New Creation

Today I read my kids’ memory verse for the week.

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

As I was reading this it struck me that this verse probably does not hit my kids the way it hits me. I don’t think they can fully appreciate how wonderful it is that the old has passed away and that we are now new creations. As an adult I am well acquainted with my sinful nature. I have memories of times I have failed, times I have betrayed, times I have wounded. I have had to face the reality that I am capable of the worst sins. In the right place and circumstance, I too, could commit the worst crimes imaginable. I am no better than anyone else. 

I think that in order to fully appreciate the work of Christ and the hope that he offers to the world, we have to become aware of who we are without Christ. In general, we do not like to identify as sinful people. We are good. We are ok. We’re not that bad. We’re not as bad as those other people. We always have to quantify our sins with a comparison. Yeah, I messed up, but at least I didn’t mess up as badly as that other person. As long as there is someone worse than me, then I am ok. 

We like to focus on the good. I’m a law-abiding citizen (except when I’m speeding). I take care of my family (except when I put my needs first ahead of everyone else in the family). I give to charity (as long as it doesn’t hurt my wallet). I don’t hurt anyone with my actions (though maybe I hurt some people with my words). 

This morning I was listening to an amazing recording of the Wartburg College Choir singing “Ain’t no Grave” by Paul Daldwell and Sean Ivory. I found myself starting to cry at how much beauty mankind is capable of creating. (People are amazing!) But then my mind almost instantly took me to visions of thousands of children dead and suffering in Palestine and I began to sob at how much horror we are also capable of creating. (War is a necessary evil! So sad, but nothing we can do about that!) 

I just finished reading Brian Sanderson’s “The Way of Kings”. A very long book. Excellent. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series. One thing that makes this book so good is that it is writing about true things about humanity. It is a fantasy book with its own world and way of doing things. But as you learn more and more about this world, you find out that even if it’s not earth, these are definitely human beings whose very nature drives them to constant warfare, backstabbing, oppression of the weak, and all the other vices we so easily fall into. 

When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God. Galatians 5:19-21

In the book we watch one of the main characters have a major character development as he slowly takes the lesson his father taught him to heart: “He {his father} did what he felt was right because someone had to start. Someone had to take the first step.” And we watch as this character starts to slowly change the people and situations around him as he chooses to do what is right, one step at a time. But, he doesn’t fully enter into this calling until he finally gets honest with himself and recognizes his own selfishness that has driven all his previous actions. 

For us, repenting of our sins and asking Jesus to forgive us and being filled with the Holy Spirit, these are our first steps. In doing that, we become a New Creation. And as new creations, we also can change the people and situations around us as we let the Holy Spirit empower us so that we can do the right thing. 

And oh, the relief to know that I am forgiven, the old has passed away. I am a new creation in Christ.