2 Corinthians 5:17-21
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
I am not what I was. I was trapped in sin, but now I am free in Christ. As Paul declares, "if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation" (verse 17). I am "a new creation": do I believe that? "The old has passed away" (verse 17): do I believe that? When I'm feeling sorry for myself due to past sin, or when I'm repeating past sin, I'm basically saying that I don't believe that. But that is what it means to "be reconciled to God" (verse 20). Our past sin was put on Christ and taken away, so that we might have a new life, "that in [Christ] we might become the righteousness of God" (verse 21). This is the good news that we never deserve but can always be thankful for.
Heavenly Father, I confess to often feeling stuck in the "old creation". Thank you for making me a new creation, and reconciling me to You.
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
I am not what I was. I was trapped in sin, but now I am free in Christ. As Paul declares, "if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation" (verse 17). I am "a new creation": do I believe that? "The old has passed away" (verse 17): do I believe that? When I'm feeling sorry for myself due to past sin, or when I'm repeating past sin, I'm basically saying that I don't believe that. But that is what it means to "be reconciled to God" (verse 20). Our past sin was put on Christ and taken away, so that we might have a new life, "that in [Christ] we might become the righteousness of God" (verse 21). This is the good news that we never deserve but can always be thankful for.
Heavenly Father, I confess to often feeling stuck in the "old creation". Thank you for making me a new creation, and reconciling me to You.