Starting the New Life

In every person's life, there was a time they gave their allegiance to anyone, or anything, but Jesus and the Father. We surrendered our hearts to other things. And we reaped death.

We were in rebellion, and we reaped the penalty of rebellion. The penalty is separation and alienation from the Father. The Father is the giver, and definer, of life. Alienation from him is death.

Moreover, we also lived contrary to how he designed us. We sought meaning, significance, distraction, and entertainment in things that move against God's life, and word. People were designed to be fueled by walking in agreement with God. Walking outside of God's way is death.

We obeyed the enemy, who seeks to distract from God's glory, and contrary to what he promises people, he seeks to multiply misery. He urges people to live contrary to their design. People starve themselves of proper spiritual fuel.

But, God has abundant love and mercy. His heart, plans, and purposes are to create a family, who will live in relationship with him. So, he built a bridge, so we can go back to him. If we return, we will not suffer the penalty of sin. We will grow in living out our design.

Christ is the core of his love and mercy. One the cross, he received the penalty of sin for all mankind. He died, and the power of Law (the power of condemnation) is broken. Because death cancels the Law.

And the Law is cancelled in our lives, when we are covered by Christ. We cross the bridge, when we give our allegiance to Christ. He covers us. He represents us. He substitutes for us.

We are united with Christ. Our lives are joined to his. He is in us. We are in him. We are a demonstration, a picture, of God's heart and purpose.

This new life is not something we can earn, purchase, or command. We can only unite ourselves to Christ. Trust, and surrender ourselves. Then, he will renew us. He will transform us by rebuilding our spiritual DNA, and rebuilding our hearts. The world will see us as we designed to be. We will live as we were designed to live. We will flourish in life, as he intended. The world will be better as we act.