Verse of the Day 11/9

 

2 Corinthians 5:17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!  New Living Translation (NLT)

 

I am a baseball fan, have been since I was about 5 years old.  The season is over, the World Series has concluded and you might think that baseball is done until next spring.  But fans realized that just around the corner is the hot stove league, the winter meetings where general managers will get together and make trades.  Some of these will be "blockbusters" several players being exchanged in hopes of transforming a team into a pennant contender.  These things don't just happen, transactions are made.  Sometimes a veteran will get a second chance or a benchwarmer may get a chance to play.  It may change their careers and their lives.

 

Pastor Bob spoke of this passage in 2 Corinthians 5 this morning and spoke of the greatest transaction, the greatest trade ever.  Jesus gave of Himself for us, he took our penalty and set us free.  Now all of us sinners (our former team) have joined a new team, we are saints, we are a new creation with opportunities and hope for a future.  With our "old team" we were doomed, always waiting for next year for things to be better but without Christ, it just doesn't happen.  If you've received Christ your new life has begun.  We should live like it.

 

Bob's message and these thoughts brought me to an old hymn that I learned early as a child.  It speaks of that "transaction".  It rang true back then and it still does today and it will endure after the passing of time.

 

Born of the Spirit with life from above into God's family divine,
Justified fully thru Calvary's love, O what a standing is mine!
And the transaction so quickly was made, when as a sinner I came,
Took of the offer, of grace He did proffer, He saved me, O praise His dear name!

Chorus
Heaven came down and glory filled my soul, (filled my soul)
When at the cross the Savior made me whole; (made me whole)
My sins were washed away and my night was turned to day,
Heaven came down and glory filled my soul! (filled my soul)
Now I've a hope that will surely endure after the passing of time;

I have a future in heaven for sure there in those mansions sublime.
And it's because of that wonderful day, when at the cross I believed;
Riches eternal and blessings supernal, from His precious hand I received.

 

In Christ,
Mike

 

Follow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com
Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace  NIV

 

2 Corinthians 5:16-20The Message (MSG)

^16-20 Because of this decision we don't evaluate people by what they have or how they look. We looked at the Messiah that way once and got it all wrong, as you know. We certainly don't look at him that way anymore. Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life burgeons! Look at it! All this comes from the God who settled the relationship between us and him, and then called us to settle our relationships with each other. God put the world square with himself through the Messiah, giving the world a fresh start by offering forgiveness of sins. God has given us the task of telling everyone what he is doing. We're Christ's representatives. God uses us to persuade men and women to drop their differences and enter into God's work of making things right between them. We're speaking for Christ himself now: Become friends with God; he's already a friend with you.