Several years ago I had apparently promised my daughter that when she made the varsity golf team I would buy her a special pair of “Sundog” sunglasses from the “Paula Creamer Collection.” Since she accomplished that goal two years ago we finally placed the order. They arrived today by UPS and she was excited to open them only to find that they did not fit properly. So after a few phone calls the new sunglasses have been returned in order to be exchanged for another pair.
When it comes to our spiritual existence here on earth there are not a lot of options. The bible makes it clear that you are either serving Christ or serving self and you cannot have it both ways (Matthew 6:19-24; 12:30). Many times we hear religious folks say something about changing our lives or turning over a new leaf; but I am afraid that has led us to some erroneous conclusions about who God wants us to be. Christ does not ask me to change my life, but to exchange my life for His. A new leaf never amounted to a new life.
We need to realize that this life we are living doesn’t fit us well. His life is the life best suited for all! We must cease striving to put new wine into old bottles or patch old garments with new cloth (Matthew 9:16-17). Don’t renovate the old house. Sweep it away (Matthew 12:43- 45). Dig deep and find the rock on which to build eternal mansions (Matthew 7:24-27).
Jesus proposes to bring about a new birth, a new life. One can be victorious only through surrender the old for the new. A man finds this new life through his own death and gains Christ through the loss of self.
If Rachel’s glasses don’t fit we will return them for something else. When it comes to
sunglasses we have a surplus of choices. But when it comes to salvation and eternal life there is only one choice. Jesus Christ!