"May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is a new creation." (Galatians 6:14-15)
Have you ever watched the ABC television program called "Extreme Makeover Home Edition?" I have caught snippets of a few episodes and from what I have gathered, the producers of the show find a family who they feel needs or deserves, because of some family calamity, to have their home completely made over, or in some cases totally demolished, and rebuilt fantastically new. How ridiculous would it be if a family on this show would start boasting as though they personally had something to do with them ending up with a home rebuilt new? Really, the one and only reason the family ends up with a fantastic new home in the end is because the television program producers give them one.
Because of the sinful world we live in, there are more than a few families that could be added to the list of families who could benefit from the help of the "Extreme Makeover." Because of sin itself, each and every member of each and every family that has ever lived in this world is on the list of those who certainly don't deserve, but absolutely need the most extreme -extreme makeover. All have sinned and everyone is on the list of people who need to have their "old Adam" torn down and demolished to make room for the "new creation" - the new creation that is able to exist only because of the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.
When we realize that the only way to have this new creation built within us is through our Lord Jesus Christ; when we realize that it's NOT a "do it yourself project;" when we realize that it's not a "do it with help project;" when we realize that it's not even a "help the doer project;" then we will realize that we have nothing to boast about and we will realize that our only hope is to, "trust in the LORD with all [our] heart and lean not on [our] own understanding." (Proverbs 3:5) When we trust in the LORD with all our heart and boast only in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, we are then "in Christ, and "if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" (2 Corinthians 5:17)
Those who have a new creation within them - those who have faith, will one day experience yet another extreme makeover. They will one day leave the tears of this world and enter the fantastically new world of heaven to dwell with God forever. "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." (Revelation 21:3-4) And the one and only reason any of us will one day end up with a fantastic new home in the mansions of heaven, and not in the hell that we deserve, is because the Creator and Producer of the entire universe gives us our new home in heaven - we have nothing to boast about. "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9) No one can boast, unless they are boasting in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ which has given us the most extreme makeover ever.
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Adam has the privilege of serving as the Choir Director at Jordan Lutheran Church (WELS), located in West Allis, WI, just a few blocks from State Fair Park. The choir is comprised of more than a dozen ambitious individuals who rehearse every Thursday evening and edify Worship every other Sunday. Before they begin rehearsing, they get a little injection of God's Word - using the devotions found here.
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