Welcome to another day the Lord has made that we should rejoice and be glad in. (Psalms 118:24)

Let’s end this week’s theme understanding God makes us new.

The LORD declared in today’s scripture, Ezekiel 36:25-27 (NLT)…
[25] “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. Your filth will be washed away, and you will no longer worship idols. [26] And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. [27] And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations.

Consider…
Sometimes we can become so consumed with what we do to live for God that we risk believing we’re self-made Christians.

Some of us believe this despite Ephesians 2:8-9 (NLT), declaring…
[8] God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. [9] Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.

Let’s be clear, we’re saved by God’s grace alone! Not only that, Ephesians 2:10 (NLT) says…
[10] For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

Typically when this verse is cited, the focus is on us being God’s masterpiece. But the next sentence says “He created us anew in Christ Jesus”, which emphasizes it’s God who makes us new!

Awhile ago I learned that God making us new wasn’t a new testament phenomenon. I forget where I heard or read today’s scripture, but I remember it made an indelible impression on me. Verse 26 stood out to me most. God said that He would…

• give you a new heart
• put a new spirit in you
• take out your stony, stubborn heart
• give you a tender, responsive heart

That told me that even our openness to accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior is created by God.

Another scripture that captured my attention in this same vane is Titus 3:5-7 (AMP), which explains…
[5] He saved us, not because of any works of righteousness that we have done, but because of His own compassion and mercy, by the cleansing of the new birth (spiritual transformation, regeneration) and renewing by the Holy Spirit, [6] whom He poured out richly upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior, [7] so that we would be justified [made free of the guilt of sin] by His [compassionate, undeserved] grace, and that we would be [acknowledged as acceptable to Him and] made heirs of eternal life [actually experiencing it] according to our hope (His guarantee).

This scripture teaches us the third person of the Trinity is responsible for our new birth in Christ!

One of the things I have appreciated learning the most from my church is that Salvation is the finished work of Christ, and that it’s God who makes us holy (Hebrews 10:10)

That’s important because sometimes we work hard on being Holy rather than simply embracing the sanctifying blood of Christ that has made us Holy.

Let me explain it another way, we need to stop trying to become what God says we are. The Holy Spirit is saying, simply be who God has made you.

That gives me greater appreciation for 2 Corinthians 5:17 (AMP), which explains
[17] Therefore if anyone is in Christ [that is, grafted in, joined to Him by faith in Him as Savior], he is a new creature [reborn and renewed by the Holy Spirit]; the old things [the previous moral and spiritual condition] have passed away. Behold, new things have come [because spiritual awakening brings a new life].

Here’s the big idea, God is the one who makes us right with Him (Romans 3:28), and motivates and empowers us to do what pleases Him (Philippians 2:13). Therefore, rather than trying so hard to become who God wants you to be, try submitting to who God has made you.

Today’s song is…
God Made Me

Blessings 4HG (1 Corinthians 10:31)