In this forum, I rarely write about the all-star verses of scripture. Those gems which ring with meaning have often been the topic of teaching, sermons, and songs. But for the next few weeks, that is where we are going: to the all-star verses of the Bible.
Consider, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17, CSB) If we are in Christ, our old self has passed, and a new creation has come. What a marvelous declaration.
And yet, it is often difficult to identify this new creation. I look the same. My life circumstances haven’t significantly changed. But something has changed, greatly changed, in that moment of accepting Christ. Perhaps to see it best, we should consider the author of the verse above.
Before Christ, Paul (then known as Saul) was a religious purist seeking and persecuting those who had chosen to follow Christ. He stood by in approval as Stephan was stoned to death. On the day his life changed, he was heading to Damascus to investigate and persecute Christians living there. But on the way, Paul/Saul encountered the living Christ. Paul went from a church persecutor to a church planter. A literal 180-degree turnaround.
At that moment, Paul became a new creation. The old self passed away, and a new self rooted in Christ was born. Our stories may not be as dramatic as Paul’s, but the transaction is the same. In Christ, we become a different me.
So what changes? More than we imagine. Our destination changes. Our purpose, attitude, and even our abilities change. How we see the world and people changes dramatically. Our responses and emotions change. Even our desires change. Some of these changes are felt immediately, and some take time to blossom. Everyone’s experience is a bit different but also startlingly similar.
Why did Paul write this? In part, it reminded folks that while he may look the same in the flesh, he is now a completely different person. But in the verse is also a promise. Many of us struggle with the attitudes and desires of the old self. One way that we win over the old self is to consider those thoughts, feelings and desires as dead. Or better yet, remind ourselves, the world, and Satan that we are no longer that person but a new creation in Christ.
We must also recognize that the full force of this transformation takes time and requires that we abide in Christ. Just like a newborn infant is fully human, they cannot tackle even the most elemental tasks of their new life. They grow into their new life just as we grow into our new life in Christ. Our growth into Christ never ends.
I honestly don’t know how this verse will impact your life in Christ today. It is so rich in meaning that we can always glean a new application of its promises. Perhaps you’re struggling with your old life – nourish your new life in Christ instead. Or, perhaps you’re still learning how to live out this new life – keep abiding in Christ. Or, maybe, you are still in your old life – give yourself to Christ today, and the reality of this verse will be real for you as well.
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- The Legacy - April 15, 2024
