Friday, June 20, 2008
Galatians 3:23 They only heard the report: "The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy."
THE GOSPEL CHANGES US
The Gospel of Christ, as revealed in the Bible, has power to accomplish what no other book can accomplish. I've never met anyone who has said: "You know, I read Charles Dickens' book 'A Tale of Two Cities' and I became a changed man." Or: "I read Jane Austen's novel 'Pride and Prejudice' and I became a totally new person." But it's happened countless times to people brought in touch with the message of the Crucified One. His Gospel is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes. It fills the hearts of God's believing children with a peace that transcends understanding, the joy of His forgiveness, and the certain hope of heaven.
The Gospel also changes how we live. "It teaches us to say 'No' to ungodliness and to live godly lives in this present age, as we wait for the glorious appearing of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ" (Titus 2:12-13). It enables us to recognize that our lives here are only a preparation time. This isn't the real world. Life here is only a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. It's a fleeting shadow, like grass that grows up in the morning and is mowed down in the evening. The real world, our real home, is in heaven with our Savior.
Satan will tempt us to believe otherwise. He'll try to influence us to think this life is all there is. He'll try to use worldly-minded friends to mislead us. But through the power of the Gospel we cling to and make a regular part of our life, Jesus promises to keep our faith strong, our hope steadfast, and our footsteps on the pathway that leads to our real home. 