Benefits and Blessings
When people think of the call of Christ, so often the first thing to pop into their minds is what they might give up or lose. I hate that. Really, I hate the pattern of thinking that is so pervasive. We ask, “What will I lose if I give my life to Christ?” So I want to turn that around. Jesus once asked a crowd, “What difference does it make if you gain the whole world but lose your SOUL?” People don’t want to risk losing freedom, control over their own morals, and the license to pursue pleasure at will. But they never think about the BENEFITS or blessings.
Last week, I shared something that most people overlook. “When we respond to the Good News, when we repent and believe Jesus, we start to recover and pursue God’s design. And we start to experience the BLESSINGS of God.” What blessings? Let’s think about a few.
Peace with God. The biggest blessing is an overarching sense of peace because we have been made right with God. We’ve been given the gift of forgiveness of sin, of having our broken record wiped clean by His grace. So we don’t look over our shoulder in fear; we walk in confidence because of the peace God gives us.
Power to LIVE for God. Until we turn our hearts to Him, we are literally on our own. We get frustrated because we’re human and flawed. We fail. But when God gives His Holy Spirit to us, we have a new sensitivity to sin and a new power to face it with better choices. “God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him.”
New Identity. We are proclaimed free from accusation, made holy, adopted as His children, and named as heirs to heaven. IN CHRIST, we are new creations. New life, new purpose, new power, a new destiny.
Presence of God. We are never alone in this world. We have access to the God of the universe. He’s eager to love us and lead us.
Purpose. We now live for a bigger purpose than ourselves. He has given us great personal security so we don’t fall into the slavery of needing to impress people. He has validated us.
We could go on and on. Will you “count” these blessings and benefits and give thanks? They will help you see that it’s not what you left behind that matters; it’s what is IN STORE for you that matters!
