New Day, New Year, and New Beginnings - 31 Days of Fresh StartsSample

New in Him...

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come."
2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV

The verse above discloses the wondrous truth that if anyone, yes, anyone, is in Christ, they are already a new creation. A fact. A solid assurance. An eternal certainty. A launching pad to actually living a new way.

Yet, here’s the rub. We still have stuff. We still have failures, falters, and downright frustrations and fiascos. Yet, we still have areas of life where we desire to walk in a new direction. Right? So, what is going on here?

The Bible makes it clear we are new creations in Christ. God sees us clothed in His righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21). Yet, on this side of heaven, the Holy Spirit–with our cooperation–is working out His righteousness in our daily lives. This is what the religious-sounding word sanctification means (2 Timothy. 2:21). Perhaps this simple illustration will be helpful…

It’s as if our Father sees us as an exquisitely beautiful, intricate, and finished piece of needlework. This glorious, handcrafted art is the perfect portrait of the Son of His love, the Lord Jesus. However, the Holy Spirit is busily working on the backside of this masterpiece, where all the knots and loose ends are still hanging. It looks like a big, old, scrambled mess. These are the knots and loose ends in our lives consisting of old hurts, wounds, unhealthy habits and behaviors, generational junk, insecurities, and lies that we believe about ourselves and God. Whew!

Still, the Holy Spirit continually works throughout our years on these messy parts to become like the portrait itself. Do you get the idea?

We are new in Christ. The steps we take toward walking a new path flow from this truth first. He already sees us as new. Now, let’s step forward in all the Holy Spirit’s resources to fulfill His fresh work in our lives.