The butterfly begins as a worm, gray and ugly. Or consider the caterpillar, black and yellow and fuzzy, beginning also as a worm that crawls along the ground, vulnerable to any creature that might come along and step on them or eat them.
When the time is right the butterfly emerges from his cocoon, the bondage that limits his movements. As he emerges he becomes an amazingly beautiful creature that God created Him to be.
This is a picture of salvation for the born-again believer. God has given us examples in nature to show us His power to transform us into something better and more powerful than our natural man.
Once the butterfly emerges from the worm shell it can never return to become a worm again. It has been transformed and is no longer in bondage to the cocoon.
When Christ changes us into a new creation in response to our desire to confess our sinfulness and be changed by Him, He eliminates our old spirit and places in us the Holy Spirit Who now is our power to walk according to the Word of God.
This Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Christ living in us.
John 14:26 "26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have told you."
2 Corinthians 5:16-18 "…16 So from now on we regard no one according to the flesh. Although we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:…"
When we have been changed by Christ we can never change ourselves back again, He did the changing in response to our desire to be changed by Him.
Ephesians 2:10
"10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."
2 Corinthians 5:17
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come."
Galatians 2:20
"I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."
When the butterfly is free of his cocoon he soars above the world in complete freedom, no longer encased in that worm.
Those who have been born again are free no matter what their circumstances because it is the Spirit of God Who walks through with them in all things. We do not walk in fear, we do not walk disobediently as a lifestyle. When we falter because our flesh is weak, we want to confess to be cleansed and God has promised to do so but only if we confess and desire to be cleansed of our sin.
1 John 1:9
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
Philippians 1:6
"And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ."
We are transformed as born-again believers and are being cleansed and transformed for the rest of our natural life until Christ takes us home.
What an amazing hope we have when Christ has changed us, when He keeps us and then when He takes us home. We have no reason to be downcast or fearful because of these facts.
Galatians 5:22-23 "22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."
We need not follow the Law, because Christ the Law Giver lives in us and we love His Law, it drives us to obey Him.
Those who believe sin does not matter anymore and they can sin all they want without judgment do not understand salvation or the transformation.
Born again believers hate sin and are deeply convicted when they fall, they eventually confess to be cleansed because the weight of the sin and conviction of the Holy Spirit is too great to ignore.
1 John 3:5-7 "…5 But you know that Christ appeared to take away sins, and in Him, there is no sin. 6 No one who remains in Him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has seen Him or known Him. 7 Little children, let no one deceive you: The one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as Christ is righteous."
Galatians 5:22-23
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
These are the character qualities of Christ Who lives in us, we as born-again believers have all this fruit.
May we take comfort in knowing that Christ lives in us and will do whatever is necessary to keep us from leaving the path that He made for us.
Matthew 7:13-14
“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few."
The narrow way with Christ is difficult at times but we have the power to endure as He goes with us.
Matthew 11:28-30
28 “Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is comfortable, and My burden is light.”
Why is the burden of being a born-again believer light? It is because we do not go through anything alone and all that we go through is for our training, it all has a purpose. It is boot camp for us as we prepare to rule with Christ in the Millennium.
May this post encourage believers to retain their joy as they realize nothing that happens to us is without meaning.
Romans 8:28
"28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."
John 6:64-70 KJV - 64 But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him. 65 And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father. 66 From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. 67 Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? 68 Then Simon Peter answered him, LORD, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. 69 And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God. 70 Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?
John 6:27 KJV Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: ((((for him hath God the Father SEALED)))).
Psalm 97:10 KJV Ye that love the LORD, hate evil: he (((PRESERVETH))) the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked.
James 1:21-22 KJV - 21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to (((SAVE YOUR SOULS))). 22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.