Ephesians 4:22-24
To put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
While I was serving in the uniform of a United States Marine, I was characterized by my affiliation with this prestigious branch of our military. There's a certain perception many people have of Marines. They are to be above board, of high character and morals. They are to be trusted and valued based on its illustrious history. The people I associated with, those in uniform and civilians alike, may have perceived me as all the above - simply because of my service.
I served from 1976 to 1997, but prior to 1984, as a Marine, I was also a lost sinner. When I came to real and true knowledge of Christ and His gospel, and believed, I was completely and utterly changed from the inside out. Still a Marine, but a different man. And people saw a different man too.
As time went by, I slipped back into my former self for reasons too much to explain here in this format. I walked away for a number of years until a tragic event shook me to the core in 2004, when my wife was nearly killed in an accident.
I knew then, the life I led up to that August day was in vain. I repented and returned as the prodigal I was. My life took on a whole new dimension. The change in me was a lot more dramatic than it was in 1984. It was a night and day difference in the way I walked and behaved. Truly transformed, I was in pursuit of something greater than myself.
The people I worked with and walked with noticed the dramatic difference too. I was not the same and many have told me so. My response was, and still is to this day, it was nothing I did, but Christ who is in me that changed me. Most have accepted this. Some haven't and walked away. Some have come to faith in Christ from my witness and my wife's witness too!
Comparing me to the man I was prior to 1984 to the man I became in 2004 is like comparing apples and oranges. There is such a stark differences from the old man and the new man that God has made me.
Am I perfect? Hardly! But I am fully aware of who I am in Christ and how I need to press on in my faith so I can be more like Him. I have a long way to go, but have come so far in this journey because of Christ. I owe Him so much for saving me from the destructive life I was leading and living.
If you are living a life apart from God and His perfect will for you, I urge you to reconsider your ways. There are no promises of a trouble free life in placing your trust in Jesus. But He does promise a far better outcome in the life to come - that is eternal life.
Simply ask Him to forgive you, repent of your sins, and believe in Him. That's all God asks of you. Don't take today for granted and think you have time to get right with God. You are never promised your next breath. It is by grace you are alive, and by His grace you are saved. Accept it and believe it and your life will be different more than you can imagine!
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