Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 2 Cor. 5: 17, NKJV
Heavenly Father, as we come before You we thank You for the new life that is to be found in Jesus Christ. Amen
It seems as if at every step of our Christian experience Christ is offering us something new! A new birth, a new mind, new likes and dislikes. Today He assures us, that in Him, all things have become new!
Zaccheus is a perfect example of newness of life in Jesus. Perhaps in the past he would shun Jesus. Now he climbed a tree to make sure he caught at least a glimpse of the Savior! Whereas he would overtax people, he now went in search of them to restore them four times what he had taken from them! He began to live his life in reverse – the complete opposite of everything he did in the past! Truly, a new creation!
Newness of life in Christ is not a work of upholstery. It is a new piece of furniture! It is not a cover up, it is a make anew! Perhaps there are some truths you knew, but when you are in Christ Jesus, they become your way of life! Here is an example of just a few:
*Our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit-we glorify God with them (2 Cor. 3: 16, 17; 6: 19, 20)!
*We are transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12: 2). Our minds now dwell on the beautiful, the holy, the just, the pure, the virtuous, the true, those things that are worthy of praise!
*We no longer live for ourselves. Whatsoever we do, we do for the glory of God (1 Cor. 10: 31).
*We have a hope that purifies us (1 John 3: 3).
*When He forgives us He also cleanses us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1: 9)!
And this is only a fraction of the newness that we experience in Christ Jesus!
I worked in prison ministry for approximately three and a half years. There was nothing that brought as much hope and joy to those ladies in prison, than when I told them that when someone comes to Jesus he or she no longer has a past (“old things are passed away”); just a bright and glorious future (“all things have become new”). They literally leaped for joy!
Jesus came to planet earth to suffer and die, that all who receive Him might once again be restored to wholeness, newness of life. This is an experience that everyone should have.
I wish you newness of life in Christ Jesus today, if you have not experienced it before!