The sands of time go swiftly by” are the words of one of Bethany's poems, and my,
oh my, is it ever true. The older we get, the faster time passes. Sometimes we hold
regrets of things we've done or haven't done. We need God to help us learn not to waste any of the precious time He's given us in this life. The Bible tells us that we all will be judged for what we've done in this life whether we lived for Him or against Him.
Romans 5:10 states that when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him by the death of His son. Colossians 1:21 tells us that our minds by wicked works were
alienated from God, and we were His enemies. Jesus has now reconciled us by His
death, so that He may present us holy, unblameable, and unreproveable in his sight.
One might claim to have never been an enemy of God because he was never against God. James 4:4 tells us that whosoever will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. Romans 8:7 tells us that the carnal mind is enmity against God. This means if you disagree with His word, the Bible, you are against Him.
Jesus' life, death, and resurrection made it possible for us, by His grace, to receive a new life in Christ, where we literally are made alive and aware of the reality of Heaven by His Holy Spirit. Ephesians 2 tells us, “You hath He quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins.” When we were God's enemies, we were enslaved to demons and were led by them. But God took hold of us and made us alive in Him. He cleansed us from our filthy sins (lust, hatred, covetousness, rebelliousness, pridefulness, gluttonousness, drunkenness, idolatry, adultery, and the list goes on).
Jesus made us alive to serve God and to serve righteousness. Jesus made us alive to live and walk with Him, so that our lives may be entwined in His. As we allow our lives to yield to His word and Spirit, he makes us something holy and full of love: fit for heaven, where righteousness reigns. He makes us a beacon to this world, showing that God is able to take someone out of the darkness of this world and make him something wonderful. Jesus is able to give us light, peace, and holiness, and He is able also to do the same for others, groping in the darkness.
We are called out of this world to be like Jesus, to be holy as He is holy, to be clean
as he is clean; to be pure as He is pure; to be true as He is true; to be full of love as He is full of love, and to be just as He is just. These things are attributes of Jesus Christ, and if He lives and reigns in us, his fruit will come forth in our lives. This is pleasing to God. This is living for God.