ADMIRATION OF OURSELVES

St. John of the Cross (1542-1591) once noted, “When beginners become aware of their own fervor and diligence… this prosperity of theirs gives rise to secret pride… They conceive a certain satisfaction in the contemplation of their works… They condemn others in their heart when they see that they are not devout in their way.”

The early steps of spiritual growth often feel bright and exhilarating. We discover new disciplines, new insights, new rhythms of prayer, and it’s easy to mistake our progress for God’s presence. St. John of the Cross warns that even sincere devotion can quietly bend inward, becoming a subtle admiration of ourselves rather than a humble turning toward Christ.

Scripture echoes this danger: “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.”  (Philippians 2:3)

Humility is not thinking less of ourselves; it is thinking of ourselves less. It is remembering that every good impulse, every spiritual victory, every moment of clarity is grace received, not achievement earned. When we forget this, pride slips in through the side door. We begin to measure our devotion against others, forgetting that Christ alone is the standard -- and Christ alone is the source of our growth. 

-- SOUND BITES Ministry™

#6407

BORN OF THE SPIRIT

“Jesus answered [Nicodemus], ‘Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.’” (John 3:5–6)

In his book “Conversion,” missionary and theologian E. Stanley Jones (1884-1973) commented on Jesus’ reply to Nicodemus: “Here He tells us that the new birth is first of all ‘not of blood.’  You don’t get it through the blood stream, through heredity.  Your parents can give you much, but they cannot give you this.  Being born in a Christian home does not make you a Christian.”

The new birth is not inherited, not passed down through family lineage, nor guaranteed by the environment in which we were raised. A Christian home may nurture faith, but it cannot impart salvation. Only the Spirit of God can breathe new life into the soul.

Jesus’ words to Nicodemus cut through every illusion of self-sufficiency. Flesh can only produce flesh. Our natural birth gives us life in this world, but it cannot usher us into the kingdom of God. The Spirit alone gives birth to spirit. This means that salvation is not about heritage, tradition, or even effort -- it is about accepting the saving work of Jesus Christ on the cross and the transforming work of the Holy Spirit.

Personal faith is essential. You cannot ride into the kingdom on the coattails of your parents’ faith or your church’s reputation. You must encounter Christ personally. The Spirit brings transformation. The new birth is not just a change of behavior but a change of nature. The Spirit makes us alive to God, reshaping our desires and renewing our hearts. Understand that grace is a gift. Just as you did not cause your first birth, you cannot manufacture your second. It is received by faith, through the Spirit’s power. 

-- SOUND BITES Ministry™, compiled from a variety of sources 

#6245

A BEAUTIFUL NEW LIFE

“Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to Himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to Him.”  (2 Corinthians 5:17-18 NLT)

One day as I was lying in a canoe, a big black beetle came out of the water and climbed up into the canoe. I watched it idly for some time. Under the heat of the sun, the beetle proceeded to die. Then a strange thing happened. His glistening black shell cracked all the way down his back. Out of it came a shapeless mass, quickly transformed into beautiful life.

As I watched in fascination, there gradually unfolded iridescent wings from which the sunlight flashed a thousand colors. The wings spread wide, as if in worship of the sun. The blue-green body took shape. Before my eyes had occurred a metamorphosis -- the transformation of a hideous beetle into a gorgeous dragonfly, which started dipping and soaring over the water. But the body it left behind still clung to the canoe. I had witnessed what seemed to be a miracle. Out of the muck had come a beautiful new life. And the thought came to me, that if the Creator works such wonders with the lowliest of creatures, what may not be in store for the human spirit?

-- Cecil B. DeMille, as quoted by Leonard Sweet in “A Cup of Coffee at the SoulCafe” 

#6186

FIRST IMPORTANCE

The apostle Paul wrote to the people at Corinth to tell them about what mat­tered to him: "For I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn had received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures" (I Corinthians 15:3-4).

According to Paul, what really mat­ters -- what is of "first importance" -- is that Jesus Christ died for our sins, was buried, and was resurrected!  For Paul, the cross is the core of the gospel.  The cross is the hinge point that makes a sig­nificant difference in all of history.  When the cross -- the crucifixion of Jesus -- is connected with the resurrec­tion of Jesus, transformation takes place.  Life is different.  Christian disciples are born. 

