How wonderfully doth the new-born soul differ from his former self. He liveth a new life, he walketh in a new way, he steereth his course by a new compass and towards a new coast. His principle is new, his pattern is new, his practices are new, his projects are new, all is new. He ravels out all he had wove before, and employeth himself wholly about another work. ---- George Swinnocke, 1660.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away, behold, the new has come (I Corinthians 5:14-15, 17).
A hymn to read, sing, hum, or whistle, to the glory of God: Be Thou My Vision (ancient Irish poem, ca. 8th. century).
A colloquialism: "There's a first time for everything." -- pgs
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1).
And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light (Genesis 1:3).
And God said, "Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the water from the waters." And it was so. And God called the expanse Heaven (Genesis 1:6-8).
And God said, "Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear." And it was so. God called the dry land Earth, and the waters...He called seas (Genesis 1:9-10b).
And God said, "Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind..." And it was so (Genesis 1:11).
And God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth." And it was so (Genesis 1:14-15).
And God said, "Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth. So God created...every living thing that moves (Genesis 1:20-21).
And God said, "Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds..." And it was so(Genesis 1:24,25).
Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. And God blessed them. And God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it.... And it was so. (Genesis 1:26-28, 30b).
And God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day (Genesis 1:31).
Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God finished His work that He had done, and He rested on the seventh day. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy... (Genesis 2:2-4).
A hymn to read, sing, hum, or whistle, to the glory of God: I sing the Almighty Power of God (Isaac Watts, 1715).
God's love for sinners is very wonderful, but God's patience with ill-natured saints is a deeper mystery [Henry Drummond].
There was none who sold himself to do what was evil in the sight of the LORD like Ahab...he acted very abominably in going after idols. And when Ahab heard those words, he tore his clothes and put sackcloth on his flesh and fasted and lay in sackcloth and went about dejectedly. And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite saying, "Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself before me, I will not bring the disaster in his days; but in his son's days I will bring the disaster upon his house." (I Kings 21:17-29).
The servant girl at the door said to Peter, "You also are not one of the this man's disciples, are you?" He said, "I am not." (John 18:17).
Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. So they said to him, "You also are not one of his disciples, are you?" He denied it and said, "I am not." One of the servants of the high priest....asked, "Did I not see you in the garden with him?" Peter again denied it, and at once a rooster crowed (John 18:25-27).
When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." He said to him, "Feed my lambs." He said to him a second time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me? He said to him, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." He said to him, "Tend my sheep." He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, "Do you love me?" and he said to Him,"Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep" (John 21:15-17).
And after saying this He said to him, "Follow me." (John 21:19b).
A hymn to read, sing, hum, or whistle to the glory of God: Not Worthy Lord! (Edward Bickersteth, 1872).
Trials and Tribulations. The grace of God exempts no one from trouble [J. C. Ryle].
I have said these things to you that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world (John 16:33).
A hymn to read, sing, hum, or whistle, to the glory of God: Day by Day and with Each Passing Moment (Carolina Berg, 1865).
The love of God. That Christ and a forgiven sinner should be made one, and share heaven between them, is the wonder of salvation; what more could love do? [Samuel Rutherford]
In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent His only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins (I John 4:9-10).
A hymn to read, sing, hum, or whistle, to the glory of God: Within a Crib My Savior Lay. Timothy Dudley-Smith, 1968
We have much more to receive, but God has not more to give than He has given in Jesus Christ [John R. W. Stott].
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ (Ephesians 1:3).
God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, whom God made our wisdom and our righteousness and sanctification and redemption (I Corinthians 1:1:28-30).
A hymn to read, sing, hum, or whistle, to the glory of God: How Vast the Benefits Divine. Augustus Toplady, 1774.
(Jesus, our great High Priest) Jesus was never guarding Himself, but always invading the lives of others with His holiness [Phillips Brooks].
For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens; who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people's, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. Hebrews 7:26-27.
A hymn to read, sing, hum, or whistle, to the glory of God: Arise, My Soul, Arise (Charles Wesley, 1742).
