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
There is an older song by Lecrae called “Tell the World.” Part of it goes like this:
“I got the old me in the rearview, now the new me got a clear view…
My face look the same, my frame ain’t rearranged, but I’m changed;
I promise I ain’t the same.”
Leaving the old me in the rearview, the promise of fresh starts, and leaving the old behind seem too good to be true, but are they? Paul tells us no! In 2 Corinthians 5:17, he says that “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.”
You see why God set boundaries in His Word. Not because He is a killjoy but because He wants to keep you safe, not keep you chained.
Let me repeat: you are a new creation! When you say “I do” to Christ, a spiritual transaction occurs. Holy Spirit seals you, assuring you of salvation. You get a spiritual tattoo of sorts. You are marked as belonging to God. God gives you a new heart and puts a new spirit in you. Your heart of stone is replaced with a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26), a heart that begins to seek after God and His ways. You don’t look any different on the outside, but on the inside, you are different! Those old habits, those deep-rooted values, and those longstanding priorities begin to dim in the rearview.
OLD HABITS
That show that you loved to watch every Tuesday night, well it doesn’t seem as appealing anymore. In fact, there are parts of it that are like fingernails on a chalkboard irritating your new spiritual self. You now find yourself trying to find new viewing pleasures and maybe even decide to turn off the screens altogether.
Your weekends may begin to look different too. Instead of meeting friends at a bar on Friday night, maybe you meet them at a coffee shop instead. Or, instead of sleeping in on Sundays, you wake up early, anticipating fellowshipping with other believers.
Not only are you leaving old habits in the rearview, but other things are beginning to become more clear, making more sense to you now.
VALUES
You find yourself looking at “cultural norms” as no longer normal for you. Things that once seemed like a good idea begin to not seem so good anymore. You begin to see things from God’s point of view: maybe sex before marriage isn’t such a great idea. You see why God set boundaries in His Word. Not because He is a killjoy but because He wants to keep you safe, not keep you chained.
Those “radical” ideas you once rallied around, like “everyone has their own truth,” don’t seem so brilliant anymore. You begin to see that God’s truth is the only truth. You truly are leaving the old you in the rearview.
Those “radical” ideas you once rallied around, like “everyone has their own truth,” don’t seem so brilliant anymore. You begin to see that God’s truth is the only truth. You truly are leaving the old you in the rearview.
PRIORITIES
Maybe before you were living for the next dollar so you could have a newer car, bigger house, or better vacation. The American dream right? To get ahead, you became a slave to money, and maybe even credit card debt. But now, your priorities are changing. Now you find yourself downsizing, and throwing off the chains of debt. The better you know God and His very nature, the more you trust Him. You don’t worry about what you will eat or drink or wear. You believe Jesus at His Word when He says, “Don’t worry…look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” Matthew 6:25-27
When you say, “I do” to Christ, you truly become a new creation. God enables you through His Spirit to drive away, leaving the old you in the rearview. Your face may look the same, but you are changed! He has created in you a clean heart and renewed a right spirit within you! Psalm 51:10 YOU ARE A NEW CREATION!
Stephanie Solberg
