THE CHOSEN DAILY DEVOTIONAL...

DATE: THURSDAY, 3RD MARCH 2016.

THEME: THE OLD NATURE MUST BE KILLED AT REPENTANCE

TEXT: 2 CORlNTHlANS 5:17
17. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

MEMORY VERSE: JOHN 1:5.

MESSAGE:
The old nature of any human being is the Adamic nature that is prone to committing sins of all kinds ranging from disobedience to God's instruction to fornication and adultery down to heresy. Depending on the area of the sin an individual continues in wrong doing until he or she encounters our Lord Jesus Christ. As stated in the text above, the moment one encounters Christ and accepts Him as Lord and saviour, repents of all his sins, the spirit of God takes over the person's life. The old nature inhabiting the heart of wickedness is subdued and new nature of Christ takes over.

In the memory verse, the Bible says that the light shines in darkness and darkness comprehends it not The reference to the light here is the representation of the spirit of God. All these Bible references point to the fact that any man who has encountered Christ does not remain the same. There must be total transformation.

It is therefore surprising seeing a Christian church worker shouting down at his fellow worker at the slightest provocation. The same provocation leads them to beat or fight their Christian brother.
They proffer flimsy excuse of being hot tempered. Many will advance that it is their nature hence their inability to drop such behaviour on repentance.
Our text above is telling us that any man that is in Christ is a new creature and old nature has passed away and everything about the person becomes new.

Whoever still retains his or her old nature of exhibition of pride, fighting either in the public or in the bedroom, talking any how to people not minding whether the person is hurt by his words or not is yet to encounter Christ and has no basis laying claim to being a Christian.
The word Christian means Christ-like hence any born again Christian must strive to be like Christ, this will give him the opportunity of making heaven and reigning with Christ in heaven.

PRAYER POINTS:
Pray for total transformation of your life.
Pray that God should shape your behaviour to give glory to Christ.

AMEND YOUR WAYS: If you are not born again you must do something as a matter of urgency. He that commits sin is of the devil 1John 3:8 If you are into lying, cheating, bitterness, keeping malice, pride, manifesting anger, quarreling, unforgiveness, hatred, envy, contention, strife, gossiping, taking or giving bribe, selfishness, kidnapping. If you are into masturbation, fornication, adultery, prostitution, abortion, lesbianism, homosexuality, you need to repent. Are you into idolatry, do you make or use charms, rituals, bow down to images, Are you into occultism? Do you smoke cigarette, cocaine, heroine? Are you lusting, covetous, alcohol drinking, divorcee or into worldliness?, you must stop bleaching your body, or painting your lips, eyes, fixing attachments, weave-on, earrings (Gen 35:2-4) Are you one of those that put on nude dresses, short skirts, transparent dresses to seduce (A seducer is not a Christian) do you wear trouser as a woman? Repent and give your life to Jesus Christ.

LET'S PRAY: If you want to give your life to JESUS pray this short prayer with me: Almighty God, I come unto you in the name of Jesus. Father I confess that I am a sinner. All my sins I confess to you. I am very sorry for all my sins. Lord I promise you that from today I will never continue in them anymore. I believe that Jesus Christ died and rose again on the third day for my justification. Almighty God, use the blood of Jesus to wash my sins away. Lord Jesus, come into my heart, be my Lord and Personal Savior. I surrender my life to you. Cancel my name from the book of death and give me grace to make Heaven. AMEN!

AUTHOR: PST LAZARUS MUOKA