OUR Lord Jesus Christ, while He lived on earth, brought about tremendous changes to those who met Him. Nearly two thousand years after having left the earth, He still transforms lives. Without questions, Christ is alive!
Just think of individuals hooked on drugs, alcohol, adultery, dishonesty and every sort of sin imaginable who, after receiving Jesus into their lives are changed. There is no longer the desire to do those things because of the consciousness of His holy presence in their soul. Christ is alive!
By this world’s standards, my life, before I received Christ, could have been easily classified by others as good and acceptable. Yet, I was a sinner who needed to accept God’s offer of salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ. No one had to tell me that this world’s pleasure lasted only for a moment, since, like an addict, I would always find myself returning to them and wanting more of it.
I really do believe that there is a point in our lives when we all stop to consider what life is really all about, whether as a result of our own self-searching, or consequent to some incident that has had an impact on us. God, through His Holy Spirit, speaks clearly to us then. Yet, it is still entirely up to us to give heed and to respond by receiving Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord.
Had there been no promise of Heaven and its everlasting benefits, and a life directed by our Lord Jesus Christ here on earth, I would, nevertheless, still consider the Christian life the best kind of life. I can still remember a friend telling me how disappointed she was that I was now attending a church that has so many restrictions concerning what one may do or may not do. The reason was, that she had always been a church go–er, but never thought of herself as being restricted from any lifestyle, as long as she could show up in church every now-and-again. But it is not until we understand why Christ came into this world and receive Him as our personal Saviour, can going to church take on its true meaning. No one who receives Jesus Christ into his or her life can be the same as one was before.
For me, this old chorus sums up the Christian’s experience very well:
“He is my everything,
He is my all;
He is my everything
Both great and small;
He gave His life for me, are
Made everything new;
He is my everything
So what about you?”
The Bible declares,” Therefore if any man be in Christ he is a new creation; old things are passed away, behold all things become new”
(1 Corinthians 5:17).