I Am New

“I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness.  Again I will build you and you will be rebuilt, o virgin of Israel!” (Jer. 31:3b-4a, NASB)  At this point in the history of Israel, I would not describe them as “virgin.”  They had prostituted themselves to other gods for a very long time; yet, God’s love declared them so!  Only He has the ability to take someone who is so tarnished, soiled, and stained and make them new.  Not like new, but new! 

In our human relationships someone may sin against us, and we may forgive them, but it seems in the back of our minds there is a constant reminder of that sin.  “If I’m not careful and I let my guard down, they might hurt me again.  I can’t let that happen.”  I’m sure you have possibly thought this before.  This is how we think toward someone who may be “like new.”  It is always a wait and see if they revert back to their old ways.  “New,” however, is unstained, untarnished, and clean; in other words, a virgin.  When God changes us from sinner to saint, He does not clean us up and make us like new, He crucifies the old and replaces it with the new.  We become in all sense of the word, “virgins.” 

As a counselor, I talk to many Christians about their struggles.  There is one thing that is common to every Christian I have ever talked to: regret.  Not one person was proud of their sinful behavior.  If given the chance, every one of them would undo what they had done if they could go back and redo their life.  I get excited when I hear their regret!  I ask them, “did you just hear what you said?”  Of course, they look at me like I’m crazy (as you may be thinking now).  I remind them of who they really are; they are new.  If you are an old sinner, your true desire would be for sin.  People don’t become sinners because they sin, they are born that way.  Sinners sin because they are sinners by nature.  A cow doesn’t become a cow by mooing, it moos because it is a cow!  The good news for the believer is “your true desire is for righteousness!”  That is why this conflict produces so much struggle.  The believer wants to produce righteous behavior, but finds themselves producing unrighteousness at times.

A Christian is a creature with a righteous nature put there by God through Christ.  However, that righteous nature dwells in an “earth suit” that was once the home of a sinner.  That old earth suit has been programmed to “sin,” but through the power of Christ in us, He can overcome the flesh and the law of sin (Gal. 3:20; 5:24; Rom. 8:2).  The enemy tempts believers to look at our sinful behavior and make identity judgments based on what we see, instead of listening to the Holy Spirit in us, Who is constantly reminding us that we are more than our choices.  If we truly believe what God says about us, we will find our behavior reflecting our righteous natures.

What a glorious day to be completely set free from the old, and to be made new.  Do you as a believer understand that is what God has done to you?  Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” (NASB)  If you are a believer, you have been given the gift of life, God’s life.  Get over the feelings that you don’t deserve this great gift, accept it, live in it!  “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly!”  (John 10:10b, NASB)

Joy In Suffering?

As a counselor, I hear about a lot of suffering and trials. Many people (if not most) have been the recipients of this supposed encouragement, “God will not put more on you than you can handle.” I have even heard pastors quote that from the pulpit. However, there is a problem with that quote – it is not in the Bible! That is a misquote of 1 Corinthians 10:13. In that passage Paul is talking about temptation, not trials and suffering.

If it is true that God will not allow stuff to come into your life that you cannot handle, then why would you ever need God? That statement is basically saying that God will never allow you to be in a place where you need Him! That same sentiment fostered a similar statement, “God helps those who help themselves.” Both of these statements sound good, until you realize what they are really suggesting. This is not Biblical truth, but demonic propaganda to keep us focused on what we can do.

In this life we will encounter various trials and tribulations (Rom. 5:3; 2 Cor. 1:8-9; James 1:2; 1 Pet. 1:6).  Peter said we should rejoice; James said we should consider it all joy; Paul said we should exalt! They were not focusing on the trial itself, but on the outcome. I do not have to be joyful about a struggle with an addiction, nor do I have to think fondly of a wrong that has been done to me. If I’m going through a trial that involves sickness, or financial loss, or a relationship struggle, I do not have to rejoice in my hurt and pain. I do, however, look forward to the sweet reward of the finished product that God is displaying.

When I am setting my mind on the truth, which lifts me above the struggle, I can see what God is doing (2 Cor. 4:18; Col. 3:2). I can see Him stripping away everything that is not of Him or me. He said I have a new heart (Ezk. 36:26) and that I share in His nature (2 Pet. 1:4). He said my life is hidden in the life of Christ (Col. 3:3). When I attempt to live my life according to my flesh and the things of this world, I am not displaying Christ’s life in me (Gal. 5:16-17). Your trials and my trials, when placed in the hands of the Master, become a tool in His hands to polish away dependence on the flesh.

