Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old things have passed away; behold new things have come.
2 Corinthians 5:17
Who doesn’t like new stuff, right? We go out in confidence in those new clothes we just bought. We buy a new car, and we want to show it off to our friends and family.
But for many of us, as much as we love new stuff, we are resistant to change. It almost sounds like a contradictory statement I know.
My salvation was a lot like that. There had to be a change in me. I couldn’t keep the old me and have the new me at the same time. It was scary letting go of the old me, but exciting being a new creation in Christ.
When we truly surrender our lives to Christ and accept Him as our Savior, it brings about change in our lives. We are no longer the old version of ourselves. We are new and much better.
I went to Bing and searched, “A new creation in Christ”. It described a new creation in Christ as someone who has been recreated by God, born again, and made in the likeness of God. This person has freedom from sin, hope and joy for the future, and access to the everlasting Kingdom of God. This person is also called to be like God by following the teachings of Jesus and changing bad habits into new Christ-like habits.
For the most part, I agree with that statement except for the freedom of sin part. We are freed from the bondage of our sins, but we are still susceptible to temptation. This is why we must be surrendered to Christ. This is why we must draw near to Him. We are told in James 4:7 that we must submit to God and resist the devil and the devil will flee from us.
God doesn’t just fix what is broken, He recreates us into something new. We are made new in Him.
If you claim to have been saved or accepted Christ as your Savior, but your behavior and attitude have not changed, you might want to give this some careful consideration. My pastor often says, if you claim to have been saved, “What have you been saved from?”
Have you been saved from your former sinful habits? Or do you cling to them like some sort of life preserver? I get it change is scary. But trust me when I say, this change will do you good.
Yes, you will face persecution, but you will face nothing alone. God is with you every step of the way. Yes, you may lose a few friends and even some family members, but I promise you God will restore you to a new church family that will support you and guide you in your new life.
When I got saved, I didn’t want to sin. I went through a time in my life when I did some backsliding. I finally came to my senses. I rededicated my life to the Lord and have never regretted that. I have been through trying times, but I have felt God’s presence walking with me through the fire and the flames.
The old me wanted to do things my way and wanted God to get on board with it. The new me wants to please Him in all I do. I still fail at times, but praise God, He is merciful. He is there to extend a hand and pull me up when I fall.
Just as we like to show off our new stuff to our friends and family, when we are truly saved, we like to boast about our Lord and Savior. We like to let others know what He has done for us. We want to let them know what He can do for them.
If you are still living in bondage to sin, isn’t it time you were recreated and made new? Let God recreate you and make you into a new creation. Try something new. I assure you; you won’t regret it.
Have a great day!