New Year's Truth

HAPPY NEW YEARS!!! It's 2015, y'all! Whoot! A new year, a new beginning!

This morning, I started into one of my New Year's resolutions - to do an in-depth study on the topic of self-control. I took the first verse the online concordance gave me, little knowing it would carry a huge New Year's truth! God is so cool like that. :)

The verse was Acts 24:25. Sounds kinda random, doesn't it?

Paul has recently been taken into custody by the Romans after he was nearly murdered by the Jewish leaders. Now under the protection of Governor Felix, who is apparently familiar with "the Way", Paul gets several opportunities to share the gospel with Felix.

Verse 25 tells us about his first conversation:

"As Paul discoursed on righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and said, 'That's enough for now! You may leave. When I find it convenient, I will send for you.'"

 So Paul is going deep, not just skimming the surface of the Gospel, but getting personal with Felix and the governor's struggles (which involve having taken another man's wife), making him uncomfortable.

And here's the New Year's truth I took away from this passage - when discussing the gospel with others, or applying it to my own life, I have to remember that it's not just about my salvation, but that it's about completely changing my life!

Application - I need to speak the gospel to myself daily if I want to grow in self-control. Jesus died so that I CAN change, so that I CAN be new! Not by my power ('cause I don't have any!), but by His incredible power that was strong enough to defeat death! Wow!

I don't have to be a slave to sin this year, nor a slave to my fleshly desires.

Whohoo!!

And finally, I want to close with this great quote by Nancy Leigh DeMoss from her book "Lies Women Believe" (which I would recommend ALL Christian women read!!):

"Satan knows that if we believe we can't help the way we are, we will never change."

I CAN change and grow - not because I can pull myself up by my own bootstraps, or get a lot of good feelings from a New Year's resolution.

No, I can change because I have His power with me all year long. :)

~ Ellie

Comments

  1. UnknownJanuary 5, 2015 at 12:36 PM

    This is fantastic, Ellie! Thank you for sharing! :) This year, I am praying for opportunities to share the Gospel to others more. I feel that through my career as a fitness coach and meeting people outside of my "Christian circle of friends", opportunities will come in God's timing as He graciously shows me how I can glorify Him the best way I can by using self-control and taking care of my/His temple and helping/encouraging others to do the same. Sharing God's love with people is such a privilege...to let Jesus shine through us. I want to not only show people Jesus with my life, I desire to tell people about Jesus and how much He loves them, that He died for them and for their sin & my sin, and how He was raised from the dead on the 3rd day and was resurrected to the God, his Father & our Father and will come again. I pray for a spiritual awakening and that more and more people who are lost will have spiritual eyes to see how much they are really loved by God, our Heavenly Father. I pray for boldness to speak the truth as I aught. That is why I am here. Praise His Holy Name Forever!! All praise be unto Christ our Savior.

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