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Transformation - part one
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broken bread and poured out wine
Christ calls us to follow Him. He doesn't tell us to come after we've become a better person or after so much study. Look at the disciples in the New Testament. "Follow me" resulted in them going right then.
Maybe you are hesitating. You don't feel worthy. I understand. The only way that you will receive Jesus is to admit that you are not right, not whole, broken…a sinner.
Jesus will heal you.
How this healing takes place is one of the great paradoxes. We must first come to the point of complete surrender. We, like Jesus before us, must become broken bread and poured out wine.
In baptism we are taught that we die to our old selves. We must first die before we are reborn. When Christ was crucified our sins were forgiven. Our salvation preceded our repentance! Yet, to personally receive this salvation, you must first repent of your sins.
This is a humbling experience. It's a real leveling of our pride. We must admit to our innermost selves that we have a lot that is wrong in us. Furthermore, we must recognize that we can't fix ourselves. Only God can do it and he provided the way through Jesus. "He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ." (Philippians 1:6)
For those of us who have repented, invited Jesus in to our lives and turned our entire self over to him, it may still seem like a very long process to become like him. Even though we are saved when we repent and ask Jesus to be our Lord, we may have a long way to go before our actions change.
Do Not Be Discouraged
As new Christians we may be full of joy and enthusiasm. This is wonderful. However, life challenges will continue and your old habits will probably die hard. Some of us find this to be a life-long process. It can be like two steps forward, three steps back.
We should not be discouraged, although at times you may be. Many people become disappointed because they are expecting a security system. They are hoping that everything will be smooth sailing. No more troubles. This is misleading. When you turn your life over to God you should have a sense that ultimately everything will be ok. Yes, God loves us and will protect and provide. But we must learn a really hard part--breaking down our ego.
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