“Living Anew”

 1 Peter 1:23

For you have been born again.  Your new life did not come from your earthly

parents because the life they gave you will end in death.  But this new life will

last forever because it comes from the Eternal Living Word of God.  (NLT)

     Our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ, tells us clearly in His own words that in order for anyone to be saved from eternal condemnation they must be born again and remade a new creation.  The old sinful life must die and a new life in Christ must emerge.  Experiencing this new life means that you have been accepted by God the Father, cleansed by the blood of the Son, and empowered by the Holy Spirit, who helps you in the renewing of your heart and mind until your transformation is complete and you are glorified with Christ in Heaven.  It's incredibly amazing that after all of my dysfunction and years of rebellion against God, that He still cleansed my ugly past and created a new and better me with a glorious new life that will never end.  It was not long after being born again that the reality of living forever hit me hard, because I had no problem accepting the renewing of my dysfunctional life in the here and now, but the thought of living forever appealed to me about as much as swimming with hungry sharks did.  But as the Holy Spirit continued transforming my heart and mind, I began to understand that living forever in Heaven would be quite different than living in this troubled world. 

     The more I grow in the Lord, the more God reveals about himself and his eternal plan, and I now look forward to living with our God in Heaven forever.  Lord Jesus will physically come again into this broken world, but not again as a Savior.  Instead, He will return with fire in His eyes to eradicate the evil and all those who embrace it.  And when Satan and his many followers are removed from the scene, King Jesus will establish His Kingdom on Earth until He creates everything anew.  And even though we can never begin to imagine the wonders that living in a new universe on a new and perfect earth will bring, we do know that we will live in a glorified body that will never grow old or die.   We will never experience sin, sickness, pain, sorrow, and we will never be bored or disappointed.  In other words, it will be perfect. 

                                                                

                                  A Whisper of Hope

Trustworthy and true…are My words to you.  Eternal life is the gift I offer you; a gift that has been paid for in full.  Receive this Good News with thanksgiving and praise, and share it with others while you still can.  For My return draws nearer with each passing day, and when I come I will make good on My offer and give you all that I have promised and then some!

John 1:12-13

But to all who believed Him and accepted Him, He gave the right to

become children of God.  They are reborn!  This is not a physical birth

resulting from human passion or plan—this rebirth comes from God.  (NLT)

     Jesus replied, “I assure you, unless you are born again

                you can never see the Kingdom of God.”

                                     (John 3:3)