By: Juliet Constantine

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. (2 Corinthians 5:17)
 

He had been so steeped in sin; well, that’s what he thought of himself and his friends concur. He could never change. The worldly lifestyle was his thrill and giving it up was unimaginable. The girls, the drinks, parties and more; that was his life. After all, he was young and it was his life to live. But God had other plans! God choose a new direction for his life-a direction that led to a total change of both the inner and outer man. His friends stated that it’s only a matter of time before ‘him turn-back’. He proved them wrong. It’s over 22 years and still counting. He is a new creation. He was made new in Christ!

What does it mean to be made new in Christ?

To be made new in Christ is not just an outward change but it works from the inside out. As you feed on God’s word, your thoughts are being changed, your outlook and your actions. As you dig deeper in the storehouse of His love, you realize that (worldly) things you once enjoyed no longer hold any excitement for you. Some things you once held dear have somehow lost their position on your pedestal. You now yearn for a change, for a different lifestyle. You now hate your past life and cling to the new one you found in Christ. You are a new creature!

I’ve found that to remain a new creature in Christ isn’t always easy, but it’s possible. Sometimes, I stumble and fall, just sometimes. But I’ve also learned that’s normal in the progression of sanctification. Thank God for the Holy Spirit who comforts, teaches and guides me. I am not worried at all, because I know that God, who begun a good work in me, will see it to completion. I yearned to be like Jesus-and I will.

Like the man in the opening paragraph, you too can be a new creature in Christ. God did it for many like him, and He can do it for you.

You maybe struggling with various shortcomings; you maybe hooked on drugs, on sexual immorality, on deceptive lifestyle. Jesus still loves you and He wants to give you a change in Him. Whatever, your besetting sin maybe, God can help you to be victorious – just ask Him to. God can do more than you could ever ask or think. You can enjoy the newness in Christ that you so crave. Claim His promise that old things are passed away and all things are become new. You can be a new creature in Christ. Believe it. Claim it!

Heavenly Father, thank You for the assurance that I can be new in Christ as old things are passed away and all things have become new! Thank You Father, for victory over besetting sins, whether they be worry, fears, doubt, or any other sin. Keep us faithful always we pray, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Copyrighted by Juliet Constantine 2014 (for “Alone With God – Finding Jesus In The Scriptures” Daily Devotional)