Sunday, January 29, 2012

I'm in Marvelous Light!

Well, it appears as if God thinks I can't take a hint. He sure keeps telling me the same thing over and over again.

This time He was telling me through the sermon at church this morning. I love to listen to our pastor preach the sermon. For the last year or so, we've been going line through line through the book of Ephesians. I love that Pastor Paul teaches us directly from the Bible. He doesn't add to it. And he always cautions us not to add to it. But he also tells us that we are to test it, not the Bible, but his sermon. He lets us know that he is only human and that it is our responsibility to read the Bible and make sure that what he is preaching is biblical. That is awesome! And I also love how Pastor Paul is faithful to bring the message that God has for all of us.
I find it interesting how God uses the message to reach people, often reaching people that the pastor may not have realized.

That's what happened to me today. I took away something from the message that I don't think Pastor Paul intended, but God intended for me to get it.
The sermon was "A Different Walk" on Ephesians 4:17-24. The verse that really stuck out for me was v17 ...that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk... There's been a theme on my blog since I started writing again, the idea that the world is different and that I am trying to figure out what that means to me. I've been too concerned with how the world views me. And obviously I needed a big wake-up call, a 2X4 to the head is more like it.

Pastor Paul always gives us sermon notes, and I'm following along, listening intently (after all, God was speaking right to me this morning) and I read this bit, "Why do we have to be different? Because we are different!" It was like Pastor Paul had read my blog. I've been feeling so out of step with the world and feeling different, and like I didn't belong. Well, dang, it's because I don't belong.
Light bulb moment!!!! I am no longer part of the worldly part of this world. Peter says, "But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light." 1 Peter 2:9

I just need to keep reminding myself (or just listen to God who keeps reminding me) that I am a new creation, I have a new heart, my new nature is calling me out of the sinful one, I need to strip off my old coat- let the Holy Spirit peel back layer after layer of sin to let the new me through. I should not imitate my dead self, the sinful self, I should reflect my inner self which is filled with the Holy Spirit.

And if it takes God reminding me every day, if it takes writing it in my blog every day, I am going to keep trying. Every day.

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