Before and after

"You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord : walk as children of light (for the fruit of the light is all goodness, righteousness, and truth)." Ephesians 5. 8, 9

 

The Bible contains the photograph of each believer : before and after !

The first photograph is dark : it is that of a sinful man, revolted against God ; or perhaps of a proud man, even a mocker ; or even a fair one ... Have you noticed his clothes ? They are dirty (Col. 3, 8, 9). This man runs to his ruin, far from God.

The second photograph is that of the same man, but washed and freed from his sins, delivered from his guilt. He is comfortable with God. "Justified freely by his grace, by the redemption that is in Christ Jesus ... by faith in his blood" (Rom.3: 24), he is at peace with God, he has eternal life, that of God. His clothing testifies to change : "He stripped the old man with his deeds and put on the new man" (Col. 3: 9). It is the image of a believer on his way to the Father's house.

Before and after : between these two photographs, a cross stands. It is there that Jesus Christ was crucified, he, the Son of God, the Savior of the world. This is where he said : "Father, forgive them, they do not know what they are doing." This prayer of Jesus on the cross is fulfilled each time a person accepts Jesus Christ by faith.

Before and after : "You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord". The transformation is total. And she should see herself no longer as in a photograph that fixes a moment of existence, but in everyday life : "Walk like children of light".

Do not think that this transformation automatically produces flawless driving ! We must fix our eyes and our love on the Lord, and take care of each step we take. Let's apply ourselves to live consistently with who we are. Let us carry this character of our Father ("God is light", 1 John 1: 5), producing the resultant fruit : goodness, justice, truth.

Before and after : two photographs so different and which testify to a radical transformation !

Source (Pleasing the Lord)