Verse of the day: 2 Corinthians 5:17, Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
Another year has come and gone. It is that time when most everyone is preparing to make promises to themselves about what they intend to change and do differently in the coming year. May I suggest that this coming year we, rather than making resolutions that we will end up breaking within a short period of time, simply commit to allowing Jesus to mold us and shape us into the new creatures He wants us to be? I have often heard this verse in 2 Corinthians quoted to state the truth that we are new creatures in Christ, but I rarely hear it quoted in its context. The surrounding verses are key to helping us truly understand what it means to be a new creation in Christ. The previous verses clearly state that becoming a new creature, or creation, begins with Jesus. Verses 14 and 15 tell us, “For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; 15 and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.” If you are reading this and have not yet taken the step to trust, and call upon, Jesus for your salvation, then the first step to entering the New Year as a new creation is to accept Jesus as your personal Savior. Simply, in prayer, confess that you are a sinner, ask His forgiveness, and ask Him to give you eternal life, and begin your journey as a new creation in Christ. Verses 16, along with verses 14, 15, and 17, paint a picture for us of what a new creature in Christ looks like. As God’s children, ones who are now in Jesus, we are no longer to live for ourselves, but for Jesus (v. 15). This means that our priorities in life should now be different. It means that as we begin to study the Word of God, we begin to dispel the false beliefs and perceptions we had about God Himself, and people in general. It means that our attitude toward God and men should be changing and it should be reflected in our words, attitudes, and deeds. 2 Corinthians 5:16 clearly states, “Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer.” As we enter this New Year, if we have known Jesus for some time, can we honestly say that we have put off the old man and put on the new man? In Ephesians 4:17-24, we are admonished to avoid walking in our old ways, in futility of mind, and a darkened understanding. We are to put off our former conduct and deceitful lusts, and put on the new man who is renewed in the spirit of mind, “created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness”. Will we go into the New Year living Christianity the way we have been living it? Will we take the steps to live the New Year demonstrating the power of Jesus in our lives, by living our Christian lives lifting up Christ with our words, actions, and deeds? Will we commit to spending more time in prayer, study of God’s Word, and being doers of the Word and not just hearers (James 1:22-25)? Old things have passed away, and all things have become new; so, let us leave the old habits, old ways, and old attitudes behind with 2018, and look toward 2019, living as new creatures, with a new outlook, new ways, and new attitudes, all for the glory of God.
Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).
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