Salvation and Transformation

By Andrea Merrell

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 story is told of a group of friends attending their twenty-year high school reunion. They spent the entire evening comparing notes about their life. After much discussion, one of the men was asked, “Hey, dude, what happened to you? You’re nothing like the rowdy, mischievous guy you used to be. What changed?”

“Everything,” the man answered. "I met the Lord, and everything changed.”

The Bible tells us that when we are “in Christ” we become a new creation. A new person, shedding our old way of life and embracing a new life in Him. But how often do we encounter someone who has been saved yet there is no change?

I had a family member who told me she had her “ticket to heaven,” but I never saw any difference in her. Her worldly lifestyle remained the same until she passed away.

The bottom line is this: salvation should equal transformation. How does that happen? We find the answer in Romans 12:1-2. We are to present ourselves as living sacrifices to the Lord and to be transformed by renewing our minds. The MSG puts it very plainly:

So, here’s what I want you to do, God helping you. Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.

One writer says that the same One who saved us longs to remake us. That only happens when we seek Him with all our heart.

Does your salvation equal transformation? 

Photo by Suzanne D. Williams on Unsplash

Time to Destroy Bad Habits

 

By Andrea Merrell

You shall conquer them and utterly destroy them.

Deuteronomy 7:2 NKJK

The man’s addiction threatened to destroy his marriage. “I’m sorry,” he told his wife. “It’s become such a habit, I can’t break it.”

Bad habits can dictate our lives and cause harm, not only to us but to all those around us. They produce a cycle of negative thoughts, words, and behaviors. The Word for You Today (TWFYT) says, “Habits are like machines; they consistently turn out the same product.”

When God’s people entered the Promised Land, He told them to utterly destroy their enemies. Sounds gruesome, but God knew if the enemies remained, they would eventually rise up and destroy His chosen people.

That’s the way it is with bad habits. Negative behaviors can become an idol, taking our focus away from the Lord. When we give in to them, we end up in a prison of our own making instead of enjoying the freedom Christ died to give us.

TWFYT also says, “Anytime you keep falling into the same traps, making the same mistakes, jumping into the same relationships, getting hooked on the same habits, it’s time to take your problems to Jesus.”

The man finally did just that, and Jesus set him free.

If you’re struggling with bad habits of any kind that are keeping you bound, maybe it’s time to wage war on them and utterly destroy them by giving them to the Lord.

 

 Photo by Manan Chhabra on Unsplash

Who Has the Final Say?

 

By Andrea Merrell

God’s way is perfect. All the Lord’s promises prove true.

He is a shield for all who look to him for protection.

Psalm 18:30 NLT

 

“My marriage is in trouble,” the woman told her friend. “We’ve reached a stalemate. We tried to agree to disagree, but we can’t even agree on that.”

This couple had reached a point of no return. Neither willing to compromise. No going forward or finding a resolution. They were stuck. And both wanted to have the final say. 

Pride can get us in a lot of trouble, especially when we’re unwilling to admit we’re wrong or even consider another person’s feelings or opinion. The Bible says, “Pride leads to conflict” (Proverbs 13:10 NLT). When we always think we’re right and have the attitude that it’s “my way or the highway,” we’ve already lost the battle.

But we really get in trouble when we carry this attitude into our relationship with the Lord. With Him there is no stalemate. No negotiation. He doesn’t agree to disagree.

Psalm 119 tells us, “Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven” (vs. 89 NKJV). That means it's etched in stone. Unchangeable.

God will patiently listen to our complaints, but in every situation, He has the final say. Case closed.

Photo courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net and Sira Anamwong.

The Problem with Cliques

 

By Andrea Merrell

You are all one in Christ Jesus.

Galatians 3:28 NKJV

 

Have you ever tried to be part of a tight-knit group that refused to let you in?

There are a lot of different names for these folks: Clubs. Gangs. Packs. Clans. Factions. In-crowd. But whatever you call them, they fall under the definition of clique: a small group of people who share interests, spend time together, and don’t allow others to join them.

I’ve experienced these exclusive groups in social settings, the workplace, conferences, and large families. But the sad news is we find them even in the church.

To feel exclusive is to exclude others, and being excluded can hurt deeply and leave lasting emotional scars. Cliques can create dissension, confusion, and resentment. They perpetuate  the idea of conforming to the group while losing individuality. And heaven help those who go against the rest of the group.

I once heard someone say, “Oh, you Christians are nothing but a clique. You think you’re better than everyone else.”

Paul states in Galatians that we are all “one in Christ Jesus.” In Romans he says as Christians we are many but all part of one body—the Body of Christ (12:4-5). He also tells us that God does not show favoritism (2:11 NLT).

The Body of Christ, therefore, is not a clique. It is a group of like-minded individuals who love the Lord and embrace others, inviting them to enter God’s kingdom and become part of His family.

Are you inviting others in?

Photo by Hannah Busing on Unsplash

Are You Enough?

 

By Andrea Merrell

Not that we are sufficient of ourselves 

to think of anything as being 

from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God.

2 Corinthians 3:5 NKJV

“I don’t need God,” the man said. “I don’t need anyone. I am enough.”

How sad that so many people have the same mindset, thinking they are up to the task of handling whatever life throws at them.

One morning during my quiet time, I realized that without God I am nothing, I have nothing, and I can do nothing. To some that might sound like a sad way to live, but for me, it’s the best and only way. Here’s why.

Without God: I am nothing, just a sinner, lost and struggling to find my way in this world. I have no identity, no purpose, and no destiny.

With God: I am a child of the King. Loved. Redeemed. Full of purpose and headed toward eternity in His holy presence. That’s my identity. That’s who I am.

Without God: I have nothing. I can attain nothing of lasting value on my own. Everything I acquire is simply wood, hay, and stubble (1 Corinthians 3:12).

With God: I have everything I need. He is my source. Every good and perfect gift comes from Him (James 1:17). He has given me all things needed to live a godly life (2 Peter 1:3).

Without God: I can do nothing. Jesus said that Himself in John 15:5. My thoughts, strength, and wisdom are insufficient on this journey through life without Him.

With God: I can do all things through Christ (Philippians 4:13) because His strength is made perfect in my weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9).

The Message translation of Philippians 4:13 sums it up like this: “Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am.” 

Some view God as a crutch. They believe that if they lean heavily on Him, it exposes their weakness. The truth is we are all weak. But when we bring our weakness to Him, He pours His strength into every area of our life. He gives us our true identity (in Him), provides whatever we need, and empowers us to do anything and everything He calls us to do.

Are you enough? In Him you are—because He is more than enough.

Photo by whitney sause on Unsplash