-- Rev. Timothy Bias in an article in “Circuit Rider,” Jan/Feb 2001

#6099

 

A NEW IDENTITY IN CHRIST

“So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!”  (2 Corinthians 5:17 NRSV)

Jesus invited Peter and his brother, Andrew, to forsake their business in order to string along with Him, and “immediately they left their nets and followed Him“ (Matthew 4:18-20). Soon Jesus called two other brothers to follow Him. “Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him” (Matthew 4:22). The Gospel writers reveal a sense of immediacy accompanying Jesus’ call. They recognize a sense of timing. Jesus’ call in our lives is both immediate and timely.

Not only does Jesus call us to join ranks with Him; He also names us. In recruiting Peter, Jesus said to him, “You are Simon… you are to be called… Peter” (John 1:42). Gospel vignettes remind us that we must name Jesus for ourselves. Nathaniel named Jesus “the Son of God… the King of Israel” (John 1:49). In the early chapter of the Gospels, so many people are naming and being named. We too might allow Jesus to name us, to tell us who we really are. Naming someone defines the person, allows the person to take on an entirely new identity. When Jesus lays claim upon our lives, we are given a new name…

When John’s disciples broke ranks to follow after Jesus, He asked them, “Who are you looking for?” They responded, “Where do you live?” Jesus asked who, they responded where. Their spirituality was uninformed. They looked for grace in “things and places.” Jesus offered them grace in a living, loving relationship. Jesus still asks the “who” questions – not merely “what.” “What are you doing?” is a doing question with a doing reply: I am a teacher, a machinist, a physician, and so forth. But “who” you are invites a being response. “Who” inquires into the soul of us. Who are you? What name has Jesus given you? What name have you given Jesus? 

-- Norman Shawchuck in “A Guide to Prayer for All Who Seek God”

#6088

THE GIFT OF NEW BIRTH

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”  (John 3:16-17 NKJV)

This profound truth reminds us that the new birth is a precious gift from God. It is not something we can earn or achieve on our own -- it is freely given by the Father, flowing from His immeasurable grace.

Through Jesus Christ, this gift becomes the ultimate expression of God's love. By receiving Him -- by accepting this gift -- we are welcomed as children of God, as John 1:12 proclaims: "But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God." This adoption into God's family transforms us, giving us a new identity as His beloved children.

This new birth is not just a momentary event; it is the beginning of a journey. It is a new life that calls us to grow, to deepen our relationship with God, and to become more like Christ in our thoughts, words, and actions. It is an invitation to embrace a life of faith, hope, and love, all empowered by the Spirit. 

-- SOUND BITES Ministry, compiled from a variety of sources

#6068

KINGDOM PROMISES: WHAT LIFE SHOULD BE

“Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’”  (Mark 1:14b-15 ESV)

Jesus spoke a lot about the kingdom of God. In one sense that kingdom is all of creation, and God is the "King of the Universes," a phrase my Jewish friends use to address God. But human existence has been marked by rebellions against God. From Adam and Eve on, people have regularly turned aside from God's will (a practice we call sin), with the result that human history is littered with wars, acts of inhumanity, and injustice. As we say in the prayer of confession that often accompanies the Eucharist, "We have not loved You with our whole heart. We have not loved our neighbors as ourselves." So when Jesus speaks about the kingdom of God, He is usually articulating a vision not of what life is, but what it should be. Through new birth [in Christ] and the sanctifying work of the Spirit, we seek to reflect that kingdom in our lives. 

-- Adam Hamilton in “Revival: Faith as Wesley Lived It”

#5976

SAVED FROM A SINKING BOAT

Quite dramatically it dawns upon you: There is a God. There's more to life than what I have been seeing. There is a God. And God makes a claim on my life.

Perhaps at the very same moment, you get a whole different view of yourself. Scales fall off. It is horrible. "I've been living for me. I've been curved in on myself all these years… All the love lost! And the betrayals -- by neglect as much as anything! The blindness! Woe is me. I'm a mess that can't be fixed. I've got to close all these thoughts up and get out of here." The boat is sinking.

But then, if you are blessed, just as soon as the horror of self-knowledge is embraced, there comes another feeling of presence. A gentle voice which speaks from the depths of the soul, even from the depths of the universe. "It's all right. Do not be afraid. I know who you are. Forgiveness is Mine to grant. I'm not here to destroy your life. I'm here to remake it." It feels like death at first, but then there is new life. "So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; look, new things have come into being!”  (2 Corinthians 5:17 NRSV)

The sudden apprehension of God's reality creates a sudden knowledge of self. And you perceive a horrible gap between yourself and God. But immediately into the breach God pours love and forgiveness in Christ. There is an intuition that God knows full well who you are, loves you anyway, and empowers you to change. Beneath the crisis of the meaning of life, whatever form it takes, God gives a sense that all is well and you are kept in love. God lifts you out of the sinking boat. 

