Therefore...

...if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come. 2 Corinthians 5:17

I was reading a paper over the section of 2 Corinthians that this verse falls within. The thing that stuck out to me is that we are new creations - our old lives, ways of doing and thinking, spiritually and practically, are gone.

When Christ was crucified and then raised on the 3rd day, do you think his followers viewed him differently? You bet they did! Not only did they see that he was indeed risen and he had a body (he wasn't just spirit) - but that suddenly, his resurrection had consequences for their own lives. If he could die and then rise again, so could they - through His power of course.

So is that power still available to us? It is and we need to access it.

That means we no longer see ourselves in the same way. God sacrificed His only son for us. While we shouldn't use it to justify self-serving attitudes and practices, we are of unimaginable value to God. We need to see ourselves as God sees us: His children whom he loves.

We leave the past (and its baggage) behind us. We all were in sin, separated from God. We all made mistakes... Rebelled against God... Made wrong choices and did stupid things to hurt others and ourselves. But now, thanks to Christ and His sacrifice, we can leave that behind and live a life of righteousness, through the power of the Holy Spirit that God put within us.

We no longer act the way we used to. We live as though God is living with us - because he is! We no longer live for only ourselves and what we want. We live out God's will for our lives and allow him to provide for our needs and desires within the framework of his will for us. No more worrying about the future. No more striving to be number one. No more searching for meaning in all the wrong places (i.e. Our stuff, money, power, prestige).

We also no longer see others through our old eyes, but through that of our new eyes - the eyes of Jesus. That means no condemning, backbiting, complaining, gossiping with one another. No more requiring others to live up to our standards. It means loving others as God loves them: right where they are at. It means inviting others to come discover what it's like to be a Christian - what it's like to follow after Christ. It means living out our faith in a genuine and honest way before an unbelieving world - so they might see what it looks like to be a Christ-follower.


2 Corinthians seems like such a short, simple verse. But those few words carry a lot of impact and consequences.

I hope this post motivates you to not only memorize this verse, but also consider how God might use it in your lives - how he might change the way you think or speak or what you do with your time on earth.

Comments

Fairwind said…
Hey - yes indeed we are made new creatures in Christ! How can it be - but through the power of his resurrection!!!!
keep writing and serving Alan!

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