Twenty years ago today, America was forever changed by the terrorist attacks on our country. We remember where we were that fateful day. We remember how we felt and we wondered if life would ever get back to “normal.” Sadly, it didn’t take long for us to move on and get on with our lives.
Thinking about this today reminded me of how all Christians were once mired in sin. Paul told the church in Rome, “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:” (Romans 3:10) We’ve all done wrong, but “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). We can access that gift by being “buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4). We rise from the waters of baptism clean and fresh. We are excited about the decision that we’ve made and we talk about it all of the time. Our lives are centered around a new focus. But then. . .
Life goes on. Peter explained, “For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them” (II Peter 2:20-21). Yes, often we forget the change that has happened in our lives and we return to our old ways. We have forgotten.
May we always study to show ourselves approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth (II Timothy 2:15). May we grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ (II Peter 3:18). And may we not only remember where we came from, but may we also remember where we’re going. Simply blessed, Courtney
VERY GOOD!