“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” 2 Corinthians 5:17

The old year is gone and the new has come. It’s a blank slate. Last year is history and this year is a mystery. Who knows what this New Year will bring? God does! Perhaps your best act would be to place the right foundation on the face of the New Year in your life. That foundation is the Gospel message plain and simple.

God so loved the world He created that He gave sinful man a second chance by sending His only Son as our Savior, not only for us, but for the whole world. God has a plan for our lives in this coming year and for all years to come. His plan is for us to believe in Him and have everlasting life.

Not only does He have plan, but, He has a provision. He sent His only Son as a provision for us. We can take that to the redemption center at the foot of the cross and have everlasting life, gloriously in eternity.

Lastly, He has a promise. We all make and break promises, especially at this time of the year, but God’s promise of eternal life is written in blood and cannot and will not be broken. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. (John 3:17)

No other verse in the Bible so succinctly summarizes God’s relationship with humanity and the way of salvation than does John 3:16 revealing God’s plan, provision and promise. Some consider John 3:16 as the “theme verse” for the entire Bible. John 3:16 tells us of the love God has for us and the extent of that love—so great that He sacrificed His only Son on our behalf. John 3:16 teaches us that anyone who believes in Jesus Christ, God’s Son, will be saved. John 3:16 gives us the glorious hope of eternal life in heaven through the love of God and death of Jesus Christ.

There is no more powerful way to deliver this message than to let John 3:16 speak for itself. God so loved the world (you and me) that He sent His only begotten Son so that all who believe shall not perish,  but have everlasting life.

May this verse be your foundation for 2017.

By John Grant
John Grant is a former Florida State Senator and is a practicing attorney

If you don’t know Jesus in a personal way you can begin a relationship with him today. The first step is a prayer telling him you believe He is who He says He is and a second step is surrendering control of your will and life to him.  These can be communicated in a simple prayer (prayer is talking to God):

“Lord Jesus, I need You. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive You as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of the throne of my life. Make me the kind of person You want me to be.”

If this prayer expresses the desire of your heart, then you can pray this prayer right now and Christ will come into your life, as He promised.

You can learn more about this relationship with a description of four basic Spiritual laws.
https://thoughtsaboutgod.com/four-laws

FURTHER READING

A New Creature

A New Identity

I Have a Choice

The post The New Is Here appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold, the new has come.” 2 Corinthians 5:17

Ruthless violence!  Lavish lifestyle!  Those words once described Jorge Valdes (HORE-hay val-DEEZ) a former Colombian drug lord.

His message to drug policy makers, ambassadors and top military officers in Washington, D.C., was surprising.  He spoke of ‘coming clean’ and finding a new life through a dramatic personal encounter with Jesus Christ.  Even the FBI agents who tracked and jailed him agree he’s truly been transformed by Christ.  Amazing!

You may think you’re without hope, that you’ll never change.  But the Bible says otherwise. The Bible assures us: “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new”.

Cling to that truth today, dear one.  Christ can transform you.  Ask Him to.  Trust in Him alone.  And say goodbye to that old self-serving you.
4 Steps to Knowing God: https://thoughtsaboutgod.com/four-laws

By Vonette Bright
Used by Permission

Further Reading

•  Something Beautiful of my Life

•  Out with the Old, In With the New –  by Kathy H Jones

•  A New Identity – by Helen Lescheid

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The post A New Creature appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ.”  2 Corinthians 5:17-18

Linda had a very low self-esteem. She’d always felt second-rate in her own family. Ugly. Like she was a nuisance to have around. I’m programmed to be a looser, she thought. How can I possibly be anything else? She lived in defeat and despair.

Then Linda learned about Jesus Christ, how he had come to save us from sin and give us a new life. Hope began to whisper that she could be set free from her sin and the negative influences of her past. She gave her life to Christ. She began to read God’s Word and apply it to her heart.

When negative voices shouted, “you’re a failure; you’re no good” she would counter, “I don’t have to listen to you. That’s not who I am anymore. God has chosen me before the creation of the world (Ephesians 1:4) It gave him great pleasure to adopt me as His child (Ephesians 1:5) I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13) She wrote these verses and others on cards so that she could carry them with her and say them often.

As she fed on God’s truths, her self-esteem grew. She began to excel in school, became a registered nurse, and a well-loved public speaker.

Linda affirms that it’s not what has happened to us in the past, but our belief system at the present–what we believe about God and ourselves now–that determines success or failure. Success is not mind over matter, but truth over error. “The truth will set you free,” Jesus said. (John 8:32)

Jesus, I am so thankful that because you live in me I have all that I need to live a godly life which brings blessing to You and to others.

by Helen Lescheid
Used by Permission

Further Reading

•   God Is…

•   Going Deeper with God

•   Salvation Explained

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The post A New Identity appeared first on Thoughts About God.