No matter where you are right now, whether it is the massive weight of hurt inflicted on you by someone you are supposed to trust, or a struggle with your own inability to overcome an addiction, or sickness, grief, marital/family dysfunction, or regret over your past choices and behaviors – focus on the One who has set you free. Know that He truly cares for you; and He knows what you are going through because He too is experiencing the journey with you.

How Do I Get Close To God?

I grew up with the concept that God wants me to give Him a certain amount of my time each day. His blessings would come from my investment of that time. This time with God has been frequently called "quiet time" in many Christian circles. I tried over and over to interact with God through a quiet time that involved prayer, Bible study, scripture memorization and journaling. I failed over and over. My failure seemed to define me as a messed up Christian. Instead of feeling closer to God, I felt like He was a million miles away. That feeling seemed to say that God is distant because of me.

I have since learned that God is not distant, nor has ever been. He has always been close. The question is, then, “How close is God?” He is in me. Having a quiet time does not bring God any closer than He already is. Having a quiet time with God is simply shoving the world aside for a moment and enjoying the intimacy I share with Him 24/7. 

God showed me that He does everything with me - everything from the mundane to the exciting. He is not distant from me waiting for me to come spend time with Him; He is always spending time with me in everything I do. He counsels with me. He loves on my wife, children, and grandchildren with me. He is writing with me at this very moment. I don't have to do anything for God. I get to do everything with God!

God even showed me that He enjoys drinking coffee with me and reading a good book together. He also enjoys watching a good sci-fi show with me! You may have heard the expression, “Pete and re-Pete.” Well, I’m re-Pete. God and I are always together enjoying each other’s company.

Since I have given up the old concept of giving God a portion of my time each day as a means of growing spiritually, I have discovered more peace and joy coming from the depths of my “inner man.” I have also noticed a greater understanding and memory of scripture. This was not something I pursued; it was a bi-product of hanging out with God and listening to Him as He constantly shares His heart with me.

I hear God speak to me through music, through a good sermon, a good book, a tv show, a conversation with a friend, a counseling session, etc. But most of all, I hear Him speak to me directly when it is just the two us. No, I don’t hear an audible voice. I don’t have to. When He speaks to me He puts His thoughts in my mind and I know those thoughts are His words because I’m not smart enough or wise enough to come up with what I am hearing.

If you haven’t figured it out yet, yes, I have a special relationship with God. Here is the good news – if you are a believer, you do too! God wants you to know that He is always with you and He is pleased with you because you belong to Him. Your value doesn’t come from how much time you spend with Him reading your Bible, memorizing scripture, etc. The time you spend with Him will only reveal how much value you truly possess.

If you haven't yet received God's gift of life, He wants you to accept His gift of life so that you too can experience the joy of a relationship with Him.

If you have already received God's gift of life, relax and enjoy your time with Him. Discover the depths of your worth in Him! Listen to Him tell you how much He loves you. 

Does God Have Your Middle?

When we accepted God’s free gift of life through Christ, hopefully we realized that salvation was something He did for us – not something we could do for ourselves. Now that we are forgiven and reconciled to God, our future hope of heaven is secure because of Christ. To put it simply, God has secured our beginning and our end.

The big question now is, “Does God have our middle?” We have trusted Him for salvation and heaven, but do we trust Him with everything in between? We human beings want proof before we act or move. Even when proof is provided, we want our emotions to line up with that proof.

If someone is afraid to fly on a plane, it doesn’t matter how much proof is provided regarding the law of aerodynamics, airplane engineering, and pilot skill; if the person’s emotions are telling them they are not safe, they are not going to get on the plane.

Our struggle with our emotions hinders us from accepting the truth. If I feel unloved, it doesn’t matter how much you tell me I am loved when I am trusting in my emotions. When did our emotions become truth?

Truth can stand without our emotions being in agreement. When Jesus prayed in the garden to His Father “let this cup pass from me,” (Matt. 16:39) His emotions were raging. His emotions were telling Him that He didn’t want to go through the trial ahead. However, His choice was to follow His Father’s will. His behavior lined up with what He believed regarding His Father. He believed His Father was good and that His Father knew what was best. 

What do we believe about God? Do we believe He is kind and good? If we believe He loves us, how much does He like us? How much is He paying attention to the details of our life?

How we answer these questions will reveal how much we trust Him and believe He has our back. God loved us so much He gave His only Son to demonstrate His love for us (Jn. 3:16). The problem with our belief system is we have left out the most important part of God’s gift. He has gifted us life. His gift of life is for now, not just future in heaven.

There is a gap between being “born again” and going to heaven. God never intended for us to be in charge of that gap. As we trust Him with every moment of our life, He proves His faithfulness to us. He proves how much He likes us. There is no detail of our lives that He does not notice and with which He is not concerned. God’s life in us secures our beginning, our middle, and our end (which is really not the end).