Young Cardinal
2 Corinthians 5:17
"Therefore if any person is [ingrafted] in Christ (the
Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old [previous
moral and spiritual condition] has passed away. Behold,
the fresh and new has come!" (AMP) https://www.lockman.org/
I love the exclamation at the end of this verse. It
invites us to read those final words with awe, wonder, and excitement. "Behold,
the fresh and new has come!" What wonderful news!
Being brand new in Christ means our sins have been
forgiven. We no longer stand condemned before God. And when we confess our sins
with a truly repentant heart, He faithfully forgives us, cleanses us, and
restores our fellowship with Him.
Being brand new in Christ also means we have the gift of
the Holy Spirit. The "fresh and new" life Paul describes is lived
through the Spirit's power. We cannot become the person God has called us to be
apart from His help. Any lasting fruit in God's kingdom comes through the Holy
Spirit, and we cannot have victory over our sinful nature by relying on our own
strength. Because we are in Christ, we are new spiritual creations. Each day,
ask God to fill you with His Holy Spirit and empower you to live for Him.
This is such good news! We no longer have to battle our
sinful nature alone. Through the Spirit's power, we can say "no" to
sin and "yes" to Jesus. We can take our thoughts captive to Christ by
praying God's Word and seeking His perspective. We can read the Bible and watch
it come alive because we are now part of God's redemption story.
We can also begin each day knowing we are not alone. As
we pray to our Father and surrender the day to Him, we walk in His protection
and under His authority. Every challenge can be viewed through the lens of
God's love, trusting that He is working in our lives and inviting us to depend
on Him.
A new creation in Christ Jesus! That's what I want to be. Off with the old;
on with the new!