How Jesus has Changed My Life

In this hub, I am going to discuss ways in which Jesus has changed my life by giving me hope, meaning and purpose. Also, Jesus has shown me why it’s not right to judge others, the essence unconditional love and the importance of forgiveness; and He has given me a standard of morality to direct my life.

Jesus has given me lasting hope for the future. Hope can be defined by an expectation that you look forward to. Life without Jesus offers people hope, too; but it’s not lasting.

For example, we may hope in a new car or a house that we are saving up money for. However, cars and houses don’t last forever. The hope that Jesus has given me surpasses that, because Jesus has given me the hope of eternal life in paradise restored.

"... God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." - 1 John 5:1-11

Meaning is what gives people value and importance. Some people find meaning in their jobs. They may hold a high position at work, which makes them feel valuable and important. They may even be a rich sports star and get meaning from that.

However, I think that the meaning that people get from the world pales in comparison to the meaning Jesus gives us. That is because Jesus gives us meaning by bringing us into a relationship with God; and nothing beats that.

"And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." - John 17:3

Purpose is a reason for living—not that I didn't a reason for living before. Actually, I had many reasons; but they were all so superficial and temporary, revolving around money, partying and women. Nevertheless, Jesus has given me one ultimate purpose that trumps them all: to share the relationship I have with Him.

"Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen: ..." - Isaiah 43:10

Through His Word, the Bible, Jesus has given me a moral standard to live by: the Ten Commandments Law of God. This, in turn, has added discipline to my life. This has been very helpful to me, because when I do good I feel good.

In the world, I didn't really have good morals. I had an idea of some good things, like not stealing, not lying and not hurting others. But the world is so twisted that you could find a justification for most bad things to make them appear good. Without the proper direction in our lives, it is so easy to deceive ourselves. That is why it is so necessary to have a definite moral standard to go by.

"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" - Jeremiah 17:9

“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” - Psalm 119:105

Jesus has helped me to realize the futility of judging others. I am no better than anyone else. The guy sleeping on the park bench is no worse of a person than I am. I am no better than a thief, even a murdered. Lord knows what I would have done if I would have lived the same lives of those individuals. I have made some pretty foolish decisions in my life, as it is.

What has helped me to realized that I am no better than anyone else is the nature of sin. All of humanity has been afflicted by sin. It has affected our lives and actions. We are all in a condemned, fallen, sinful state before God. There is only one resolution to this dilemma: accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior.

The penalty for sinning is death (Romans 6:23); so we all deserve to die. However, Jesus died on the cross to pay that penalty for us, so that we don’t have to (1 Corinthians 15:3). All we need to do is accept Him as our Lord and Savior to receive His pardon (Romans 10:9-11). Moreover, not only did He pay the price for our sins on the cross, he offers us power to overcome sin (2 Peter 1:2-4). You can accept Jesus into your life, right now, by praying this prayer:

"Jesus, please accept my confession that I’m a sinner worthy of death. I give my life to you. Thank you for your death and life to save me. Help me to do your will. Amen."

At the end of this hub, I will include a link to some good Bible study guides to help you draw closer to Jesus and understand his perfect will for your life.

I can’t forget what Jesus has taught me about unconditional love; and that is that unconditional love involves a sacrifice. After all, He loved us so much that He was willing to die on the cross for our sins. Not to mention, we did not deserve His love and sacrifice; but He did it anyway.

“... God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” - Romans 5:8

What does the world teach us about forgiveness? It practically teaches us not to forgive. Some people will hold a grudge for the slightest offense of another person, even to their own injury, causing themselves unnecessary anguish and frustration. However, Jesus teaches us otherwise.

“Then came Peter to [Jesus], and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.” Matthew 18:21-22

This is not to say that we should stop forgiving someone after the seventy-seventh time. That’s not practical. I mean, who’s going to to keep track of that many offenses. Are you going to mark each transgression on your iPhone notepad (the Apostles didn’t have iPhones)? You see, the Pharisees had a teaching that you could forgive someone up to seven times, then you were no longer obligated to forgive them. However, Jesus was illustrating that His grace, far and beyond, surpasses the mercy of men.

We should truly forgive everyone for all of their sins against us. That will give us peace in our hearts. This doesn’t necessarily mean that we should forget the wrong that was done to us,though. Let it be a lesson to us, so that the same person doesn’t injure us again.

Jesus has really changed my life by the giving me eternal life in paradise restored to look forward to. He has given meaning to my life through a relationship with God. He has given me purpose in sharing that relationship with others. He has given me a moral foundation and discipline through His Ten Commandments. He has helped me to see the futility of judging others. He has shown me that unconditional love is sacrificial; and I have learned the importance of forgiveness.

How has Jesus changed your life? I look forward to reading about it in the comment box below.

• Free Online Bible Guides

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