Acts 26:15-18
"Then I asked, 'Who are you, Lord?' "'I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,' the Lord replied. 'Now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen and will see of me. I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.'
There is so much power, beauty, and hope found in these verses, but there was one truth the Holy Spirit really pointed out to me this morning, the part about turning us from darkness to light, from Satan to God. The realization that before I belonged to Christ, I belonged to His enemy. That before He welcomed me at His table, I dined with His enemy. That I was born His enemy but will die His friend and part of His family, and it's not because of who I am but Who He is and always will be! What a big God we serve!
What did I have to offer Christ the day He called me His? What could I have possibly given Him for Him to allow me to switch sides? I had nothing but my heart, my life, and my sins all surrendered at the foot of the cross. Do you see the beautiful freedom found in that? I'm overwhelmed and in awe at times at how generous, loving, forgiving, merciful, and patient He is with me. Not only could He save me, but would He save me? The answer, my friends, was a resounding, “Yes, I can and yes, I will!”
We have been bought at a price, sealed with His blood, forever redeemed, and it pleased Him to do it! So today, let's remember that though we used to be enemies of the cross, we are now carriers of our own cross and live in the power of the One who set us free!
Philippians 3:18- For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ.
Romans 5:8- But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
God bless! I love you all, but His love saves! Glory, honor, and praise now and forever to Papa God, Jesus Christ our Guardian Redeemer, and the Holy Spirit!
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