Therefore,
if anyone is in Christ,
the new creation has come:
The old has gone,
the new is here!
2 Corinthians 5:17
In our liturgy we say this verse frequently: “If anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation” … or more accurately, “he (or she) is a new creation.”
That’s a wonderful verse that talks about the ways that Christ transforms our lives and faith animates our days. And I love this translation – not in it’s absolutely clarity, but in the way it reanimates a family phrase: “If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come”!
“The old has gone.” Everything that once defined us has either been forgiven or can be shed. Indeed, through the power of the Holy Spirit, Christ promises the wisdom, the courage, the strength to help us shed all of the old things that defined and enslaved us.
“The old has gone. The new is here!” What’s here? What’s new? What’s freeing? Through the Holy Spirit, we are empowered to love (rather than hate), hope (rather than despair), rejoice (rather than curse), forgive (rather than fester), and courage (rather than fear). When we “put on faith,” we discover a spirit of peace, an attitude of gratitude, a sense of blessing, and a character of humility.
Indeed, what’s new is that as we allow Christ to live in us, he begins to shine in us. And we are transformed more and more into his image.
In Christ’s Love,
a creative guy who
likes making new creations,
but would rather be one
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