“In the beginning God…”  (Genesis 1:1a)

The reader of this devotion may be young, or old, or in mid-life. The fact remains, however, that desiring a new beginning, along with promises of change, crosses every adult’s mind at the beginning of each new year, regardless of age. It is often called, “My New Year’s Resolution to Change…”

These resolutions are as varied and as many as there are people in the world. But these resolutions are very personal to each individual. The over-weight person desires to be slimmer; the smoker desires to quit; the excess drinker of alcohol desires to be sober; the drug addict desires to be free from his addiction; this list is almost endless. But the paramount desire of those that want a new beginning is change; change for the better.

What about the convicted sinner? I direct your attention from a physical change to a spiritual change. You, as you read this devotion, may be one who has a great turmoil within your spirit; in your inner man. You are sick and tired of being sick and tired of your present position with God. I have heard many people say, “I have tried everything but God.” They have tried to change their own behavior, which flows from their own wicked desires to please, or to satisfy, the lust of the flesh, lust of the eye, and pride of life; but to no avail. The story always ends the same, after a period of time, the new resolution fails; for their flesh and its carnal desires are stronger than their desire to change. They find that they have no power to change within themselves.

When the Spirit of God quickens an individual and causes him to face the Law of God, whereby he realizes he has sinned and comes short of the glory of God (Romans 3:19-23); he comes to a realization of the knowledge of sin, that he is a sinner and is totally and completely separated from God. He realizes he has no strength within himself to change. He tries; but fails over and over again.

To have a real change in the convicted sinner’s life, he must face “In the beginning God”; he must face the Almighty God. He must come to see his sin before God; and confess that sin. He must confess that Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, is his only hope of Salvation from the presence, power, and punishment of sin: “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23); based on the Atonement of Christ for his sin debt (Isaiah 53:1-12).

Christ’s Atonement (or satisfaction to God for the sinner’s sin debt) is proclaimed in the Gospel (or Good News) of Jesus Christ, as the sinner’s Substitute, Sacrifice, and Savior. The Gospel presents the story of Jesus as the Lamb of God, totally consumed upon the Brazen Altar as He satisfied the righteous demands of God for sin.

(Genesis 2:16-17) “And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: (17) But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”

(Isaiah 53:4-6) “Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. (5) But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. (6) All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.”

(Isaiah 53:10-11) “Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. (11) He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.”

(Romans 5:12) “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:”

(Romans 3:23) “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”

(Romans 3:24-25) “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus (that is, the Faith, Christ; not the sinner’s faith): (25) Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God (that is, through Christ and His Atonement);”

(Romans 5:1-2) “Therefore being justified by faith (or by Christ), we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: (2) By whom also we have access by faith (by, or through, Christ) into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”

But the sinner’s reply is, “How do I come to God and receive forgiveness and have an inward change?”

(Ephesians 2:8-9) “For by grace are ye saved through faith (or through the Faith, who is Christ Himself); and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (9) Not of works, lest any man should boast.”

(John 6:44-45) “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. (45) It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.”

(John 6:63) “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.”

(Ephesians 2:1-4) “And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; (2) Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: (3) Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. (4) But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,”

Salvation is all by the Grace of God. However, when the Holy Spirit of God regenerates you (John 3:3-8; Romans 8:14-16; Galatians 4:5-6), you will come to confess Christ by word and by deed (baptism). (See Romans 10:9-10; Acts 8:35-39.)

Confession (the result, not the requirement) is unto (or with reference to) Salvation. It is the acknowledgement by the quickened and drawn sinner of his salvation in Christ and in Him alone. Then there is a desire to show this spiritual birth (baptism; 1 Corinthians 12:13) by water baptism.

So sinner, the hope and security you have of Salvation is – the How – is Christ’s Atonement (by grace, not by works); the How is that the Holy Spirit must regenerate you, the dead sinner, and raise you up from the dead (spiritually dead) (Romans 6:4-10); draw you to confess that your salvation is in Christ, and in Him alone.

Then the change in your inner man will be confessed by the mouth and deeds.

(2 Corinthians 5:17) “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

This is the only lasting change for you. It begins with God and is sustained by God (Romans 8:29-39) and is completed by God.

Jonah the prophet proclaimed loud and clear, “Salvation is of the LORD” (Jonah 2:9). When you, the dead sinner, are vomited out of the belly of the fish, you will confess “Salvation is of the Lord”; for you had no power within yourself to come forth from the dead. (Read John 11:25-26, 41-44.)

Then the sinner says, “What must I do to be saved?”

Believe (or confess) on the Lord Jesus Christ. (See Acts 8:30-31.) When the work of Grace has changed your inner man, then your responsibility is to confess Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord (Master) by words and by water baptism. What you, the sinner, confess is that you have “received” an inward change in your inner man (your spirit). However, sinner, this “receiving” is passive on your part, not active.

(1 Corinthians 4:7)  “For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?”

(John 3:33) “He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true.”

(John 1:12-13) “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: (13) Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”

When you know that you have “received” the Holy Spirit in your spirit, then you are to confess this (Romans 10:9-10). Your confession is not what saves you; Christ’s Atonement on the Cross did that. But, your confession shows that you now are in experience of His Salvation. You know now He died for you, and you now are free from the law of sin and of death (Romans 8:2), by the experience of Regeneration (Romans 8:14-16), by the Spirit of Life (or the Holy Spirit).

The reason I have extended this devotion is because many people today in the pulpits are asking dead sinners to believe (trust, obey, or confess) Christ; when these sinners have no power to do so; nor do they have any will to do so (Ephesians 2:2-3).

It is only when the sinner, dead in sins and trespasses, receives quickening (or being made alive) by the Spirit of God:

(John 6:63) “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.”

It is only then that they have the ability to see and hear and know the difference. They have the ability to hear and know the Gospel Message of Jesus Christ (Romans 1:16-17); for herein (in the Gospel) is the Righteousness of God revealed (that is, in the work of Christ, not the work of the sinner). What the sinner needs is a knowledge of his righteousness; and that it is only found in Christ and His Atonement on the Cross, and not in any work of the sinner’s believing or anything else (Romans 5:1-8).

Sinner, if you are seeking relief; if you want to do something; if you desire a real change in your life from a life of sin to a life of holiness and righteousness and peace; then fall on your knees and cry out “God be merciful to me a sinner” (Luke 18:13); and then you will come to confess Romans 10:9-10. For if you are to the place of complete surrender to God; you are close to a spiritual birth, which is evidenced by confession, which is proof of a new-born babe in Christ. You are close to confessing, “Yes I know, I believe, I have been revealed that Christ is my Substitute, Sacrifice, and Savior; and I am not ashamed to confess this before men.”

Sinner, when this happens in your life, you will never be the same again; for you are a New Creature in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). You will have a “New Beginning.” Your desire now will be to put off the “old man” and put on the “new man.” (Read Ephesians 4:17-32; Colossians 3:1-25).

 

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