It’s Friday! That means, at least here in Inwood, WV, attending the BEST place to be on a Friday night…Celebrate Recovery tonight (7p at New Life Church)! It also means I’ll be continuing with our dialogue on SANITY.
If you missed the Part 1 “Sanity Starts With Strength” you can read it here.
If you missed the Part 2 “Acceptance = Freedom” you can read it here.
Here’s today’s Scripture, the foundation of what we’ll be discussing…
17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV
The N in SANITY stands for NEW LIFE.
I would like to suggest that this is the MOST IMPORTANT point to be discussed throughout the ENTIRE 52 weeks and 25 lessons of Celebrate Recovery. I say this because it represents change; it represents a new beginning, a new start, a new LIFE. Everything hinges and rests upon the decision to follow Jesus or not. This decision has the potential to radically change your right now, your tomorrow, your eternity!
When you declare Jesus is Lord, when you understand that he died on the cross for you, as you, taking your place, taking your sin upon his shoulders, when you believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead three days later, you WILL BE SAVED. Saved from what?
Yourself.
When you call out to Jesus as Savior he invades your life, filling you with the Holy Spirit, the very power that raised Christ from the dead, and from that point until the day you die he continues to shape and mold you into his likeness…in other words, God makes you into the man or woman you were MADE TO BE. As it says above, the old is GONE, the new is HERE!
You’re not a drug addict; you’re a follower of Christ.
You’re not an alcoholic; you’re a follower of Christ.
You’re not a divorcee; you’re a follower of Christ.
You’re not a victim; you’re a follower of Christ.
You’re not your financial decisions; you’re a follower of Christ.
You’re not an over eater; you’re a follower of Christ.
You’re not codependent; you’re a follower of Christ.
With Jesus there is HOPE of something NEW. With Jesus I’m not shackled by the mistakes I’ve made or the pain of what’s been done to me, I have the HOPE of being made NEW. What do I have on my own? Willpower? The ONLY thing I can expect from willpower is I WILL relapse. Insanity is settling for a life OUTSIDE OF Christ…reread 2 Corinthians 5:17…notice it says if anyone is IN Christ. Aren’t you ready to finally stop doing it? Are you ready to move forward with your life? Don’t you want to experience the abundant life God promises through His son, Jesus?
What’s holding you back?
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