“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” 2Co 5:17 ESV
Have you ever gotten anything brand new? Maybe it was an outfit you’ve had your eye on for a while. Or maybe a brand new car, with that new car smell? Whatever it is, I am sure you were both excited about it, and looking forward to using it to the best of your ability, right? Listen, how much more amazing is it when we are given a brand new identity in Christ? When all the mistakes and selfishness from the past no longer define us. When we can start fresh, with a clean slate, each and every day. (Lam 3:23) This is what Jesus does for us the moment we surrender our lives to Him as Savior and Lord. Jesus takes away that prideful, selfish, MMI-centered nature and gives us a new heart that wants to love God and others the way we love ourselves. We want to, yet we must work with God to mature in Christ so we can love Him and others well.
The key here though is to deeply understand that we are New Creations already. The old things that used to control us, should begin to lose their power over us, the more we grow spiritually. For instance, those old defeated thought patterns should not keep us from living our lives to the full. Every time we hear the same old, “You don’t have what it takes to succeed” lie, we can quickly recognize it as being in contrast to what God says about us, and we can immediately stop thinking that thought. Instead, we replace it with what God says about us, like that we are New Creations in Christ! We have new potentials, new attitudes, new love for God and others. Because we are new, the old has…well, more tomorrow…
Join me in memorizing 52 verses this year:
1- Jn 3:16
2- 2Co 5:17
<>< Peace, Diane
