October 21

A New Creation

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come! — 2 Cor 5:17 BSB

True Christianity is very different from much of what we see around us, which is often reduced to creed, religious services, and gifts that cost little. If Christianity means anything, it means self-giving, even to the point of death. It means renouncing self as the center of our lives and being willing to sacrifice ourselves for others. The world is plagued by selfishness, but only the love that gives itself—even to the point of blood and tears—can save it.

But let’s remember that every word and action must be centered on Christ, who died and rose again (2 Corinthians 5:14-15). We do not live for humanity alone but for the Son of Man. As we live for Him, the bitter becomes sweet, the rough becomes smooth, and we find ourselves living for the whole human race for whom He died.

When this becomes the law of our life, we are a new creation. We live under a new heaven and walk on a new earth. The most familiar things around us take on a new light. It’s not that they’ve changed, but that we have changed—from living for ourselves to living for Christ. In Grace Abounding, John Bunyan expressed this thought: the entire world looks different when the heart is filled with God’s love.

Consider the emphasis of 2 Corinthians 5:18. God was in Christ when He bore the burden of the world’s sin on the cross, and by His grace, we have come to know and love Him. God has also given us the privilege of carrying the message of mercy and forgiveness to those around us. “He has given us,” you and me, “the ministry of reconciliation.” It is our responsibility to go into the world with hearts filled with Christ’s love, telling people that this is a redeemed world and that God is waiting for them to accept His love and mercy. This is the message of Christianity.

Prayer

O Lord, forgive what I have been; sanctify what I am; and order what I shall be. Amen.