God's Word For You is a free Bible Study site committed to bringing you studies firmly grounded in the Bible – the Word of God. Holding a reformed, conservative, evangelical perspective this site affirms that God has provided in Jesus Christ his eternal Son, a way of salvation in which we can live in his presence guilt free, acquitted and at peace.

 
 

NEW HORIZONS

© Rosemary Bardsley 2016

New horizons - salvation/redemption: 2Corinthians 5:17

Becoming a Christian is not a matter of adding something to what we already are and have: it is a matter of A COMPLETE AND RADICAL CHANGE brought about by God himself -

- a NEW being
- a new standing
- the old is gone
- the new has come

 

Let us look at some areas of this radical newness.

 

1. BEFORE WE WERE ENEMIES OF GOD - NOW WE ARE FRIENDS OF GOD

2Cornithians 5:18

Romans 5:10,11

This is the first NEW HORIZON - we no longer, and no more, are the targets of God's wrath: we are the recipients of his love. We are on his side.

 

2. BEFORE GUILTY AND CONDEMNED - NOW FORGIVEN AND ACQUITTED

Romans 8:1

John 3:18

Colossians 2:13b-14

This is the second NEW HORIZON - the great wall of sin that stood as a barrier, cutting us off from God, condemning us to life without him, has been removed, cancelled. Sin no longer separates us from God; guilt no longer makes us tremble - we are forgiven. This New Horizon is so broad, so vast, so far reaching - its scope is far beyond our limited vision. We will always be discovering new depths in the NEW HORIZON OF FORGIVENESS.

 

3. ONCE A CHILD OF THE DEVIL - NOW A CHILD OF GOD

1John 3:8-10

John 1:12,13

Ephesians 1:5

The Christian stands in a totally NEW RELATIONSHIP to God.

1John 3:1

What a RADICALLY NEW HORIZON - from the Devil's family to God's! Again, we will NEVER see, never plumb the depths of this overwhelmingly glorious New Horizon -

- so unexpected

- so beautiful

- so peaceful

- so secure.

 

4. BEFORE IN THE DARKNESS (BLIND) - NOW IN THE LIGHT

Colossians 1:13

2Corinthians 4:3-6

In the darkness - we experienced fear, loneliness, ignorance, despair.

BUT NOW

- LIGHT

- we see God in Christ, and the sight is glorious, the vision is splendid.

- and there is always more of God's glorious truth to be discovered!

 

Again, what a New Horizon!

- the fear

- the loneliness

 - the ignorance, the despair, are dispelled forever by the brilliant light of his appearing.

 

5. BEFORE SLAVES - NOW FREE

Galatians 4:31 - 5:1

Once we were slaves -

- to sin

- to Satan

- to the Law

Christ died to set us free from this bondage.

But this New Horizon is so unexpected that half the time we do not see it - we live as though still confined to the old slavery - to the old masters.

 

6. BEFORE REJECTED - NOW TREASURED

1Peter 2:9,10

Exodus 19:5

 

7. ONCE DEAD - NOW ALIVE

Ephesians 2:1,4,5

Colossians 2:13

 

8. BEFORE UNBELIEVING - NOW BELIEVING

By the sheer mercy of God the call came to us:

Mark 1:15

And a Galilean carpenter stood and beckoned to us: "Come! Follow me!"

Who is this one who commands us to repent, to believe, to follow?

What right has he to do this?

 

9. BEFORE REBELLIOUS - NOW REPENTANT AND SUBMISSIVE

He is the King, the Lord of Glory.

Those who respond to his call enter:

- a new allegiance

- a new commitment

- a new citizenship.