“So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ.”— 2 Corinthians 5:16-18
When we give our hearts to God through Jesus Christ, the Bible says that we become a new person. It’s not a physical change but a spiritual one. We possess a new spiritual life. When we repent of our sins and give our hearts to Jesus Christ, He then must become the Center of our lives from that day forward.
London businessman Lindsay Clegg told the story of a warehouse property he was selling. The building had been empty for months and needed repairs. Vandals had damaged the doors, smashed the windows, and strewn trash around the interior. As he showed a prospective buyer the property, Clegg took pains to say that he would replace the broken windows, bring in a crew to correct any structural damage, and clean out the garbage. “Forget about the repairs,” the buyer said. “When I buy this place, I’m going to build something completely different. I don’t want the building; I want the site.” Compared with the renovation God has in mind, our efforts to improve our own lives are as trivial as sweeping a warehouse slated for the wrecking ball. When we become God’s, the old life is over. He makes all things new. All he wants is the site and the permission to build.1
What does it take to live a truly new life? Well, the apostle Paul tells us that the first thing that happens is we recognize that we now belong to Christ. He is now the Lord and Master of our lives. So we no longer live our lives in the way we used to, but by the direction of the Spirit of God who dwells within us and according to God’s Word (Rom. 8:9). We become a new creation—and that word for “new” means brand new and it starts from the inside out.
So, let me ask you this question? What things have changed in your life since you became a Christian? What have you given up, or are you still holding on to some of the “old life.” Now, not all old things are bad unless they conflict with the way God wants us to live our new lives — a life free from our sinful behavior of the past. If you have given your heart to Jesus Christ and made Him your Lord and Savior, you are a new creation who is being made into His image and likeness. Let Him finish the work and watch what happens. You’ll never be the same old person ever again. Maranatha!
Pastor Don
1 Ian L. Wilson
