This post previously published on Truth in Palmyra and The Isaiah 53:5 Project

Forever Changed

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Now there were those who said I’d surely fall
When I told them I’d given Jesus my all
And I guess I really can’t blame them for having their doubts
For they only knew what I used to be
But oh! What a difference the Lord made in me
What I got was real!
And praise God I’m still serving Him now.

Now there were those who said I’d surely fall When I told them I’d given Jesus my all. And I guess I really can’t blame them for having their doubts. For they only knew what I used to be. What did I used to be? A sinner, of course. We all are, each and every one of us. For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. There is none righteous, no not one. Maybe I was worse than some; maybe I was better than some. That is true for all of us; some come to salvation as children with little or no sin under their belts and some come with the sin and rebellion of years of willful living behind them. Saul of Tarsus is a great example of this. He was on the road to Damascus yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord when our Lord appeared to him and gloriously saved him. Yet, many doubted the reality of Saul/Paul as a changed man. And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples: but they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple.

I can’t ever forget the day I told my own children, who I had industriously taught for years that there was no God, or that if there was one, He was a monstrous jerk. Or that if they just were good kids they would be okay in eternity, if there really was an eternity. The same children who saw the life I lived after their mom and I divorced. What could I really tell them. All I could say was: “Hey all the things I told you for 20 years? Um…I was wrong.”

But oh! What a difference the Lord made in me.What I got was real! And praise God I’m still serving Him now. I have heard the expression, “Now that I am saved, I can sin all I want to! But, I don’t want to.” None of us become perfect at the moment of salvation. There is no such thing a sinless perfection; however. we will be changed, for If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we have been saved the world around us will see something different, and it should be different enough to cause people to ask us what happened. For we are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Now if this life was all that He promised to me
Friend, I’d still choose to serve the Lord faithfully.
But I cannot begin to imagine what He has in store
Once I was lost, I was headed for Hell
But then I got saved and now all is well
My forever began when I took the precious hands of Jesus, my Lord!

Now if this life was all that He promised to me.Friend, I’d still choose to serve the Lord faithfully. But I cannot begin to imagine what He has in store  It’s not all He has promised to us by any means! God’s promises to us are too numerous to list, but here are some big ones. He promised to save all who believe For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power unto salvation to everyone that believeth. He promises comfort in our trials, Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;  Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.  We already know He has promised that we will be new creations in Him,  Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.  

Once I was lost, I was headed for Hell.But then I got saved and now all is well. My forever began when I took the precious hands of Jesus, my Lord! We were all lost, in fact. We learned earlier that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. We also know that, the wages of sin is death. But God has also taught us of His great love for us and we need to never forget that even though the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. All is well. God doesn’t promise health, wealth, and prosperity, but He does promise all will be well with our souls and spiritually. Another one of my favorite songs says it very well:

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

When He changed the heart of me
He changed my eternal destiny.
Old things passed away,
Thank God for the day
My forever changed!

It’s an open offer. He has changed my heart, and He has changed the hearts of many. Is your heart changed? Are you a new creature? Have the old things passed away?

More importantly, has He changed your eternal destiny? We all have one. We can spend eternity in Heaven with our Lord Jesus Christ, or we can spend it eternally separated from God.

But, it is a choice. We can accept God’s gift of salvation, or we can reject it. Accept it today. Repentance toward God and faith in His Son Jesus Christ are the only requisites.

Now there were those who said I’d surely fall
When I told them I’d given Jesus my all
And I guess I really can’t blame them for having their doubts
For they only knew what I used to be
But oh! What a difference the Lord made in me
What I got was real!
And praise God I’m still serving Him now.

Forever changed! I’m forever changed!
All things are brand new!
I tell you it’s true, I’m not the same!
For He changed the heart of me
He changed my eternal destiny.
Old things passed away
Thank God for the day
My forever changed!

Now if this life was all that He promised to me
Friend, I’d still choose to serve the Lord faithfully.
Once I was lost, I was headed for Hell
But then I got saved and now all is well
My forever began when I took the precious hands of Jesus, my Lord!

Forever changed! I’m forever changed!
All things are brand new!
I tell you it’s true, I’m not the same!
For He changed the heart of me
He changed my eternal destiny.
Old things passed away
Thank God for the day
My forever changed!

When He changed the heart of me
He changed my eternal destiny.
Old things passed away,
Thank God for the day
My forever changed!

By The Kingdom Heirs