IMO: You’ll Never Change - Tuesday
2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! (NIV)
I am going to take a moment and unashamedly admit that I enjoy watching home shows. Maybe it’s because I’m a homeowner or maybe it’s because my wife has always loved HGTV or maybe it’s Maybelline. Terrible joke, I know. Whatever the case, I love watching the transformation that happens. Some of these houses are unbelievably bad. So bad that the only logical solution should be to bulldoze them. However, renovators come in and somehow transform the ugliest homes into the most beautiful homes I have ever seen. The shows themselves can only give a snapshot of the actual work that goes into flipping these homes. Regardless, the finished product is absolutely stunning.
As stunning as these home projects are, they don’t even come close to the finished work that God does within us when we put our faith in Christ. Similar to these beat up homes, because of our sin we are ugly, worn down, and useless. However, when we turn from our sin and put our faith in Jesus, the Bible tells us that we become new creations. Paul writes that the old is gone and the new is here! This means that our old sinful lives are completely gone and forgotten by God. He makes us a completely new person, washed by the blood of Christ, completely forgiven and clean in Him.
Some of us may wonder how this can be. When we come to Jesus, we might not necessarily feel like a new creation. That is because, just like the hardworking home renovators, the work takes time. God’s Word stands firm, and the truth is we are new creations, but it takes time for God to root out old habits. His work within us never stops, but we can put our hope and faith in the truth that He is always working within us, making all things new!
Tuesday’s Reflection
If you’ve been baptized in Christ, spend a minute to reflect on the meaning of baptism. Remember that in baptism, we identify with Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection and become new creations. If you haven’t been baptized, I encourage you to take a minute and check out our Baptism page here. We would love to chat with you about this step!
