2 Corinthians 5:17

2 Corinthians 5:17--"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"

As most of you know we have been going through the 3:16 study by Max Lucado. Why is it that our world is so messed up? Why do 3rd graders come up with plans to harm their teachers? Why do men fly planes in to buildings filled with people? Why do people shoot at cars on the interstate? Maybe because they have not been changed into new creations?

As I look at 2 Corinthians 5:17 I can't help but to think about what an amazing thing God does with people. God takes all people and allows them to come to Him and be a part of His family as long as they follow the rules or guidelines (I'm not sure which of those words I like better for this application). Any way as messed up as I am with all the problems that I have God still allows me to work in His service and be a part of His family.

Let me share this statement from the study guide 3:16--"We inadvertently get it wrong when we say that we invited Jesus Christ into our lives. This suggests that he took up residence in the areas we assigned him. Maybe we allotted him Sundays, and we give him fifteen minutes to fix any problem we can't handle. This isn't real salvation! We don't invite Jesus into our lives; he invites us into his purpose. When we understand this nuance, we are ready to experience the life-changing power of God."

I guess the real question is do I allow God to change every area of my life every minute or do I continue to hold somethings back from God in order to experience the pleasures of the flesh? This is not a hard questions to answer I continue to hold things back from God, how about you? Do you hold parts of your life back from God?