"Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is a new creation." Galatians 6:15
"A change in clothing or other externals doesn't make a new creation, as some imagine. It happens through the renewal of the mind by the Holy Spirit. This is subsequently followed by a change in the body, limbs and senses. For when the heart receives new light, new judgment and new impulses through the gospel, the external senses also are renewed. Then the ears have the desire to hear God's Word instead of human ideas and dreams. The mouth and the tongue no longer praise their own works, goodness and rules but joyfully praise God's mercy, which was revealed in Christ. These are not merely changes in words but real changes. They include a new mind, new will, new senses and also new ways of behaving. Not only do the eyes, ears, mouth and tongue see, hear and speak differently than before, but the mind itself resolves to follow a different way of living."
Martin Luther penned the quote above over 400 years ago. His words describe the goal we seek in our work with men and women coming to our Rescue Mission. Luther knew the power of God as it is revealed through faithful obedience to His Word. Our clients have lived life according to the rules and standards taught them by family, friends and the world. As a result, their physical passions took control of their behavior and their lives. Selfishness reigned within them. Addictions and abuses abounded. In the end, their own desired led them into a world of hopelessness, despair and physical calamity. Today, with God's help, these men and women now have the opportunity to know true hope, true forgiveness and true love. Each day at the Mission our clients grow in their knowledge of God and the forgiveness He offers them through a personal relationship with the living Christ.
With patient study and living, men and women at the Mission are finding new hope in their lives. In time they are learning to seek God's will for their daily decisions. As they progress through their nine-month programs, they are beginning to see their own lives, bodies and minds changing in ways they never dreamed could happen. We remind them that the changes they are experiencing are the result of their faithful obedience to God. Pointing them in His direction helps them begin to understand that He is present every day and in every tough situation they face. It is exciting to see God renewing the hearts and minds of these men and women.
