Rejoice - a new day has begun!

We do not have to wait till the day when Jesus returns, to become new, transformed people!

It all starts here and now.  It begins on the day God reconciles us with Godself. On the day we experience our redemption, we celebrate by singing and shouting:  a new day has begun!

As we read in 2 Corinthians 5:17ff:    “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:  The old has gone, the new is here!  All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:   that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ,

All this is from God.   The Holy Spirit recreates me into someone new.

This new person does not hide or run away from God anymore. This new person does not oppose the values of God’s Kingdom or the dream, the vision and prayer our Lord has for the Church and his people.

The new “me” thirsts for friendship with my God and longs to walk with God.  The new “me” wants to work for God.  I now celebrate that my sins do not count against me anymore.   I beg the Lord that I may become a change agent for his sake. The new “me” only seeks the glory and honour of my God in every aspect of life.

And we shout it out every day:  A new day has begun! 

Propel the Gospel to go everywhere

People become new creations, or transformed, when they imitate Christ.  They also see what imitators of our Lord means by looking at the lives of godly leaders, like Paul, who imitated the love, grace, mercy, goodness, kindness, truthfulness and other attributes Jesus is known for in the Gospels.

1 Thessalonians 1:4-10....you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere...

Imitators of Christ set an example to others and as such promote transformation where the Lord’s example becomes the standard of Christian living.

This sanctified life of the believers amplifies the Word of God to such an extent that it “goes forth everywhere”. It makes the Gospel credible, desirable and beautiful!

Transformed people transform churches by becoming imitators of our Lord.

Do you prayerfully desire to do what Jesus would have done?

Does your Christian example inspire others to receive the Word and be transformed?

Does your Christian life contribute to the transformation of your congregation?

Does your imitation of Christ propels the Gospel to “go forth everywhere”?