Today I started Leviticus in my Bible reading.  I must admit that I’ve always read through books like these with intent to get them read so I could simply say I’d read them.  Today, now being conscious of being a new creation, I’m reading it with a different set of lens.  Today I read all the legalistic rituals the Israelites completed in order to be clean before God.  Little did I think about how Christ took care of all these rituals for me.  Somehow, I was still taking them in spite of Christ’s work on the cross.  I would punish myself for sins committed, I’d distance myself, I’d create shame and guilt because I saw myself as the person who needed to do this in order to be worthy of Christ’s redeeming love and grace.

Today as I started reading Leviticus I saw all the steps Christ replaced.  The other piece of Christ’s work on the cross for us (me), is the Gift of The Holy Spirit.  It is He–The Holy Spirit that is shaping me into the redeemed person God originally created me to be.  I am now becoming this person because I see myself as a new creation.  My step study lesson for tomorrow is entitled:  Gratitude.  I am most grateful for the redeeming gift of Jesus Christ and His personal Gift of The Holy Spirit.  Together, they are creating a new person for which I am so grateful.  There is an old hymn which words say:  “Oh how marvelous, oh how wonderful, and my song will ever be–Oh how marvelous, oh how wonderful is my Savior’s love for me.”  I am humbly grateful!