In Touch Daily Devotional 5th January 2023 By Dr. Charles Stanley, Wednesday Message
Read In Touch Daily Devotional 5th January 2023 and be blessed.
TOPIC: The Believer’s Transformation
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: 2 Corinthians 5:14-21
For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died;
and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.
Therefore from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer.
Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.
Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation,
namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
In Touch Daily Devotional 5 January 2023 MESSAGE
The metamorphosis of a crawly caterpillar is amazing. It disappears into a chrysalis created from its own body, and before long a delicate and graceful winged butterfly emerges.
Our change at the moment of salvation is even more radical and miraculous. From a death-bound, sinful, depraved heart, God brings about a brand-new creature—one that’s forgiven and made righteous, in whom His Holy Spirit takes up residence.
But if we’ve been miraculously transformed after trusting Christ as Savior, why do we still struggle with sin? The answer is that even though we now have a new nature that’s “been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth” (Ephesians 4:24), we remain in fallen fleshly bodies, which are subject to sin. As long as we’re on earth, there will be an ongoing battle between the Spirit and the flesh.
Throughout our life, God is conforming us to the likeness of His Son. His indwelling Spirit helps us combat sin and teaches us to live righteously. This process, called sanctification, is something that will last until we’re called home to heaven. Thankfully, as we yield to the Spirit, our behavior and thinking will be transformed as well.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Genesis 16-19
REFLECT: The Holy Spirit is gradually shaping believers into people who live and love like Christ.
In Touch Daily Devotional 5th January 2023. He is the senior pastor of First Baptist Church Atlanta and founder of In Touch Ministries, both located in Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Stanley’s heart’s desire is to get the gospel to “as many people as possible, as quickly as possible, as clearly as possible, as irresistibly as possible, through the power of the Holy Spirit to the glory of God.
