What a wonderful thing to know that in Christ we are a new creation. We aren’t a cleansed creation, nor are we a washed creation, but we are a brand-spanking new creation. The author of 2 Corinthians says, the "...old things are passed away and behold all things are made new." (2 Corinthians 5:17) It doesn’t matter where you came from. God could have found you in an alley, a bar, running away from home, doing things that you wish you could forget …it doesn’t matter. To God, you aren’t that person anymore.
Perhaps one day while talking to Him you might ask, “Remember when…?” and he will reply, “Nope...Is there something you want to tell me?"
Wow! Thank you, Jesus. It was because of His gift that we can look at ourselves in a mirror and see a completely new person. You are not only absolved of your sins and dark past you have been made a new creation. Now, we get to start all over again. Isn’t that awesome? Throughout the world people celebrate New Year's because it is a way of beginning again–starting a new year afresh and brand-new. But for us it isn’t just a time of year–it truly is a new life-start.
So what should you have as “New Life Resolutions”? I know you probably are thinking of a couple of things. But before we get too far down the list, let’s look at what the Word of God has as indicators for our new existence. Paul writes that we should be "imitators of God" and Peter says "be holy as I am holy." Now I realize that these command can be a pretty tall order, but I have a secret for you. It can be done. You see Jesus (even though he is the Son of God and was born from a virgin) lived a blameless life. “Yeah, yeah,” you’re saying to yourself, “but He is God.” (Ephesians 5:1, 1 Peter 1:16)
Well, yes He is, but if you are referring to whether He was able to do the seemingly impossible by living blameless because of his deity, well you’re wrong. In Philippians 2:5-8 it clearly says that Jesus didn’t hold on to who He was, but let it go so that He could come down to earth as a normal man. So that means He was able to walk blameless with no “special” powers to help Him. Walking blameless isn’t impossible; you and I can do it, because Jesus could do it. But perhaps walking blameless may be a big first step as a new creation, right? I mean, my baby girl didn’t try to run until she could walk and she didn’t attempt that until she could crawl.
Jesus told us that we should love one other as He loves us. That’s a good start, I think. It’s not too hard and definitely not too easy. (John 13:34) Just start each day focused on the love God has shown to you and then start walking with the intent to share that same love with everyone in your path. If you fail, then pick yourself up and begin walking again. We all stumble as we start walking. But the idea is to get up, dust ourselves off and stumble less.
Location:Pacaritambo,Lima,Peru
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