Is There Any Difference?

By Gobel Brockman

"If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things have passed away; all things are become new." (II Corinthians 5:17)

This week's devotional will be short and sweet. (Well, maybe not too sweet.) Giving your life to Christ does not mean you become instantly perfect, with sin and temptation no longer causing you any problems. We're still human, and as such, we will struggle with the sin nature in us as long as we live. However, as the Scripture above states, a commitment to Jesus Christ is more than joining a fraternity or club; it's a radical, life-transforming change that takes place in our hearts. Quite frankly, if someone commits their life to Christ and the only 'change' you can see afterwards is how they spend their Sunday mornings, the question of how much 'change' has actually taken place is pretty unavoidable.

Let me explain my point this way. I heard a farmer once say there's a difference when a pig and a sheep fall in a mud puddle. The pig's content to stay there; the sheep will raise a ruckus until it gets out. So let me ask you - and myself - a simple question: when sin raises its head in our life, are you a pig or a sheep? Do you let a 'sacrifice' of an hour or so at church on Sunday morning soothe your conscience, or do you ask the Holy Spirit to continually work in your life so that God is truly honored in your life?