Resurrected Stewardship

2 Corinthians 5:17

So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!

The Bible provides two powerful metaphors for what needs to happen in our individual hearts if God’s way of stewardship is to take root. The first is new life in Christ. What does that actually mean?

The apostle Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:14 that: “the love of Christ urges us on, because we are convinced that one dies for all; therefore all have died". Because Christ became human like us and even participated in a human death, he is able in turn to invite us to participate in his resurrected life.

But Christ did not do this in order for us to simply keep on living as before. No, says Paul. “He died for all, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised for them.” The metaphor that Paul is applying to our lives is that we die with Christ, who died on account of our sin and rebellion. When we are raised with Christ to new life, we do not go back to our old ways of living, our old priorities, our old selfish habits and sins. That old life is dead. Our new life is Christ’s.

As Paul says, “everything has become new”. Our lives are no longer our own but Christ’s. That means our time is Christ’s. Our skills are Christ’s. Our money is Christ’s. Our opportunities are Christ’s. Our marriages and relationships are Christ’s. Our possessions are Christ’s.

This totally surrendered version of Christianity is not an option. It is the only Christianity assumed by the New Testament. Whenever the salvation of Christ touches a person’s heart, there we find transformation – new creation! We say with Paul: “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me" (Galatians 2:19b-20a).

Reflection Questions

Read 2 Corinthians 5:14-20 again. Then ask the Spirit to guide you as you ask yourself if you have surrendered everything to Christ: time, skills, money, opportunities, marriage, relationships, possessions. If there are areas in which you need to be made new, ask Christ to continue transforming that area of your life.