Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 2 Corinthians 5:17.
Dear Heavenly Father, we thank You for being a God of new beginnings. May we begin this day with you and remain with you throughout the day and for the rest of our lives. In the name of Jesus Christ our Lord we pray. Amen.
The statement that the apostle Paul is making here, I believe, is the following (My conclusion is based on the preceding verses): Since Christ died for all, believers in Christ, are all dead; that is, dead to self. Therefore, we no longer live according to the flesh. Since we were originally born according to the flesh, and we died, we are no longer the people we once were – people of the flesh. We are now new creatures in Jesus Christ. We have become spiritual beings!
The things we once loved we no longer love. Our appetites have changed, both our physical as well as our spiritual appetites. We have become aware that our body is not our property. It is the temple of the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 6: 19, 20). We now give more importance to the way we feed it. Anything that could lessen the right functioning of our brain (tobacco, alcohol, recreational drugs; unhealthy foods that could block our arteries and put us at risk for heart disease and other illnesses) is set aside. We now seek to live solely for the glory of God according to His Word (1 Corinthians 10:31).
We now prefer to spend more time with God in prayer and bible study than with the media (TV, radio, newspaper) or social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.). I am talking about a complete change that begins in the mind. We are learning to process things differently, therefore our decision making takes a 180 degree change in direction based on wise choices and eternal consequences versus instant gratification and “whatever.” Things are thought out before they are acted out.
The power that brings about this new beginning comes as a consequence of our receiving Christ into our life (John 1: 12, 13). When we receive Christ we receive eternal life (1 John 5: 12). Because of Christ’s death on the cross of Calvary in our place, everyone has a right to eternal life, but only those who receive Christ, receive eternal life. You become sons and daughters in the family of God
A new beginning is there waiting for you. Have you received it? When you do your life will never be the same again! All the sins, the feelings of guilt and unworthiness, remorse and sadness, you can now let go of. They have passed away. They have been washed away by the blood of the Lamb. Behold! ALL things have become new!