Hey everybody! Just thought I’d help kick off your new year by reminding you of a little something that you may have forgotten. We get so excited as the new year starts of what the new us is going to look like. This year I think it’s important to remember the things that never change, namely, who you are in Christ.
This reminder comes straight out of Colossians chapter three, where Paul talks about what it looks like to put your faith fully in Jesus. Before you do anything else today, stop and remember who you are: You are beloved, chosen by God, and holy. What exactly does that mean?
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- You are Loved.
Our world and our culture has a lot to say about love. The problem is, a lot of it is based in selfishness of the human heart. True love is displayed in the person of Jesus Christ and what He has already done through his finished work on the cross. It’s not based in our worthiness, and it’s not dependent on our feelings. Even if you don’t feel the love of God, the cross teaches that God loves you, no matter what.
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- You are chosen.
Not only are you loved, but you are chosen. Take that in for a second. That’s powerful. God didn’t get stuck with you. He looked at you, loved you, and picked you. When you are in Christ you know that you are the chosen of God. Just like Christ’s love, that truth isn’t dependent on our feelings. Even on your worst day, that is true of you.
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- You are holy.
What does it mean to be holy? In the Bible, holy means to be set apart by God for a purpose. God loves us and has chosen us so we can be set apart, holy. It means to be other, to be holy as the Lord is holy. Now the only reason we could be considered “other” and “set apart” is because Jesus has shared his righteousness and holiness with us.
If you have put your faith and trust in Jesus, that means that you are loved, chosen, and set apart. And that is a game-changer for our lives.
But we forget who we are, don’t we? As soon as we walk out into this world, it tries to erase who we are, but we have the Holy Spirit, who is faithfully reminding us of the truth. His presence is our daily reminder, of who we are and how much we need Jesus.
As you look at the year ahead, don’t let the overwhelming pressure of the world’s expectations get to you. Move through today (and every day) knowing that you are already loved unconditionally and indescribably. You have been chosen by God for a purpose and set apart by His Spirit for the work of holiness He wants to do in you.
Know anyone who needs this reminder today? You can share this blog or this video with them! We all need the reminder that God loves us, that we are chosen, and that we can be holy as Jesus is holy.
I so needed this ..thank you!