. Colossians 2:13 says “And you, being dead through your trespasses and the un-circumcision of your flesh, you, I say, did he quicken together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses”. Think about the underlined portions of those verses. Don’t try to be forgiven, don’t wait to feel forgiven. God has forgiven you in Christ Jesus. People may still remember what you did wrong in the past but that past has been completely wiped away through the blood of Jesus. Rejoice!!!

2 Corinthian 5:17 says “if any man be in Christ, that person is a new creature”. Man is a spirit, he lives in a body and has a soul. The real person who is a spirit is the one who gets born again. Your face may be the same but your spirit has been re-created in Christ Jesus. You don’t have a past anymore. Romans 6:6 says “For we know that our old self was crucified with him (Jesus) so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin”. The old man is the old you who was not born again. He is no longer there. The old has gone and the new has come. Now you are a new creation in Christ. Think and talk this way that you are a new creation. This is what and who you are now (present reality).

Romans 5:1 says “Therefore being declared righteous by faith we have peace with God”. This means now you have been given by God a right standing before Him and are at peace with Him. So God is not your enemy. God sees you in Christ now where you are given the gift of righteousness. This gives you confidence in God’s presence and boldness without guilt or thought of shortfallnesss or inferiority before God. It means God now accepts you in His presence because of Jesus. Remember that men may not see you this way but that’s the way God sees you. Now you can boldly talk to Him as your Father. Say this often “I am righteous in Christ Jesus” and watch yourself live that righteous life every day.

Ephesians 5:8 says, “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light”. Think about the underlined part which says NOW ARE YOU LIGHT IN THE LORD. That means it’s a present reality of your life. If you are light that means you are designed to shine thus you are a blessing in your world. Darkness refers to a life without God, a hopeless life, a life cut away from God. A life where you are controlled by Satan and you do his evil works. But now you are light. Glory to God. Set your mind now to shine wherever you are even with your good works in helping others. That means live according to the will of God now. Declare this everyday – that you are light. You are no longer expected to walk in evil ways of old because you are light now. If a thought comes to your mind to do those old evil things or behaviors – immediately say that “I can’t because am light now and I do the works of righteousness”. That’s your new life now. Ephesians 5:11 says “Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them”.

After you have given your heart to the Lord, God expects you to receive His Holy Spirit. Who is the Holy Spirit? He is God with us now. He is the one who carries the presence of God the Father and Jesus. After receiving Jesus then the next thing is for you to receive the Holy Spirit. This is your empowerment to live fully the Christian life you receive when you are born again. Without the Holy Spirit you can’t really live the true Christian life. Read an account of Acts 8:14-17, when people in Samaria had believed the Gospel, Apostles sent Peter and John to them and he prayed for them to receive the Holy Spirit. So you can notice that one can receive the Holy Spirit upon the laying of hands by someone filled with the Spirit. Aside this, one can also ask the Father and receive the infilling of the Spirit as recorded in Luke 11:13 which says “If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him”. This shows another way through which you can receive the Holy Spirit thus asking in faith to the Father. Acts 1:8 says “you shall receive power after the Holy Spirit comes upon you and you shall be witnesses of Me (Jesus Christ) from Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the uttermost parts of the earth”. Even right now you can receive the Holy Spirit by faith by saying “Dear Father, I now open up my heart to your Holy Spirit and I receive you Holy Spirit to indwell me now in the Name of Jesus”. Amen. If you say that believing in your heart then know that the Holy Spirit has come to live inside you now. And thank Him for indwelling you. Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. Your body may shake or may not shake but remember it’s not about feelings but faith (You believe with your heart).

Just like any new born baby is expected to grow, so are you also expected to grow spiritually. There is spiritual growth which comes when you study, listen and practice the word of God. 1 Peter 2:2 says “As new born babies, desire the sincere milk of the Word that you may grow thereby”. That means you can’t grow without the Word of God. You must have a bible that you should read and study every day. A good bible study guide can also help you. Acts 20:32 says “I commend you to God and to the word of His grace which is able to build you up”. That means the word of God helps you grow form one level to another. Read and take time to meditate (think over) on the verses you read and the Lord will be speaking to you.

Now that God is your Father, you cultivate your fellowship with Him in Prayer. It’s a divine communication with your heavenly Father. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 enjoins us “Never stop praying”. Through prayer you facilitate growth in your life. Jude 20 (CEV) says” Dear friends, keep building on the foundation of your most holy faith, as the Holy Spirit helps you to pray. Building in the verse above talks of growth or increase. The more you pray, the more you grow in the Lord Jesus.

Hebrews 10:25 encourages us not to neglect meetings of believers or church meetings. These are places where you are taught the word, and get encouragement from other believers. Two are better than one the bible says (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10). So make sure you belong to bible centered church and actively participate therein.

In Luke 8:26-39 we find a record where Jesus casted out demons from a man in Gadara. In verse 38-39, after casting out the demons, Jesus said to the man: “Return home and tell how much God has done for you. So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him”. Beloved, you must know that the salvation of your soul is the greatest thing God would do for you. And He wants you to tell others about this thing and share the good news of Jesus Christ with them to be saved too. There is a special spiritual benefit when you tell others about Jesus and what He has done for you. Don’t be shy to tell others that you are born again. In Romans 1:16, The Paul the Apostle says by the Spirit, “I am not ashamed of the Gospel of the good news of Christ, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to all that believe”. Reach out to them with that message for their salvation too. God bless you