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To receive God’s blessings and enjoy everyday life, we simply need to make the
decision to believe Him and His Word more than our thoughts and feelings. The
Bible is our instruction manual on how to grow into the new nature He’s given
us and become who He wants us to be.
Of all the gifts we could ever receive, God’s gift of salvation is by far the
most amazing and important one! Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For it is by
free grace (God’s unmerited favor) that you are saved…through [your]
faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [of your own doing, it came
not through your own striving], but it is the gift of God; not because of
works…lest any man should boast. [It is not the result of what anyone can
possibly do, so no one can pride himself in it or take glory to himself.]”
(AMPC).
We are saved by the grace of God through our faith in Him; our faith
does not buy our salvation—it merely receives it. As Ephesians 2:8 says,
salvation “is the gift of God.” It is impossible to buy a free gift and this can 3. The next step is to study the Word in the area we need change. For
be hard for us to understand. Our flesh wants to earn and deserve this
free gift and take credit for being worthy of it.
But salvation is given to us freely, by God’s grace, and the same way we
receive Christ’s salvation, is the same way we have to live—by grace.
God gives us His forgiveness and grace daily; we just have to believe and
receive it.
In Christ, You Are Sin-free in God’s Eyes
When God forgives your sins, it means all of your sins: past, present and
future. You do not have to be afraid of sin because God has taken care of
the problem. This is why the Gospel is such good news!
Some may worry that if we don’t fear sin, we will keep sinning on
purpose, but that’s not true. If you are truly born again and really have a
relationship with God, there is a new nature inside of you.
Second Corinthians 5:17 (AMPC) says, “If any person is [ingrafted] in
Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the
old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away. Behold, the
fresh and new has come!”
Now, no one is perfect, and we all make mistakes sometimes. But if
the Holy Spirit is living in your spirit through salvation, you won’t be
comfortable with those mistakes because God’s nature is at work in you.
The devil would love for us to feel like God is mad at us for our mistakes,
but the truth is, God is love and we need to humbly accept His love and
grace.
Changed by Grace
In John 15:5 (AMPC), Jesus says, “I am the Vine; you are the branches.
Whoever lives in Me and I in him bears much (abundant) fruit. However,
apart from Me [cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing.” I
love this scripture because it reminds me that God doesn’t expect me to
change on my own. He is the power source and gives us the grace and
strength we need to do what’s right and make changes in our lives.
CL myfaithmag.com
Here’s how we cooperate with Him, doing what we can do to bring
about change:
1. We hear the truth in God’s Word and we’re convicted by it. It’s the
Word that shows us who we are and reveals the sin in our lives. We have
to realize what we’re doing wrong before we can know what needs to
change and how.
2. Then we repent of our sin. Being repentant means we’re sincerely
sorry and willing to turn away from it. (See 1 John 1:9.)
example, if I have a problem with anger, I need to study scriptures about
anger and forgiveness. Use the Word like medicine and take it into your
heart and mind. James 1:21 (AMPC) says to “welcome the Word which
implanted and rooted [in your hearts] contains the power to save your
souls.” There is power in God’s Word to bring change to our souls!
Receive All God Has for You and Enjoy Your Life
To receive God’s blessings and enjoy everyday life, we simply need to
make the decision to believe Him and His Word more than our thoughts
and feelings. The Bible is our instruction manual on how to grow into
the new nature He’s given us and become who He wants us to be. So
take some time each day to read and meditate on scriptures that tell you
about God’s love for you, who you are and what you have in Christ.
Ephesians 3:17 (AMPC) says, “May Christ through your faith [actually]
dwell (settle down, abide, make His permanent home) in your hearts!
May you be rooted deep in love and founded securely on love.” This
scripture is saying that God loves you; His will is for you to be His child
and receive every blessing He has for you—righteousness, peace, joy,
provision of your needs, healing and restoration. In Christ, you have a
personal relationship with your Father God, and you can hear from God
and be led by the Holy Spirit, who lives in your spirit. In Christ, you have
access to God’s grace and strength to do whatever you need to do.
Because of God’s grace, you are blessed and you can enjoy your life!
For more on this topic, order Joyce’s four-CD teaching series The Gift of Everyday Joy.
Visit www.joycemeyer.org
Joyce Meyer is a New York Times bestselling author and founder of Joyce Meyer Min-
istries, Inc. She has authored 100 books, including Battlefield of the Mind and Seize the
Day: Living on Purpose and Making Every Day Count (Hachette). She hosts the Enjoy-
ing Everyday Life radio and TV programs, which air on hundreds of stations worldwide.
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