W2D1 A New Creation

READ THE BIBLE

2 Corinthians 5: 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new

creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

REFLECT ON WHAT IT MEANS

Two firefighters were running into the scene of a blaze at a hospital. They had quickly jumped off their fire engine and been ordered to take a hose into the boiler room where the fire had started. They didn’t have any of the more fancy, protective equipment that is normal for firefighters today. As they raced down the stairs to confront the fire, they met one of a firefighter’s worse nightmares in any fire - leaking gas.

There was the “boom” of exploding gas and a huge flame that shot out and met them.

It threw them back up the stairs, right to the top and out onto the ground, like a pair of rag dolls. The firefighter at the front spent a day in hospital where they treated his burnt face. He was lucky, even though it looked bad he would heal up nicely, the doctors said. When he came out of hospital, his family were shocked. He had no eyebrows, no fringe on his hair, his skin was already discoloured and starting to peel off, like he’d been sunbathing far too long on a hot beach. But quite a few days later a mini miracle had happened. All that burnt, peeling skin had gone and had been replaced with brand new ‘baby’ skin. It was so strange, his face had none of those little age lines, no little wrinkles or even tiny blemishes. It was like it was still him, but with a totally new covering, a totally new face. He looked 10 years younger, at least.

God wants to give you the best experience of your life - a total life makeover. Not so much a new you on the outside, like the firefighter, but a new you right deep down, on the inside.

God wants to make you new, so new that the Bible calls it a ‘new creation,’ (verse 17). It’s not a new start to life, but a new life to start with! Everything old is taken away and replaced with a brand new you, (verse 17). How about that?

This “brand-new you” has totally different features to the “old you.” It wants new and different things; it wants to know God, wants to follow God’s ways, wants to do the best in life for God, wants to tell others your story about God. This is truly the best experience in life that anyone can ever have. So how do we get such a life changing experience?

Our passage gives us the answers. We have to be reconciled with God. Reconciled means, “put people back on friendly terms.” Do you remember the story of the son last week? He went away but came back and was reconciled with his father, he put right all that was wrong between them and he restored friendship and togetherness with his dad. Thankfully, we are told how to do this with God. First, we have to realise that, God is “not counting people’s sins against them,” (verse 19), and that includes us! How amazing is that?

He can be like this towards us because he put all the sin of every person who has ever lived onto Jesus. That’s why Jesus died on a cross; at that moment he took away all sins - including ours, (verse 21). In place of sin we are given a brand new life that is, right, good, or righteous. Second, we have to be “in Christ,” (verse 17). Notice it says, “If anyone is in Christ…” “If” means there is a condition, it doesn’t just happen automatically. We have to clearly and deliberately ask Jesus to take away our sin and give us his forgiveness and new life in its place. Until we do, none of this happens to us. But, when we do, we become reconciled with God and a “new creation.”

There’s one last thing to note: “If anyone…” Anyone means, well, anyone at all! Anyone means not a single person in the whole human race is left out. And anyone means you, too!

RELATE IT TO YOUR LIFE

How much do I want a new “me” in Jesus?

How much do I understand that Jesus died on a cross to take away my sin?

Have I asked him yet to forgive me and make me a “new creation?

RESPOND WITH A DECLARATION

“Therefore, if ...[say your name in here]... is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled to ...[say your name in here]... himself through Christ.”