Making Everything New

In four short days, we will be celebrating the coming of the new year. Many of us will gather together with family and friends, enjoy food, fellowship, and watch the ball drop in Times Square. For many, the new year holds the promise of a clean slate. A fresh start. Resolutions will be made. Commitments to drop old bad habits and begin new good ones. 

God wants us to begin anew, so that our salvation is assured. “Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you,” the Bible says. “Such sins have no place among God’s people. Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes – these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God. You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God” (Ephesians 5:3-5).

As hard as we try, we still only achieve a small measure of success in shedding old habits. As Romans 3:23 reminds us, “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.” First Corinthians 6:9-10, lists the ways in which we fall short. Why is that? Why do we seem destined to fail? Maybe it’s because we try to do it on our own. Under our own power.

In Revelation 21:5, Jesus says, “Look, I am making everything new!” Notice He says, “I” am making everything new. We will never be able to get right ourselves. We need help. That’s why God sent His Son – Jesus. After the list in 1 Corinthains 6:9-10 we read, “Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 6:11).

That’s right. When we confess our sins to Him, ask for forgiveness and accept what Jesus did on the cross for us we are not the same anymore. The Holy Spirit gives us new life. A new beginning. A fresh start. We are “brand new” people on the inside. It’s not that we are not reformed, rehabilitated, or reeducated – we are re-created (new creations), living in vital union with Christ. “He [Jesus] died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them. This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun” (2 Corinthians 5)! 

Yes! When we accept Christ as LORD, we are not merely turning over a new leaf; we are beginning a whole new life under a new Master. That’s why it’s called being “born again.”

In our new life we now have an overwhelming desire to know Him better. To grow in Him. To worship Him. To serve Him. To love like Him and forgive like Him. Will we still trip and fall every so often. Sure. We’re not perfect – only He is. However, now we will pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, ask for mercy, repent, accept His forgiveness, mercy, and grace, and move forward. It’s awesome!

Please tell family and friends, they will never be able to change their lives on their own. The only one who can truly change them is the one who created them. Anyone who accepts Christ is born again. They have been cleansed; made holy; made right with God. Their old life is gone, and a new life has begun. Now that is the way to celebrate a New Year – with a new life in Christ! Happy New Year, friends!

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Remember you can email praises and petitions to southchurchprayer@gmail.com. I lift them up every Wednesday at 4:00 pm on Facebook Live.