Before Christ vs. After Christ

Its easy to forget who I was before I knew Christ. Especially easy for me because I moved away from the town I grew up in and have little or no contact with the people who knew me then. There's really no one in my life now who reminds me of who I was before I knew Christ and, quite honestly, that's  kinda nice.  It's easy to forget that I wasn't always "the preacher's wife". 

 

I think that most days I like who I am, for the most part anyway. I certainly like me now much more than I liked me before I knew Christ. I guess another reason it is easy to forget who I  once was is that I simply don't like who I was then. I don't WANT to remember what it was like before Christ changed me.

 

Every now and then, I bump into someone who knew me "back when" and I am reminded of who I was. Sometimes a song, a movie, or a picture, will remind me of who I was before Christ changed me and I am filled with a flood of memories and mixed emotions. In the past, Satan used these memories against me. In the past, Satan whispered his lies to me, filling me with guilt and pain. Satan likes to remind me of  who I was, of the terrible choices I made, of my pride and arrogance, of all the times I was disobedient, disrespectful, and, well, just bad. So, for a long time, I worked hard to forget who I once was and to focus instead on who I am in Christ.

 

But not remembering is a very dangerous thing.

 

The longer I am a Christian, the more I realize that it is important to remember who I was, because when I forget who I was without Christ, several things happen...

I become judgmental

I become impatient

I lose compassion

I become prideful and pious

I become harsh and rigid in my expectation of what others "should" be doing

I, in essence, become a Pharisee

 

When I remember who I was without Christ, I am immediately reminded of all Christ has done and is doing in me. When I remember how wretched and undeserving of Salvation I was, I am reminded that the only good in me is the Goodness of Christ and without Him I am nothing. When I remember what it was like to not have Christ in my life, my heart breaks and I am filled with compassion for those who do not know Him. When I remember what it was like to be a new Christian, my lofty  expectations of other Christians are replaced with understanding, patience, encouragement and grace. 

 

I don't like to dwell on my life before Christ. It is much more fun to talk of all the many ways Christ changed everything about who I am. Over the years He has gradually removed the things that did not reflect His love to make room for the things about me that DO reflect Him to grow. So, while I am not proud of who I was and do not want to glorify my life before Christ, remembering who I was without Christ reminds me of how much of who I am now is dependent on Christ in me.

 

And

Remembering who I was without Christ reminds me of how much others need Him.

 

 

8 Rules for Bible Study

 

 

I've been making a conscious effort to read my Bible thru from Genesis to Revelation. At the same time I've been trying to figure out things for myself, 2 other women in my life have presented me with their own confusion about the interpretation and application of what they are reading. (On a side note, I am so excited that I have friends to discuss this sort of thing with! YAY!) This prompted me to look for a list or SOMETHING containing good advice on how to interpret and apply God's Word.

 

I found a pretty decent list of things. I am glad that I have this list of "Rules" to go back to. I wish I'd had this in print years ago!

 

  Introduction
"Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth" (2 Timothy 2:15). Here, Paul tells Timothy how important it is to study God's word. This leads to an understanding of what God wants from us so we can be approved in his sight. The following is a list of rules that should be followed when studying the Bible so that we can divide the word of truth correctly.

1. Be objective -- seek the truth.
If we read the bible with preconceived ideas, or with the purpose of proving our own beliefs, we will not find the truth. The purpose of our study, therefore, must be to seek the truth.

2. Reach a conclusion only after you have studied what the entire Bible says about the subject.
Much error has been taught concerning salvation because people have failed to follow this rule.

3. Determine who is speaking.
Inspired men wrote the Bible, but they sometimes quoted uninspired men.

5. Determine to whom it is spoken.
God's command to Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac on an altar (Genesis 22:2) is obviously not binding upon us today. Let us make sure that God is talking to us.

6. Interpret each passage in the light of its context.
For example, in 1 Corinthians 7:7, Paul says, "For I would that all men are even as myself" (i.e. unmarried). Does Paul command that we should be unmarried? A reading of the surrounding verses explains why he made such a statement. In verse 26, he says, "I suppose therefore that this is good because of the present distress." The present distress was the severe persecution that existed then. So, if we just read the context we will avoid many misunderstandings.

7. Never interpret a passage so as to contradict another passage.
 If your interpretation of a passage contradicts another, then you know that your interpretation is wrong.

8. Use standard helps in understanding the Bible.
The following things will help:
• A good English dictionary will help us understand the meaning of words today.
• A good Bible dictionary will help us understand the meaning of Bible words.
• A concordance is helpful in looking up passages on the same topic.
• Another translation will help. Comparing the King James Version with the American Standard or the Revised Standard translation helps our understanding.

 

 Hope this helps!