A New Life Has Begun

Chuckle: Father to son, "What did you learn in school today?" Son: "three and three are seven." Father: "But three and three are six." Son: "Then I guess I didn't learn anything today."

Quote: "Lord my God, you have formed me and reformed me." --St Anselm

"What this means is that those who become Christians become new persons (new creations). They are not the same anymore, for the old life is gone, A new life has begun" (2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT).

Last time, we used this basic passage to emphasize that we are “New Creations” when we are born again by faith in Jesus Christ.  The next two lessons will focus on the specific dimensions of New Creations – New Life, New Heart, New Spirit and New Nature.  Today, we will focus on what it means to have a new life in Christ.

The greatest mystery and most wonderful miracle recorded in the Bible is what happens when a person is "born again" spiritually and becomes a totally new life in Christ from the inside out. This miracle is only possible by God's grace through faith and the saving power of God's Holy Spirit who transforms a lost sinner into a brand new creation in Christ. Such a person is ". . .God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do" (Ephesians 2:10 NIV).

When we are born again and are "in Christ," we are not rehabilitated, or reeducated -- we are re-created (new creations). This means that nothing will ever be the same in our lives -- we are totally remade. We have not just turned over a new leaf and made some promises, but have received new life with a new nature and a new Master.

You may be thinking, "but what happens to all those bad habits, addictions, and sinful actions in which you may have indulged?" When you are born again, you are justified before God who remembers your sins no more and removes them as far as the east is from the west. It's as if you had never sinned. God provides us a full pardon through the blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ and our record before God is wiped completely clean and all sin is forgiven and forgotten. Wow!! Just take a moment and let that sink deep into your heart and mind.

One of the reasons this truth is so difficult for many is the mind-set that we need to make changes in our behavior by our own will rather than giving our total being over to the One who gives us new life. Godly changes in our behavior will come as the result of our new life. I like the words of Henry Blackaby:

"The profound testimony of Scripture is that the blood of Jesus Christ and the death of the Son of God is sufficient to completely free you from your sin. Satan will seek to convince you that it is not. Whom will you believe?"

Love, Jerry & Dotse