“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
You are made for more than what you could ever imagine. If there’s any doubt inside of yourself for what you are meant to do or who you are meant to be, then there is something greater lying ahead of you.
Life has a way of showing us the gross or unfavorable things about ourselves and the people around us. Without any knowledge of God, all these things can be so discouraging, even pointless. When I was 17 years old, my father suddenly passed away. This affected me so deeply, and I was filled with grief and sorrow. Before this, I had not really known Jesus. But, once my father passed, I realized that I was in need for something new: a complete transformation from God.
In all His patience, love, and grace, God works through our difficult circumstances to reveal to us what we are missing out on. He does this because He wants us to desire relationship with Him and to be the fullest version of ourselves that He has designed. Imagine being made new instantaneously, feeling spiritually refreshed with full of new optimism and potential. This is the expression of the Holy Spirit’s transformative power working in those who are in Christ.
The word “creation” in 2 Corinthians 5:17 means both the act and the product of creating. To be a new creation in Christ is to be new in form and quality; it does not say you will become new over time, but that if you are currently in Christ, you are new. Because you have chosen to follow the Lord, He uses His power to transform you in the moment, renewing your spirit and washing away your sins.
Being made new is not merely a onetime event. It is an established truth once we were one way, and now we are another. By the power of the Holy Spirit working in our lives, though we will stumble in our journey from time to time, we are of new form and quality every moment we remember God’s words written by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Be encouraged that Jesus has transformed you and that you are empowered live as He’s called you to live.
Prayer
Jesus, I pray that by Your power and Your Holy Spirit I remember I am completely different than what I used to be. No longer do You see me as a sinner, but a child dedicated to serving You. Make me an example to others who need to see what You have in store for them. When I fall, show me where I need to retrain my spirit, and remind me again that I have been made new. It’s in Your name, I pray, Amen.
Extra Reading
“God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.”
Ephesians 2:8 NLT