– Adapted from Gerrit Scott Dawson in “Heartfelt”

#5873

PLOWED UP AND RE-SOWN

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”  (2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV)

The almost impossibly hard thing is to hand over your whole self to Christ. But it is far easier than what we are all trying to do instead. For what we are trying to do is remain what we call “ourselves” -- our personal happiness centered on money or pleasure or ambition -- and hoping, despite this, to behave honestly and chastely and humbly. And that is exactly what Christ warned us you cannot do. If I am a grass field -- all the cutting will keep the grass less but won’t produce wheat. If I want wheat… I must be plowed up and re-sown. 

-- C.S. Lewis, from an essay entitled “Is Christianity Hard or Easy?”

#5547

A FRESH START FOR THE NEW YEAR

"Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new”. (2 Corinthians 5:17, The Message).

[Renovation] takes solid work, requires real change in behavior, and sometimes the recognition that failing will be part of the journey. A fascinating and convicting book is “Renovation of the Heart” by Dallas Willard. It’s one to put on your reading list – and recognize that you might be reading one chapter over and over and over. He spends some interesting time thinking about the role of the will and the relation to the Holy Spirit in this “renovation”, in becoming “new creatures”.

The key to this renovation, however, as opposed to the fad of New Year’s resolutions, is that spiritual fresh starts are based in a power that is not our own power. In fact, we have to give up our “own power” in order to be effective, and that makes all the difference.

So looking at that verse again, we can be assured that when we unite with the Messiah, when we are reborn in Christ, when the Holy Spirit becomes part of our hearts and minds… we have a true chance at a fresh start. 

-- Lt. Colonel Carol Seiler, the Salvation Army

#5507   

THE NEW RELATIONSHIP

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”  (2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV)

During this Advent season as we celebrate the new relationship between God and His people, may that be mirrored in our renewed relationships with spouses, children, family and those near and dear to us. May we speak tenderly to each other amidst all the rush of the season and transform the shopping days till Christmas into the true Advent of Christ. 

-- Casely Essamuah

#5483

SURRENDERING TO GOD

“Whoever wants to be My disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow Me.”  (Matthew 6:26)

Jesus is very clear on this point: There is no way for a human being to come to God that does not involve surrender.

Surrender is not the same thing as passivity. God’s will for your life involves exercising creativity, making choices, and taking initiative. Surrender does not mean being a doormat. It does not mean you accept circumstances fatalistically. Often it means you will have to fight to challenge the status quo. It doesn’t mean that you stop using your mind, stop asking questions, or stop thinking critically. Surrender is not a crutch for weak people who cannot handle life.

Instead, surrender is the glad and voluntary acknowledgement that there is a God and it is not me. His purposes are often wiser and better than our own desires. Jesus does not come to rearrange the outside of our life the way we want. He comes to rearrange the inside of our life the way God wants.

In surrender, I let go of my life. It is a Copernican revolution of the soul in which I take myself out of the center of the universe and place God there. I yield to Him. I offer obedience. I do what He says. 

-- John Ortberg in “The Me I Want to Be: Becoming God’s Best Version of You”

#5457

EXPECTING MORE

"So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!”  (2 Corinthians 5:17 NRSV)

A God not interested in taking risks would never have created Adam in the first place. If God risked everything in the person of Jesus Christ for the sake of our salvation, doesn't it seem likely that this same God might expect more than self-seeking, self-motivated, safety-conscious behavior from those who have been so wondrously saved? 

-- Leonard Sweet in “Homiletics” magazine

#5162

A NEW CREATION

"So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!”  (2 Corinthians 5:17 NRSV)

Forrest Gump said many wonderful things, but “My mama always said you’ve got to put the past behind you before you can move on” has particular resonance regarding new beginnings.

We’ve all see those before and after pictures: the “before” picture of the forlorn, 90-pound weakling; the “after” picture of Mr. Universe. It looks so easy in all those advertisements for millions of products and procedures. At best, it’s a temporary fix on a used model.

“New…” means a completely new creation. The beauty of our “after” picture is glorious and eternal. Think of God creating order from chaos. And what was His opinion of His work? It was good. Through the redemptive work of Jesus Christ, God has done the same with us. Perhaps this is the most wondrous part of the Father’s nature: He can make all things new! 

