restore

“No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch tears away from the garment and a worse tear is made. Neither is new wine put into old wineskins. If it is, the skins burst and the wine is spilled and the skins are destroyed. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved.” 

Matthew 9:16-17 ESV

Set aside the old garments of self-seeking works, and put on the robe of grace.

Jesus came to introduce something fresh and transformational. He didn’t come to destroy the law, but to fulfill and restore it through grace (Mt 5:17).

However, this terrified the Pharisees. Think about it— the Pharisees were not bad people, they were just stuck in legalism, unable to receive the authority Jesus was bringing to the table. They were very set in their ways, threatened and afraid to lose power. One could say they had the right rules, but the wrong heart (Mk 7:14-23).

Sound familiar? How many of us are afraid to surrender full control over our lives to Jesus? We’re willing to follow Christ as long as we can maintain control over our finances, relationships, or sexuality. Or we exhaust ourselves by clinging to our rules and traditions in order to remain secure and ‘right’ with God.

But here’s the thing—the King is here! The Messiah has come! And we must continually allow his teaching to transform our naturally hardened hearts and alter our lives entirely. Just as no one can serve two masters, we cannot fit our old ways of doing and thinking into a renewed mind. We will burst at the seams.

Yield to his careful hand today, friend. Let us be fresh wineskins whose hearts and minds are ready to be filled with the Holy Spirit. May we live for Him who died and rose again, (2 Cor 5:14,15) laying aside our own agendas so the glory of Christ can be revealed.

Grace be yours in abundance, 
Makenzi 

additional reading:

Old Testament: Ezekiel 36:26
New Testament: Luke 9:62, 2 Corinthians 5:16-17, John 3:3-8 

reflect:

Is there an area of your life you haven’t fully surrendered to God? Are you willing to change your ideas and habits when confronted with God’s Word? Is your heart stiff and unbending or willing to be molded into who God wants you to be?

centering prayer:

LORD, I need you to transform me. Make me whatever you want me to be. amen.