Love at First Sex? Finding Purity in a Sex-Crazed WorldParaugs

Clothed and In His Right Mind (changed)

What will people say when they see how Jesus has changed you? Can you even imagine yourself free from whatever addiction or sin is holding you down? “Look at this meth head. He’s got his life together now!” “This woman that used to sleep with every man is now a devoted wife and mother!” “I used to know her. She was a two-faced liar. She seems so different now.” “What has changed in you?!”

What will your answer be? Will you tell them how hard you worked at becoming a better person? Will you tell them how the day-time talk show doctor had all the right answers? Will you tell them you never once struggled after deciding to change? Or will you respond like the man we see in Luke 8:26?

This man was living naked in the tombs and was possessed by many demons. He could not be chained because of the demons’ strength, but was roaming around like a madman. The demons would often drive him into the desert. I can only imagine how the people must have been frightened of this lunatic who could not be kept chained.

When Jesus saw him, He commanded the unclean spirits to come out of this man. The demons begged Jesus to not send them into the abyss, but to be cast into a passing herd of pigs. Jesus granted their request, but then sent the herd over the steep cliff. The herdsman, terrified, ran and told everyone what had happened. The people came out to see with their own eyes. “Wow, he’s clothed and in his right mind!”

The people were understandably frightened and confused. They did not understand how all the swine had rushed off the cliff and died. They did not understand how this dangerous man, who once roamed around naked was now completely changed! They asked Jesus to leave them. The healed man begged to go with Jesus. Instead, Jesus tells him to go tell everyone what great things God has done for him! So he went throughout the whole city telling everyone what Jesus had done for him!

When I ended my relationship, I can’t say that people immediately noticed a change in me, except that I was simply around more. I didn’t immediately change the way I dressed either. It took a while longer until I realized that I couldn’t dress that way anymore. I eventually cut up all my clothes that I was ashamed that I ever wore and threw them away. I didn’t want the temptation to ever wear them again, and I also didn’t want anyone else to wear them. I wanted nothing to do with my old way of life. I had seasons where I did well staying away from that lifestyle, and I had other times where it was a huge struggle. Jesus eventually brought me through them all. Now I’m looking back over 20 years later as a happily married mother of two. Jesus has truly done great things for me! He could have left me in the pit of despair, but He didn’t. He rescued me!

When you’ve been healed by Jesus, isn’t it natural to want to just be with Him only, like the healed demoniac? When your life has been so radically changed, you just want to sit at His feet. But Jesus wants us to go and tell people what He’s done for us. Don’t keep it to yourself. Share your life-changing experience with the world! Yes, Jesus wants to spend time with you. But don’t keep Him to yourself. I pray that each of you would be free from the enslavement of the flesh, and radically healed by Jesus! What will you tell the people when they see the new you?

IT WAS ALL JESUS!