For all those who identify with Jesus Christ, we sometimes need a gentle reminder that we are already made new in Christ. Everyday blunders, mistakes, and even outright failures sometimes cause us to forget the reality of what He has done for us.
Several years ago, we moved from the farm into a small town. Although we didn’t plan to, we purchased a fixer-upper — a home that needed a greater investment of time, energy, and finances than we had originally anticipated. Other than new windows and doors, the exterior remained unchanged. We cleaned up the landscape, planted new flower beds, removed dead or diseased trees, and restored a patchy lawn. The hardest work, however, went on behind closed doors. Here, we ripped out musty carpets and replaced flooring, redesigned the kitchen, updated the laundry and bathrooms, removed walls, and opened up spaces. Inside, where most people wouldn’t see, a radical transformation occurred.
“Therefore if anyone is in Christ [that is, grafted in, joined to Him by faith in Him as Savior], he is a new creature [reborn and renewed by the Holy Spirit]; the old things [the previous moral and spiritual condition] have passed away. Behold, new things have come [because spiritual awakening brings a new life].“
2 Corinthians 5:17 AMP
The little old house, like us, was powerless to transform itself. It couldn’t repair its broken windows or replace leaky pipes. It waited for someone to see beyond the rough exterior at the potential within.
How much more! How much more does Jesus see something of incredible value in each of us. Then, He did for us what we could never do, making old things new. Yes, He declares over our lives, “New things have come!”
Already New
In every Bible version I checked, it is obvious that the new way of life has already come. We aren’t waiting for Him to do His work. It is finished in us already!
“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 inside job is finished! God did it all for us already. My mind may be experiencing a bit of spiritual whiplash from such a radical transformation. My attitudes and behaviors haven’t come into full agreement with that new reality, yet. But, in truth, I am no longer the person I used to be. Neither are you!
From the outside we might look the same, but if we could see ourselves from the inside out, we would be utterly amazed at the radical transformation God has done. In a moment, He removed our hearts of stone and replaced them with hearts of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26). What was naturally hard, bitter, and selfish, God made new, giving us a heart like His — merciful and compassionate.
Home renovations take time and effort. In the same way, coming into alignment with being new in Christ requires cooperating with the work of the Holy Spirit. He is for us. He does the heavy lifting, the hard work, in this renovation project. The interior work is finished! The outer work continues.
Now and More
Every small improvement to our home, made it more functional, comfortable, and practical. It became ready for sharing with family, friends, and many others. The more it became “ours”, the more it also became enjoyable to others.
Is not the same true with us? The more we welcome the work of the Holy Spirit changing us from old to new, the more we become all that God intended for us since before the beginning of time. And then, the more we become a welcoming place for others to enjoy true, authentic, and mutually enjoyable relationships.
God cares so much more for us than we can imagine.
“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.”
Colossians 3:1-4
So, if the Christian life feels more than a little overwhelming, don’t despair.
Just when we finished every renovation project on our list, God called us to move to a new location. When all the “renovations” from our old way of life are finally complete, we will be heading home to the heavenly glory that awaits. Until then, we set our hearts and minds on things above — all that awaits us. Then we will begin to understand the truth that we are already, even now, new in Christ.
Practical Reminders
Perhaps you, like me, need a few reminders of what God has already done for us.
- “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved (Ephesians 2:4-5).
- “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace” (Ephesians 1:7).
- “For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:13-14).
- “For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God” (Romans 8:14).
- “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ (Ephesians 1:3).
- “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding” (Ephesians 1:7-8).
Oh, Beloved! May we rest in the complete and finished work that God has done within us, even as we cooperate with Him to continue the process of complete restoration, bringing us into perfection.
Prayer
Father, thank You that by Your grace I am already made new in Christ. Give me ears to hear what Your Spirit is saying without doubt or a need for perfection. Tenderize and awaken me to the things of the Spirit. I choose to turn my heart and mind toward You and away from the distractions and frustrations of the world around me. In You is hope and peace! In You is fullness of all joy!
By Your precious blood, I am new! I am Your chosen — Your child. I cannot earn it and could never deserve it. You already did what I could never do.
May that reality set my heart to singing and my feet to dancing.
Your grace is enough! I am new in Christ!
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