When we give our lives to Christ, we are to stand apart from the world and while our will is strong, our flesh is weak and we are unable to let a lot of what the world says is important, go. This is still a problem that I have today but many mistake separating ourselves from the world to mean that we cannot enjoy things while we are on Earth but this is false. However, while we can enjoy things here below, we are not to put anything above God, ever, and this means that there will come a point in our lives where we will have to choose between Christ and certain people.
We all want to be loved especially by those we care for and hold close but there will come a point when living for Christ will cause a conflict with those we love. When this happens, we will have a real decision to make about our eternal destination. These decisions may, indeed, be some of the most difficult ones that we will ever have to make but when making them; although we may stand alone we must always stand for Christ as we are a new creation in Him.
It must be stressed that this does not mean that we are a perfect creation but rather, our identity is placed in Christ. Scripture tells us in 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” As we read throughout God’s word, God created us to be like Him and this is seen from the very beginning as Genesis 1:27 tells us that God created us in His image: “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.”
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
–2 Corinthians 5:17
This is significant to point out because God created each person to be unique and set apart and when we realize that our identity is found in none other than Him above, we can live like new creatures. What we cannot do is forget all the great things that God has done for us and we must always remember that we are set apart as Jeremiah 1:5 tells us that “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, [and] I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.”
Before we were ever conceived and born into this world, God knew us and He made great plans for us. We were no mistake or accident as God made each of us for different purposes as each of us have our own individual talents and riches even if an individual feels as though there is nothing they’re good at. Trust me, I’ve been here and I had to remind myself that all things were created by God for a specific purpose and all things happen for a reason even we cannot understand them.
Later in Jeremiah, we are given more details about how close our God is with us. Not only did He form us and give us a great destiny but He also knows all things about us. Jeremiah 29:11 reads “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” Sadly, though, many of us below search and seek out favor and acceptance of this world but these things will leave us empty as they are never enough. For example, God warns us about the love of money as it becomes the driving force in our lives and leaves us with wanting more.
This is something that I know all too well about as I have sought out acceptance from those in this world including a few women. Although these women made themselves out to be Godly women, they were not Proverbs 31 women as referenced within scripture. Proverbs 31:30 tells us that “Favour [is] deceitful, and beauty [is] vain: [but] a woman [that] feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.” Despite my efforts, complete acceptance from these women was not found but with God, not only are we created uniquely and to stand out for Him but we are also accepted and loved unconditionally beyond measure.
And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.”
—1 John 4:16
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