The 180 - Lesson 5

Today we look at the chapter The 180. This is a very personal chapter to me. I wrote about my father's death. He died suddenly at home. Seeing him the casket just seemed so final and hopeless. Yet, just as dad went from life to death in an instant, when we believe in Jesus Christ we are changed in a heartbeat from death to life. A complete 180. To do a complete 180, we must look at the word repentance. It is the first time that we truly "fix our eyes on Jesus". Repentance is centering our mind on Him and Him alone. It is taking my eyes off worldly effort and fixing them on Christ Jesus. Salvation is not a self-improvement program - it is moving from death to life. God gives us a brand new life - in Jesus. A perfect example is the life of Paul. His encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus turned Paul from unbelief - a complete 180-degree turn. Jesus' love, grace, and mercy turned this blasphemer into a preacher, changed an enemy into a friend, and transformed the "chief of sinners" into a saint. This is the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.