|
Home | Previous
| Next | lftd06 [Download]
Sept.08.06: Light for the Day - "Resetting
Time (Starting Over)"
(Viet)
(C)
(S)
-- 2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a
New creation;
The old life has gone, the New Life has come!
-- Romans 12:2
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but let God
transform you into a New person by changing the way you think.
Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know
how good and pleasing and perfect His will really is.
--Colossians 3:10
In its place you have clothed yourselves with a
brand-New nature that is
continually being Renewed as you learn more and more about Christ,
who created this New nature within you.
-- Ephesians 2:10
For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works,
which God prepared in advance for us to do.
-- Romans 8:28
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those
who Love Him, who have been called according to His Purpose.
----------------
Looking backward can be painful. Memories of poorly chosen paths
bring with them jarringly potent echoes of the original accompanying
ache. Reflecting on a history scattered with wounds, mistakes, and
agonizing experiences can also stifle forward progress, but it doesn't
have to. No one can fully escape the past, but a decision to follow
Christ offers a new start, a prospect that promises to eclipse even
the most unpleasant narrative.
Your new start begins with forgiveness. When you ask God to forgive
your sins, He resets your internal life-experience clock. Then you can
begin to discover your new nature. Old habits die hard, but a life lived
in pursuit of God's will can turn harmful habits into distant memories.
No longer are you locked into bad patterns that may have defined your
experience. In their place are new opportunities -- opportunities to learn
God-directed ways to be in relationship with others, to be a faithful
follower, and to understand who you really are in Christ.
Are you take each step in the new journey that beings with a fresh start,
look for God's guidance along the way. The past has a way of sneaking
up on you, but with God's Spirit to guide you, you can dodge those tugs
toward old behaviors. Pray for strength to move forward. Examine the
Scriptures for good advice, wisdom, and insight-filled stories on what
it means to have new life in Christ.
Change your environment. Throw away reminders of past mistakes.
Stop going to old haunts if they tempt you to return to your old nature.
And consider avoiding relationships that encourage looking backward.
Instead, develop new relationships that can help you see the future.
Know that God still loves you when you make mistakes. A new start
doesn't mean a perfect life, but it does mean you can finally leave the
past behind you. There is no longer any need to revisit the mistakes
you've made; they've been forgiven. Life will continue to have its
uncomfortable moments -- errors of judgment, wrongly chosen paths,
misspoken words -- but the Reset button that comes with your
relationship with Christ will always be waiting for you to press.
Hang on to hope. More than anything else, the promise of a new start
is the promise of hope. Hope is renewed when you come to God.
Your future becomes bright. The past dims. There is nothing to stop you
from living a full and fulfilling life.
-- Cheklist4Life
--------------------
A thousand years of remorse over a wrong act would not please God
as much as a change of conduct and a reformed life. -- A.W.Tozer
Sleep with clean hands, either kept clean all day by integrity or
washed clean at night by repentance. -- John Donne
--------------------
-- Romans 6:4
We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in
order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory
of the Father, we too may live a New Life.
-- 2 Corinthians 3:3, 6
3 You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry,
written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets
of stone but on tablets of human hearts.
6 He has made us competent as ministers of a New Covenant --
not of the Letter but of the Spirit;
For the Letter kills, but the Spirit gives Life.
-- Romans 7:6, 19-25
6 But now we have been released from the
Law, for we died with Christ,
and we are no longer captive to its power. Now we can really serve God,
not in the old way by obeying the Letter of the Law,
but in the New Way, by the Spirit.
19 When I want to do good, I don’t. And when I try not to do wrong,
I do it anyway.
20 But if I am doing what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing it;
the sin within me is doing it.
21 It seems to be a fact of life that when I want to do what is right,
I inevitably do what is wrong.
22 I love God’s Law with all my heart.
23 But there is another law at work within me that is at war with my mind.
This law wins the fight and makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me.
24 Oh, what a miserable person I am!
Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin?
25 Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.
So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law,
but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.
-- Romans 8:1-2
1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus,
who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
2 For the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus has made me free
from the law of sin and death.
------------------
-- Colossians 3:10-17
10 And have put on the New self, which is being renewed in knowledge
in the image of its Creator.
11 Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised,
barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.
12 Therefore, as God’s Chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe
yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have
against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
14 And over all these virtues put on Love, which binds them all together in
perfect unity.
15 Let the Peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of
one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.
16 Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish
one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and
spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.
17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the
Name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
-- Romans 13:10-14
10 Love does no wrong to anyone, so love satisfies all of God’s
requirements.
11 Another reason for Right Living is that you know how late it is;
time is running out. Wake up, for the coming of our salvation is
nearer now than when we first believed.
12 The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here.
So don’t live in darkness. Get rid of your evil deeds. Shed them like
dirty clothes. Clothe yourselves with the armor of
Right Living, as
those who live in the light.
13 We should be decent and true in everything we do, so that everyone
can approve of our behavior. Don’t participate in wild parties and
getting drunk, or in adultery and immoral living, or in fighting and jealousy.
14 But let the Lord Jesus Christ take control of you, and don’t think of
ways to indulge your evil desires.
-- Ephesians 4:22-25
22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off
your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;
23 to be made New in the attitude of your minds;
24 and to put on the New self, created to be like God in true
righteousness and holiness.
25 So put away all falsehood and "tell your neighbor the truth"
because we are members of one another.
-- Galatians 5:22-25
22 But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, He will produce
this kind of fruit in us: Love,
Joy, Peace, Patience,
Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness,
23 Gentleness, and Self-Control. Here there is no conflict with the law.
24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have Nailed the passions and
desires of their sinful nature to His Cross and
Crucified them there.
25 If we are living now by the Holy Spirit, let us follow the Holy Spirit’s
leading in every part of our lives.
26 Let us not become conceited, or irritate one another,
or be jealous of one another.
-- Galatians 6:15
It doesn’t make any difference now whether we have been circumcised
or not. What counts is whether we really have been changed into New
and Different people.
------------------
-- Ezekiel 36:26 (11:19)
I will give you a New heart and put a
New spirit in you;
I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.
-- Psalms 51:10-12
10 Create in me a Pure heart, O God,
and Renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me from Your Presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of Your Salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
13 Then I will teach transgressors Your Ways,
and sinners will turn back to You.
|