Therefore if anyone is in Christ, this person is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.
2 Corinthians 5:17
The month of March is considered the beginning of spring and a time of transition from the dormancy of winter to life re-emerging all over. This year we celebrate Easter/Resurrection Sunday at the end of March also. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is proof positive that Jesus was the promised Messiah who takes away the sin of the world. (see John 1:29-32) For us who know the Lord, He is the source of our new creation and new beginning for this life and into eternity; Jesus spoke of this to Nicodemus as being “born again” by our faith in Him. What a great month this is to be able to celebrate the change of seasons and the new life we have from Jesus Christ! To fully appreciate this though, we must know exactly what being a “new creation” is and what it provides. In the world of nature, a new creation involves the new “body” or physical life that is provided. We as people are body, soul and spirit according to 1 Thessalonians 5:23. When we trust in Christ, we do not get a brand new body to live in physically, that will come on our resurrection day at Christ’s return; what we do get immediately at salvation is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in our soul that begins an internal transformation in how we think and act. Our spirit is now united with God’s Holy Spirit and ensured a place in Heaven to live with the Lord forever; we now have the very presence of God within us to help us think rightly, live rightly and love in a way that honors Him. The “new creation” is a spiritual one that has physical applications for sure, but it is an internal work of God in us. I can personally testify of the truth of this as when I got saved at age 24, my life was radically changed on the inside immediately; I now had the ability to live by faith and trust in God. Having Christ as my Savior was like the coming of spring for me in that everything that was dead and frozen over suddenly came to life and new things were forming inside me. My old ways of thinking and living began to die off and lose power over me and God’s ways came alive in me and became the new path for my life. It is still a work in progress for sure, but there is no mistaking the change and formation of something totally new by God’s grace. I pray that if you are reading this you also know what this new life is like and can rejoice in it this spring and every day as you worship the Lord. If you do not know what this is, call out to Jesus Christ for salvation and repent of living as the boss of your life and surrender to His love and purposes for you. New life is the promise for you if you do. Blessings!
Love in Christ,
Pastor Gary Houdek