My story, generically told

Life happens, and it’s happened enough to have messed me up a bit. Fortunately, I met Jesus. It was not finding faith or getting religion. I met Jesus. I knew that He was real, that He loved me, and that He cleansed people. I knew that I knew. Embracing His love and cleansing was amazing.

Being a Christian, I quite naturally hung out with other Christians. My biggest misunderstanding of my life came from them. They taught me that God was the God of the second chance. With Jesus having given me a second chance, they made it my responsibility to make good use of this new start. I didn’t. because I couldn’t. It resulted in my feeling an utter failure, and trying harder. And the harder I tried, the more I failed.

They were wrong in what they taught me. Jesus does exist, and He loves us, and cleanses us. But He loves us so much that He cleanses us by making us new. Christians are born again. We are new creations, righteous with His righteousness, and un-dirty-able.

I was on very young when I first met Jesus. I was on my way to fifty before I discovered that my new start was really a new life. All I have to do is believe it. When I do, He lives His life through me. This has radically transformed me. Instead of condemnation and failure, my life is now marked by gratitude and rest. My innards are healthy, and as time goes by, I’m definitely much less messed up. Amazingly, I also find myself reacting a little more like Jesus would from time to time, and its great.

My plan is to spend the rest of my days helping as many other people understand this as what I can. It’s really big deal. It’s the Gospel!

This Post Has 4 Comments

  1. Ros

    The more I think about it, the more I realise that some statements that are supposed to encourage, do exactly the opposite. “God is the God of the second chance” is one. If that was the case, it would be a case of two strikes and you’re out. The truth is that all our mess ups have been dealt with forever. Sure, messing up isn’t a good idea because it’s not good for us but God will never kick us into touch when we do. We live out of His perfection, not ours. That is the New Covenant and it’s Jesus based.

    It is also true that an incorrect understanding of the gospel messes us up because it’s law and performance based. How demoralising to realise that our best efforts can never be good enough. Got the T shirt on that one. Thank you for solid teaching on the New Covenant that put me on the road to transformation and renewal in many aspects of my life.

    1. Gavin Cox

      Precisely, and a privilege. Thanks for the encouragement!

    2. Laurence Probert

      The wonderful Good News is that it doesn’t depend upon our own self-effort. It is all of Jesus and what He has accomplished for us on the cross – grace upon grace. Sin shall not be master over us, for we are not under law, seeking to justify ourselves by our own self-efforts. No, we are under grace, not having a righteousness of our own. Our righteousness is of Christ: He was made sin so that we might be made the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ. His redemption is not temporary until we sin again. His is eternal redemption.

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