How to revolutionise one's Christian life. It's easy. Really...
Easy to understand, that is.
It's not to get some great liberating experience at a special meeting. Not to be specially "anointed" by a specially blessed "man of God" as many think in Kenya. And so on and so forth. What is it?
It's to believe and apply the gospel to yourself, day in and day out.
You're a rotten sinner. Trust me, I know, because we all have the same fallen Adamic nature. Perverse, selfish, rebellious and revolting. But if you're a Christian, then that means you're a repenting rotten sinner. But did you know what the Bible says about repenting rotten sinners?
It says that God's mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23).
It says that if we claim to not be sinners, we're lying.... but if we confess our sins then God is both faithful and just to wash away all our sins through the blood of Jesus Christ (1 John 1:8-10).
It says that as Christians, we can forget those things that are behind us, and press on towards the goal in Christ (Philippians 3:13-14).
This is the gospel, and it is tremendously liberating. It is grace - free and boundless. Hard to believe, because it is so counter-intuitive, and so unlike how we relate to others. But it is, feel it or not, the way that God actually does relate to us. As we believe this good news day after day, repent day after day and re-commit to pressing forwards day after day, God forgives us day after day and leads us on. This is a freedom from bondage that the world knows nothing about. The comfort of it comes only if we believe, repent and look anew towards Jesus Christ. Simple.... but wonderful. A revolution for every Christian life, and hiding in broad daylight under our very noses....
This is perhaps the most humbling experience I have ever known, accepting that no matter how hard I try to not sin, I sin anyway, yet despite all that, God forgives me and goes on forgiving me. The biggest difficulty I have is forgiving myself - in my professional life, I have learned how to not repeat my mistakes, yet am unable to repeat that performance in my spiritual life. It can be depressingly frustrating if we dwell on that, yet we have to find that fine line between being aware of our sinfulness, yet not succumbing to overwhelming guilt. Only faith in the form of trust in God's Word can get us through, and there again we rely on God's providence. Truly humbling, and completely beyond my comprehension.
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