Find a New Life Through Christ

Romans 5:8
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

John 1:12
But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name.

Recently I had the privilege of visiting the home of a very dear friend. It is a home that I had not seen before, but one I had heard an awful lot about. You see, one day my friend was driving down an old country road and she happened to see a very dilapidated farmhouse that was condemned and ready to be torn down. As she looked at it, instead of seeing it in its awful condition, she saw what it could become. She and her husband bought that house just so they would not have to see it die, and they rescued it.

Through the years they have worked very hard to make it the beautiful place it is today. They ripped out the rotten floorboards and put in new ones. They put in new cupboards and windows and walls. They put a lot of love and tender care into rebuilding that house and giving it new life.

As I stood there looking at the house and the beautiful landscaping, I was reminded just how great God has been in doing the very same thing for us. You know, when we were sinners, we were good for nothing and condemned. God looked down and saw what we could become and sent the Lord Jesus Christ to be our Savior. Romans 5:8 says, "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

In our good for nothing state, Christ died for us to give us salvation. If you have not accepted that salvation, I would encourage you to remember that Jesus Christ is the only way to Heaven, and it is through His blood that we can have salvation. John 1:12 says, "But as many as received Him, to them he gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name."

His sacrifice on the cross is payment for our sins. We need to recognize that there is nothing but His death on the cross that will pay for our sins, and accept this as a gift of faith. If you have already done that, rejoice in the fact that God has taken you from that dilapidated and condemned state into a new life. Thank God for it! In this dilapidated house we can have new life, but it takes someone's sacrificial work. In our case, Christ did that. Thank God for that sacrifice and go on about the day thinking, "I have new life! I've been rescued! Thank you Jesus!"

By Dr. Ann Shorb

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