20-DAY CHALLENGE: LIVING THE CHRISTIAN LIFE (DAY-15)

20-DAY CHALLENGE: LIVING THE CHRISTIAN LIFE (Day-15)

HOW HAS BECOMING A CHRISTIAN CHANGED YOU?

BIBLE PASSAGE:
“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.”
(Philippians 2:5)

MEDITATION:
When we have a saving experience with
the Lord, something incredible takes place.
All of a sudden, things look different to us;
our attitudes change, and we have brand
new priorities in our lives.

Instead of being cynical and critical of others,
we have a desire to encourage them.
Our casual time with the Lord is accelerated
to a desire to draw near Him, to get to
know Him better, and to spend more time with Him.

Our gossip about others
is replaced with discussing their good qualities.
Anger is replaced with a love for others.

The list could be quite long,
but the bottom line is, we have a renewed mind.
Why?
Because we are no longer
influenced by the world, but by the Lord.
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed
by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and
approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
(Romans 12:2)

When our mind is renewed, our heart is changed as well.
It is impossible to live pure lives until we have pure hearts.
Many people today are trying to put the cart before the horse.
They are teaching purity of motives, desires,
and actions to old, deceitful, and unchanged hearts.
It is no surprise we have ended up with such moral failures,
in spite of our vaunted knowledge and psychological approaches.

Pure motives, desires, and actions are by-products of pure hearts.
Pure hearts will be more Christ-like;
they will know His mindset and allow it to dwell within them.
It is God’s desire that we will be conformed to the image of His Son.
That means that we will think, talk, and act more like Him.

It means that we will develop the types of attitudes that define Him.
If Christ lives within us and our bodies become a home
that welcomes the Holy Spirit, then we should not be
surprised when we start becoming more like Christ Jesus.

ACTION:
Has your mind been changed?
Do you look at things in a similar manner of Jesus Christ?
Has God’s merciful salvation caused a dramatic change in you?
Have you detected significant changes
in your thoughts, words, actions, and attitudes?

If the answer to these questions is, “No”,
then what areas of your life have you
failed to surrender to the Lord?
And, what do you plan to do about it?

Jesus has said that some will convince themselves
they have been saved, but they have not been changed
(which is evident in those who have received God’s salvation).

They have lived their lives convinced that they are destined
for Heaven, but find out (too late!) that they are not, and will
instead spend eternity separated from the one they thought
they knew, while they suffer with pain and agony.
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom
of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is
in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not
prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in
your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly,
‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ (Matthew 7:21-23)

Do you still drink, use profanity, commit sexual sins, steal,
have uncontrolled anger, gossip, find fault in others, tell lies,
consider yourself better than others, treat others rudely or abusively,
ignore those who need encouragement (especially those who
don’t seem to “fit in”), have a lack a love for others, etc. etc.?

If any of these are true, then you have not been changed by the Lord.
Change your destiny from one that will hear the Lord say,
“I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers” (Matthew 7:23)
to a new destiny where you will hear the Lord say,
“Well done, good and faithful servant!”(Matthew 25:21)
and you can say to yourself,
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race,
I have kept the faith.” (2 Timothy 4:7)

Don’t become one of those Jesus ‘never knew’.
If you have not been changed (really changed)
as a result of your profession of faith, then do
something about it…now!
(as if your life depends upon it, because it does)

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, thank You for Your salvation to all those
who surrender their lives to You. I pray that You would renew
the parts of me that are still holding on to worldly values.
Cleanse my heart and create in me a comfortable place for the
Holy Spirit to reside. Show me where I am failing to surrender
to You. Help me to enjoy the new mind You are creating in me.
Help me to appreciate how the new person You are making of
me, will have a positive impact on others and point them to Jesus.”