I saw this graphic on Facebook the other day. A friend posted it, I'm sure finding it wildly funny. And while it was not directed to me by any stretch of the imagination, I still took it to heart. I was never godless, nor the other, but I have sinned. Now, I am new creation in Christ. And while to me, "the old is gone! The new has come," the world may remember the old.
I can find great confidence, however, that like everything in my life, Jesus experienced the same thing. I love that Jesus walked the earth and lived life like we did, so that truly we know he can relate to our feelings.
When Jesus had finished these parables, he moved on from there. Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?” they asked. “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? Aren’t all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” And they took offense at him.
But Jesus said to them,“A prophet is not without honor except in his own town and in his own home.”
And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.
Matthew 13:53-58
Jesus went to his own hometown, and they were offended by him. They could only remember him as "the carpenter's son." They knew him before he was renown, and now they were offended at the changes in him, that he would have such wisdom.
Are you too a new creation in Christ? Don't let the world hold you back. The world says "I know who you used to be. I know what you used to do." But Jesus says, "You are a new creation in me." He forgives and takes our sins as far as the East is from the West. While my relationship with Christ may not erase to the world who I used to be, it does change who I am.
Remember who you are in Christ.
You are forgiven. You are a new creation.
You are holy and dearly loved.
Kelly Combs is a Christian wife, mom, writer and speaker. You can learn about Kelly by visiting her website at www.kellycombs.com
6 comments:
Amen, Kelly! I see things like this come across FB on occasion and my heart is heavy for the anti-Christian sentiment. How to persuade the world of His forgiveness and love? All the more that I know it totally in my life and LIVE it out loud so as to undercut all those clever naysayers and clip art out there.
Joy!
Kathy
That ecard makes me cringe. It demonstrates people's inability to understand or accept the fact that God really does love and forgive everyone, no matter what they've done. People who would post a cartoon like this fall under two camps: 1) they think they're so high and mighty and better than everyone else; or 2) they have done something so much worse in their past and feel better by pointing out other people's mistakes. They can't believe that God would forgive or accept someone as horrible as they are. (or I should say we all are). Great post, Kelly!
He is forgives and forgets. The world holds a grudge and remembers. So thankful for his grace.
He loved us while we were still sinners. And that love and grace produced a change in me! So thankful for him.
Kelly ~ this stopped me in my tracks, girl. What an awesome loving response God gave you to share. A transformed life will tell the story. Keep up the great work ~ your posts are inspiring.
I knew, after hearing about Chuck Colson's death, that obituaries would not remember first the great Christian man and missionary he was. No, we had to go back and rehash an old news story about the time he made a mistake. For what do we choose to remember people?
Unfortunately, with people we didn't get to know, sometimes it does boil down to something they did. We need to remember that a life is much bigger than that which we choose to do in a moment of time. Jesus was a carpenter's son because "his time had not yet come" to be recognized as anything more. But to then ignore, in essence, the words of prophecy and what He was saying and doing in their presence was to miss the opportunity for relationship. We must always look beyond what we think we know....
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