Made to be vs Created to be

Every man, woman, boy and child that you see on a daily basis have a unique set of circumstances and experiences that have formed them to be who they are. We all were raised by different parents, with different values and sadly even different traumas. In my study of the scriptures however i found that no matter what life has made us to be, it matters little in the grand scheme of things especially when we consider that God has called us to conform to his image. Let's review three points from my message this past Sunday, in a sermon I preached titled " Made to be Vs Created to be" in this sermon out of Colossians chapter 3 I broke down three things I believe we must understand if we are to live life Anew in Christ......

1.) We must understand our position has changed

Paul in Colossians chapter 3 says " if you've been raised up with Christ SEEK THOSE THINGS ABOVE! that is, we must realize that being in Christ is an automatic position change from where we once were. All of us were slaves of sin and death and our lives reflected that reality! When the Lord Jesus Christ took on our sin on the cross, he wasn't just doing it to give us some future ticket to heaven. Christ took your sin on the cross and buried it and upon his resurrection from the grave he took you with him. We know he is seated at the right hand of God with all authority and power and by faith we believe we are seated alongside him. Knowing this changes what we focus on as well as prioritize on a daily basis! Our standing with the living God has changed dramatically! we went from enemies to friends, from illegitimate to sons and daughters, i pray that our lives reflect this change of position in Jesus' name....

2.) We must understand what's earthly in us

After understanding our new position and standing with God, we must understand what it is inside of us that belongs to our old nature. Paul says in Colossians 3:5 " Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature" He then goes on to name several things we should be actively " taking off" sexual immorality, greed, lust to name a few. I believe Paul wants us to know as heavenly citizens although we've been born again and given the spirit of God, we must be diligent in our fight against the sin that flows out of us as much as we're concerned about the sin that surrounds us. Ask God to reveal everything that is earthly in you. Are you quick tempered? Are you selfish? are you fearful and timid when it comes to obeying God in hard situations? All of us have remnants of our earthly nature left behind but we also have to abiding Prescence and power of Christ that enables us to be victorious over all things in the end...... we walk by our faith and not our sight, keep pressing!

3.) We must understand Renewal

The definition of renewal is "the act, process, or state of resuming, extending, or replacing something, making it new again, or extending its validity". All it means is to return something or in our case someone back to its " New state/condition" In Eden we see God create man in his image out of the dust of the ground. If nothing else, we learn that God desires us to be in intimate relationship with him as we share in governing and ruling the earth. Our father in simple terms wanted people who " looked" like him to govern the earth as he would, reflecting or literally " imaging " him throughout the world. Sin stains us and corrupts our nature to such a point that sure, we still want to rule and subdue etc as we were created to, however, now we desire to rule independently of the God who made us. Instead of approaching God with open and lifted hands in surrender, our our flesh in complete diefiance balls it's fist to the living God and yells " it's my life and I'll live it how i please" It's like a computer that has had a virus on it for a long time. Its current state is one of corruption that reveals itself in a plethora of ways. The only way to restore it completely would be to give it a factory reset. God the father through his sons work on the cross and the spirits work of sanctification does just that, The Godhead removes the virus (SIN) and renews us by making us what we were meant to be in the first place. Paul says in Colossians 3:9-10 "you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator." Did you catch that? all the " new man" is, is the man you were created to be from the beginning.

No matter the trauma, despite the upbringing or the environment you're in, the living God wants to renew you and remake you today! Let the old you die and forever rest in the grave of Christ. The life Jesus wants for you today is ABUNDANT life! It's the life he created you to have and experience. forget what life has made you to be, focus on who God created you to be!