-- From “Hello God… It’s Me: 365 Day Devotional Journal”

#4909

ONLY THE BEGINNING

“Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.”  (1 Peter 2:2-3 NIV)

While the new birth is necessary at the beginning, it is only the beginning. We must not think that because we have accepted Christ as Savior and therefore are Christians, this is all there is in the Christian life.

In one way, physical birth is the most important part in our physical lives, because we are not alive in the external world until we have been born. In another way, however, it is the least important of all the aspects of our life, because it is only the beginning and then it is past.

After we are born, the important thing is the living of our lives in all their relationships, possibilities, and capabilities. It is exactly the same with the new birth. 

-- Francis A. Schaeffer in “True Spirituality”

#4908

AN EXCLAMATION POINT

“Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”  (2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT)

In order to begin a new chapter, you must end an old chapter. The way to do it is with a simple punctuation mark. You can put a period on the page. It gets the job done. But if you want to be more dramatic, you can use an exclamation point. It’s more decisive, more definitive. Then you turn the page and begin a new sentence, which begins a new paragraph, which begins a new chapter.

What’s true in grammar is true in life.

If you want to break a habit, stop a conflict, or just leave the past in the past, you need a punctuation mark. A comma won’t cut it. Neither will a semicolon. You need an exclamation point in your life! 

-- Mark Batterson in “All In: You Are One Decision Away from a Totally Different Life”

#4907

A NEW CREATION

“So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!”  (2 Corinthians 5:17 NRSV)

Faith is unlearning the senseless worries and misguided beliefs that keep us captive. It is far more complex than simply modifying behavior. Faith is rewiring the human brain. We are literally upgrading our minds by downloading the mind of Christ. 

-- Mark Batterson

#4877

RECONCILED AND RECONCILING

“But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in His flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in Himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.”  (Ephesians 2:13-16 NIV)

When no tensions are confronted and overcome, because insiders or outsiders of a certain class or group meet happily among themselves, then the one new thing, peace, and the one new man created by Christ, are missing; then no faith, no church, no Christ, is found or confessed. For if the attribute "Christian" can be given sense from Ephesians 2, then it means reconciled and reconciling, triumphant over walls and removing the debris, showing solidarity with the "enemy" and promoting not one's own peace of mind but "our peace."... When this peace is deprived of its social, national, or economic dimensions, when it is distorted or emasculated so much that only "peace of mind" enjoyed by saintly individuals is left -- then Jesus Christ is being flatly denied. To propose, in the name of Christianity, neutrality or unconcern on questions of international, racial, or economic peace -- this amounts to using Christ's name in vain. 

-- Markus Barth (1915-1994) in “The Broken Wall” [1959] 

#4861

THE GOAL OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE

“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”  (Romans 12:2 NLT)

The goal of the Christian life is not knowledge, comprehending a bunch of theology, or memorizing large chunks of the Bible. Following Christ is also not about activity, signing up to serve ceaselessly at church, or tackling a daily “to do” list for God. Christ’s ultimate desire for each of us is to make us like Himself. Once we become God’s children by faith in Christ (John 1:12-13) -- once we receive a brand-new nature (2 Corinthians 5:17) -- He wants to utterly transform, from the inside out, the way we think and talk and act. He does this primarily by the truth in His Word, by the power of the Spirit, and with the encouragement of His people. Life is His laboratory for remaking us into the people He originally envisioned, before sin plunged the world into darkness and ruin. Take heart, Christian, Christ is being formed in you! 

-- from “Life Lessons with Max Lucado - Book of Galatians: Free in Christ”

#4855

CLOSED TOMBS AND CLOSED DOORS

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.”  (Isaiah 55:8-9 NIV)

“Resurrection means the worst thing is never the last thing.”  (Frederick Buechner)

Frederick Buechner moved to New York to become a writer, only to find he couldn’t write a word. He tried to go into his uncle’s advertising business but wasn’t tough enough. He tried to join the CIA but didn’t have the stomach for it. He fell in love with a girl who did not fall in love with him. He writes, “It all sounds like a kind of inane farce as I set it down here, with every door I tried to open slammed on my foot, yet I suppose it was a kind of pilgrim’s progress.”

It was door closing because he was disappointed in options he wanted. It was progress because it led to him finding, or being found by, God. And in his faith he has written words that have inspired millions of others in their faith. But that door never could have opened if many other doors hadn’t closed first.

-- John Ortberg in “All the Places to Go: How Will You Know?”

#4831