via TJC
“We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin.”
Romans 6:6-7 NLT
When I first said the “right words” to become a Christian I was a young child. I learned how to follow church rules but I didn't really learn to follow Jesus. Later, as an adult I made a decision to follow Jesus at a big event and even got back involved in church. After another decade of religious life I was blessed to have some men begin to help me get more personally engaged in my faith. What I didn't get until fairly recently was true knowledge of my actual identity as a fully righteous child of God.
For years I remained a “new believer”. The fact that I was no longer a slave to sin wasn’t something I understood so I remained trapped in my old way of life. Prayer hasn't always been what I would call a strength for me, but I would have to say that if there is something I believe we should pray for a new believer is that they would understand this new identity they now have because of Christ's free gift of righteousness. Without that we all run the risk of remaining new believers or cultural Christians (like we prayed for yesterday). That's my story and I don't want it to be the story for new believers who God puts across my path.
Daily Battle Order:
Stop right now and pray for the new believers that are around you. There are more of them than you know (it might be you). Ask God not just to show them who He has made them to be as a righteous child of His but that he would give you the courage to step into their lives to actually live out this identity alongside them. Don't let new believers stay stuck.
Comments