Yesterday we talked about beginning with the blood of Jesus to receive the forgiveness that gives us life forever with God.

The next thing we need to do is believe that salvation through Jesus is really for each one of us personally. This second step of faith is often difficult for people who have grown up in Christian homes. Lifelong Christians know Christ died for them, so the gift of forgiveness can become almost ordinary for them. Many of them do not experience a radical change from sin to salvation. So they may need to (re)discover the fresh, vibrant power of Christ's cleansing.

To help such Christians, a contemporary testimony puts it this way: "While justly angry, God did not turn his back on a world bent on destruction; he turned his face to it in love. With patience and tender care he set out on the long road of redemption to reclaim the lost as his people and the world as his kingdom" (Our World Belongs to God, st. 19).

This is a great community testimony. And it can be helpful for each believer to say, "God was justly angry with me but did not turn his back on me; he turned his face toward me in love." Take time to think of the ways in which God has looked for you and reclaimed you as his own.