This is Thanksgiving week in the States. Americans set aside a national holiday to thank God and our motto is “In God we trust”. In 1621, the Plymouth colonists and the Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn harvest feast that is acknowledged today as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations of the European settlers in America. The United States of America was founded since 1776 and has grown to be the richest, most powerful country in the world in less than 250 years. Reason is that God has blessed this country.
Thanksgiving is also a special holiday for family reunion. We can choose friends but can’t choose family and should appreciate what God has given us although our family may be dysfunctional. Wherever we live, we are reminded during the Thanksgiving holiday to thank God this week… everyday… every breath… and every heartbeat.
One-ness with God…
We now come to the final question #10!
Question #10 - Have you experienced a “Big” change in your life since you accepted Jesus as your Savior?
Believing in Jesus must result in a change in one’s life because believers must repent or change their old ways. Jesus called it “born again” (John 3:3) and it means the old self dies and the new self is born in the Holy Spirit. With the effect of being born again, we become a new person filled with and guided by the Spirit of God. We live in the light by God’s power and are God’s ambassadors to the world. All of our old things - selfish desires, bad habits and sins - have been nailed on the cross with Jesus as our Redeemer. Undoubtedly, a true believer must experience a significant change. Note, however, a teacher like Nicodemus did not appreciate this change!
If we say that we believe in Jesus, but have no change in our life style, priorities, thoughts and actions, in our friends, in our goals, our desires, where we go, what we do, what brings us joy, what prompts us to give thanks and feel satisfaction… seriously, we may not have the indwelling Holy Spirit at all and are not God’s children.
The change/transformation in Jesus is slow, deep and lasting. As it takes time to grow a tree, so it will take time for us to become a mature Christian.
With faith, we commit our life to Jesus and we receive the Holy Spirit in our hearts (1Cor 3:16), our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit (1Cor 6:19), have been born again (John 3:1-7), have become a new creature (2Cor 5:17), and have been transformed or changed (Rom 12:1-2).
I thank God for all of you who believe in Jesus and already or on your way to experience the biggest change in your life and receive the deepest joy from God.