Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
2 Corinthians 5:17
A lot of people claim to love God and be a Christian without a change in their life. This Scripture corrects that false understanding. If anyone is in Christ, they are a new creation. Jesus tells us that we must be born again (John 3:7). True repentance of our sins accompanied by trusting that Jesus can cleanse us from our sins is how we receive what Jesus has already accomplished for us in His life, death, and resurrection. When Jesus’ authority touches our need for salvation, we are born of the Spirit and become new in Jesus. Have you been born again? When you are genuinely born again, your life will not become perfect, but it will change.
The new life that Jesus brings is a process of learning by trusting and obeying Jesus. We have opportunities to grow every day and in every decision we make. The goal of the Christian life is to grow closer to Jesus until we begin to show similarities to Jesus. For example, we begin to love and forgive like Jesus.
If you are like me, you might have a past that you are not proud of. In Jesus, my old past is gone. My history of resisting God and living a self-centered life has been forgiven. In Jesus, I’ve also been given the power to leave that lifestyle behind. Through Jesus, I have the power to fight temptation, break bad habits, and pursue closeness with God through Jesus. Jesus gives the sinner more than a second chance. He gives us a new life through Him!
