The "New" You!

For Saturday, April 13, 2024:

Colossians 2:20-21 NLT: “You have died with Christ, and he has set you free from the spiritual powers of this world. So why do you keep on following the rules of the world, such as, ‘Don’t handle! Don’t taste! Don’t touch!’?”

This scripture touches on difficult-to-grasp concepts. It points out the difference between the old you who lived for the world, and the new you who lives for Christ. The old you must die; the new you is ‘born again!’ The old covenant is history. Jesus gave us a new deal, a new covenant. Everything should be different now that Jesus is living in our hearts!

I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that most religions tend to over-value their rituals and traditions. Performing a certain ceremony won’t get you into heaven. Honoring centuries-old traditions won’t matter when you’re stepping into the next reality. Repeating a 2,000-year-old prayer that someone else wrote won’t impress God. He wants to know what’s in YOUR heart. Where does YOUR passion lie?

Those ‘do not, do not, do not’ instructions describe legalistic religions, where the laws of man are erroneously taught as the laws of God. Those people believe that if you can perfectly follow all the rules, you may get to see paradise; but no promises! Following traditions has no real value, whereas loving the Lord has eternal benefits!

Being a Christian requires positive action, doing things that we should do. We do our best to live like Jesus lived, and to love God and our neighbors.

Mankind prioritizing rules and traditions is mankind reaching up hoping to touch heaven. Christianity is God reaching down to mankind in love, through his Son Jesus! May we all be blessed with a touch from God today!

Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship