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By Ptr. Lawrence Ganotisi
I want to tell you this morning that I have died before and that my death was a good thing. The Lawrence before I died was a terrible person. Unfortunately he still tries to come back sometimes. That Lawrence doesn't really care about much except for himself.
At this point, you may be a bit confused and wondering what I am talking about. Well, the book of Galatians chapter 2 verse 20 and I quote: "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.," will give you a bird's eye view of what this death is all about. I want to start my story in the time of my CRUCIFIXION.
I was CONVICTED. I was up on charges of disobeying God's laws. I was being convicted for my sins. The Judge (God) said that my life was like filthy, nasty, dirty rag and that He could not even look at me because of the darkness of my life.
I was CONDEMNED. The judge didn't have to listen to the case very long. He declared me guilty as charged. He then sentenced me to the punishment that had already been set up: DEATH!
I was CRUCIFIED. What I deserved was a slow and sluggish painful death. My sentence of death was a fair and just decision and justice had been served.
I had to die to what I was. I had no peace, joy, or hope in life. Nothing seemed to ever satisfy what I was searching for. Something was missing. The old Lawrence was buried. And even today, the old Lawrence needs to stay buried, never to come back.
After my death and burial, I was given a new life, a life that is full of peace, joy, and hope that have been planned and set for me by God even before time. Indeed, His words are perfect. He promised to give me hope and a future, and it is true. I was born again.
I want you to see MY LIFE TODAY. You may not believe me but I am a new creation now.
The only reason I could become a new creation was because of the cruel death that Jesus suffered for me on the cross. In order to become this new creation, I had to accept the free gift of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. The old Lawrence was his own boss, so he thought. (It was actually Satan and the world). Although salvation is a free gift, it costed me everything. It costed me my life. Jesus is now the boss. I've got a new purpose, my old purpose was to please myself. Jesus' purpose through me is to please God.
Well, the old Lawrence still tries to come around. But see, I want people and even more so, God, to always see the new creation. If you have been born again, how are you doing concerning the old you? Who is the boss and what is your purpose? Have you died to your self and allowed Jesus to reside in your new life? If not, it is time for your DEATH.
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