Christ didn’t die just to pay the penalty for sin;
He died to transform us. (1)
Monday evening she told me with great enthusiasm about her conversion experience at worship on Sunday morning. She had been living a wild life, drinking abundantly and sleeping around frequently.
A friend invited her to church and she went. During worship she was convicted by the Spirit and came forward, giving her life to Christ.
She was still buzzing with excitement, joy, and peace as she conveyed her story to me on Monday evening.
Six weeks later on another Monday evening she told me the same story. Since her first conversion she had fallen away. But yesterday, she went to worship with her friend and the Spirit convicted her again. She was grateful to be forgiven of her sins.
Six weeks later, then again, after another 42 days … She told me her good news!
Each time I rejoiced that she had repented, confessed, asked for forgiveness, and received it at the throne of God’s mercy.
Once grace was received, she’d turn her back to God and returned to her tired and worn out ways of drinking hard and sleeping fast.
The same friend, the same church, and the same Pastor heard her confession and proclaimed God’s grace to her, just as they should.
“But …” it seemed that no one ever told her more about the other gift which Jesus held in His hands for her.
Thus she lived, chained in bondage to her addiction and hunger for love. When the addiction and the hunger caused her too much pain, she’d rebound to Jesus as if He and she held onto a bungee cord. She held on for dear life, He because he had bound Himself to her with His inseparable love.
She never stayed long enough by His side to hear the rest of the story about how He wanted to free her from her bondage to the flesh.
Jesus wanted more for her!
He wanted to transform her so she could break free from her past which so presently consumed her.
Every time when she ran from His arms of grace she would hear Him say, “I have come that you might have life …”
She was always out of ear shot when He finished the sentence “… and have it abundantly!” (John 10:10)
I pray that she finally stayed long enough, to hear that Jesus had more for her than forgiveness of sins.
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Bread Crumbs - Devotions for Life 
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