Transformed!!!

Recently, I heard a message by Loran Livingston. It was a message I have been waiting to hear by a Church of God minister. I know MANY who believe it, but had never heard it before. Pastor Livingston talked about his "transformation." I had experienced this transformation he was speaking of several years ago. In fact, I have written about it in one of my blogs. The transformation is one of a belief that God loves us far more than the God we grew up hearing about from the pulpit. Our church has been one that preached personal convictions as the standard for salvation. As Pastor Livingston said..."I do not believe that any more." Neither do I. He went on to say "Jesus is not mean."

We grew up thinking that God was just looking for a reason to send us to hell. What a horrible way to grow up. God IS love. It is NOT His will that ANY should perish. What must I do to be saved? Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. That's it!! There are no works to do. God loves us when we go to church and when we don't go to church. God does not love us IF we do anything. God loves us PERIOD. What a wonderful freeing of the mind we can have if we will just understand that we are saved if we believe on Him and NOT if we DO anything.

It is a transformation. It is a turn from the way we were taught. We are not to live in fear that if we have a bad thought or if we are tempted that we have to get "saved' again. You are already saved!! We have bad days. Bad things happen to us. As Pastor Livingston said...we have a jack-ass gene that pops up from time to time and we do stupid stuff. It DOES NOT mean that we are not saved. If it did, I would have to get saved EVERY day. My jack-ass gene shows up every day and usually more than once a day. We ALL have problems and issues. We ARE NOT perfect. God knows that and understands.

I hope you can know the joy of realizing that if you believe that Jesus is who He says He is, you are saved and will spend eternity with Him. It is His promise. It does not matter what ANYBODY says. God did not die and crown them king. It is between you and Jesus.

It took me almost 50 years to realize this. That's how strong that "holiness or hell" mess was embedded in my brain....not that I believed it but that it was always on my mind as a possibility. It has been a bondage for so many in our church and still is. We were taught that someone could live for Jesus for 50 years and say "s***" right before they die and they will go to hell. That is SO sad. Jesus loves us. He is way more loving than anything you can imagine. Our personal convictions are NOT the standard for salvation. Believing that Jesus is who He says He is makes us saved. Thank the Lord for that blessed assurance!!

I hope you will experience this transformation too!! I have been transformed and wanted to share this with you. A GREAT big THANK YOU goes out to Loran Livingston for speaking TRUTH. It was a long time coming.