Jenny Lind, a famous singer, wrote of the day on which she discovered her powers as a singer, “I got up that morning one creature; I went to bed another creature. I had found my power.” The whole outlook of her life was transformed. She “came alive” and stepped out into the world.
In a far greater sense, the person who meets Jesus and surrenders to Him finds his life transformed, his outlook
revolutionized, his life made new. The Apostle Paul said, ” … if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5: 17).
The message of the New Testament demands a new creation, a complete and radical change in man’s nature. Education, reformation, character building- none of these is sufficient. Jesus did not come to patch up our sinful nature, to cover over our weakness, to gild our unloveliness.
Jesus came, instead, to make us new. Christ’s love changes the center of life. The power of the cross operative in our life constrains us to a new service. We should echo the testimony of Paul, who said, “For the love of Christ constraineth us … ” (2 Corinthians 5:14). This is the “henceforth” of my new life. My new life is no longer centered in self, but in Christ. My life has a new center, a new control.
If a rocket were shot into space without any effort to return it to earth, or to cause it to establish an orbit about the earth, it would wander aimlessly and without purpose through the darkness and coldness of vast space. But if it were to establish an orbit about the warm sun, the darkness and coldness would be dispelled, and it would receive the benefits of light and warmth- it would be moving around the source of life. When we do not have Christ as the center of our lives, we are as the rocket aimlessly wandering through the darkness and chill. We are free to roam, but what good does our freedom do us? But centered in Christ, we enjoy the light of warmth of His presence.
The one who is growing in Christ, who has Christ as the center of his life and who is victorious over sin, is to go on to useful service. ” … from henceforth thou shalt catch men” (Luke 5:10), Jesus said to three of His disciples. In the new Christian life you are to be a soulwinner. Probably you will not see thousands turn to the Lord, as did Peter on the day of Pentecost, but if you so live and so witness that even one soul is in Heaven because of you, you can rejoice throughout eternity.