START
HERE
First
of seven in Let’s Get Busy Series
1
Corinthians 15:22
“For
as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.”
Where to start? We
start at the beginning. We’re born. We grow.
We learn. We develop. Hopefully, 2 Peter 3:18a happens: “But grow
in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” Luke 2:52 says: “And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in
favor with God and men.”
These sound like great goals for people. Grace.
Knowledge (of Jesus). Believers
who follow Jesus grow in wisdom, stature [physical size and importance], and
favor with God and men. Any parent would
be proud of this child.
But I’m offering a different starting point.
Assuming that believers of Jesus are reading this
devotion, I say, “Start at Salvation.”
Salvation is not the fulfillment of life’s goals. Salvation isn’t even the true goal of one’s
life. God the Father isn’t satisfied
with His kids just achieving salvation.
Salvation is where people really start over, their spiritual birthday! Salvation is the beginning of a true adventure. Are you interested?
Salvation is life’s only authentic do-over.
We surely cannot be born again.
Or can we?
That’s what Nicodemus wondered as he talked with
Jesus. Jesus must have been grinning in
John 3:3: “I tell
you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” Jesus loved messing with Pharisees—and
He especially loved Nicodemus—because He saw a teaching moment. He knew that this moment would also teach you
and me.
“I tell you the truth, no one can
enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and of the Spirit.” Jesus means in John 3:5 that “born of water
and of the Spirit” is baptism. A person is
immersed under the water (symbolizing dying to the old self), then rises from
the water as a new creation (where Christ is Lord). The Holy Spirit enters people the moment they
embraces Jesus as Lord.
That’s the moment of salvation. “Start here,” the Father says, proud of your
decision. “Now let’s get busy!” He
adds.
Take
Home Nugget
People become new
creations at salvation (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Baptism is believers’ public announcement to follow Christ. The baptism image of Jesus rising out of the
water with a dove alighting on His shoulder as the Holy Spirit is found in Mark
1:10.
Believers in Christ need to trust that we’re new
creations after salvation. The old
nature has gone, and the new has come (2 Corinthians 5:17). Let’s get busy practicing this new nature
with the freedom that Christ offers.
Only through death to old self are we
made alive in Christ as new creations.
J.D.
Griffith
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