Cornerstone

Col. 3:12-17 (12)

When the caterpillar began to break through the crust of his cocoon he looked different! It was amazing! A change had taken place. Now he had wings! He was beautiful! No longer was he satisfied to crawl through the dirt. Now he would soar daintily in the breeze above the disgusting filth below. He would only stop in flight to gain rest or nourishment. It was different now. He had been transformed.

When I left the altar of repentance I was also different. God had forgiven me for the sinful life that I had lived. He also made me righteous. He gave me a reputation to live up to – Christs. He set a standard of holiness before me and told me in His Word that this was what was expected of me. I immediately began to do my best to please Him. My habits had to be changed. My associations with the world were severely altered. My appetite and my attention were now on spiritual things – the things of God.

Was this a negative experience for me? Yes. But it was also a wonderfully positive experience. Old things were passed away… the old self was abandoned… the old way of living came to a stop. But all things became new. Nothing compares to living a holy life for Jesus Christ!

Dr. Gayle Woods

Col. 3:5-11 (5).

Fascinated, I watched the little caterpillar crawling slowly, laboriously along. It seemed that it would take it forever to get to its destination. It didn’t even know it was crawling through the dirt! Neither did it realize it was very vulnerable to the hungry birds. The little creature just continued to do what it thought it needed to do to keep alive.

I knew something about its life that it did not even know. A transformation was necessary. It needed to die to its old life and come alive as a new creature. I marveled at that miracle in nature.

In much the same way I crawled along through the slime and sludge of sin. I thought I was doing what was important. People seemed to be in favor of my activity. I didnt know my existence was in danger.

Then Holy Spirit arrested my attention. I saw that my life needed to come an end. I crawled into the cocoon of God’s mercy and died to myself. I cried out in repentance. He heard my prayer and changed me into someone new. Now I was holy! I was innocent as I had been before I had first learned to crawl through the dredge of sin. Now I was free! Now I was clean!

Dr. Gayle Woods