Our New Beginning In Christ
2Cor
5:17 (KJV) Therefore
if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new creature: old things are
passed away; behold, all things are become new.
As New Year’s Day
approaches, we all have a tendency to reflect upon the events that have taken
place in the previous year and look forward to what the coming year may hold
for us. Although this earthly experience of a new beginning is profitable,
there is an even greater time of new beginnings that is offered to us in the
pages of the Bible. I would like us to
look at this wonderful time of new beginnings that is graciously offered to us
through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. We find teaching summarized in 2 Cor
5:17.
In our previous
devotion, we have seen that it is only through the “new birth”, or becoming a
“new creature” in Christ, that we can receive this new beginning in
Christ. For this devotion, we will be
looking at what old things are passed away when we trust in Jesus Christ for
our salvation…
“old things are passed away…”
To “be passed away”
carries with it three different shades of meaning…
1. to be averted or
turned aside
2. to perish, to go out
of existence
3. to be ignored, to be
passed over
In summary, these old
things are “turned away” from us, no longer being held accountable for them; in
other words, it is as if they are “ignored” by God; or in that sense, they have
“gone out of existence”. Although this
phrase has these varied meanings, the basic principle can clearly be seen. When we become new creatures in Christ, the
“old things” no longer have eternal effects in our lives.
Keeping this in mind, we
can see that when we become new creatures in Christ, it truly becomes a new
beginning for us. All the “old things”
are no longer eternally applicable to us; it is as if we begin our life
anew. But, obviously, the next question is
this… what are some of the “old things” of which this verse speaks? What are the things that no longer have
eternal results in our lives?
First, let me say that
it is next to impossible to give a complete listing of all the old things that
pass away at our salvation. Because we
truly become “new creatures” in Him, the many changes we experience are more
than can be numbered. However, we can
look some of the most obvious of our “old things”…
1. Our sinful acts – Once
we are saved, our sins are no longer on our account, they have been taken by
Christ and replaced with His righteousness. (2 Cor 5:21)
2. Our sinful
lifestyle/habits – Once we are saved, our manner of living changes, no longer
are we the servants of sin, nor are we living a life of consistent sin. Although not sinless, our new life is now
characterized by righteousness and holiness. (Eph 4:21-24)
3. Our sinful
desires/motives – Once we are saved, our desires are now pointed toward
pleasing our Saviour and fulfilling the will of our Lord. (Heb 13:20-21, Col
3:1-4)
4. Our sinful viewpoints
– Once we are saved, we look at our lives and the world around us
differently. Before, we looked at these
things through the lens of selfishness and spiritual blindness. Now,
we view everything through the prism of God’s Word and His revealed will for
us. (Eph 5:8-14)
5. Our sinful condition - Once we are saved, we are no
longer facing the judgment for our sins, nor do we experience alienation/separation
from our God. (Eph 2:11-13, Col 1:21-22)
What a
blessing and joy it is to know that the “old things” of our lives are passed
away and, through His gracious work on our behalf, all thing s have been made
new.
May the
Lord bless us as we “Think On These Things”
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