Day 9 | A New Creation Reality: From Old to New – "Who I Am In Christ" Firm Foundation 21-Day Devotional
Early in my life as a Christ Follower, I remember hearing a message entitled, "New Creation Realities." It was amazing and refreshing to consider the actual impact of being in Christ and God's Spirit living in me. In that day, long before social media and Google searches, we were more influenced by people and their philosophies. Anything that appeared in a book seemed credible, since only "credible" organizations could publish a book.
Through all of the noise and clutter, the idea of being a "new creation" (or new "creature" in KJV), seemed personal and real. On July 8, 1978 I asked Christ to be my Lord and Savior. What happened next was not a religious experience––I had many of those. What happened was an encounter with God through His Holy Spirit, and with Christ, precisely in the way it is described in 2 Corinthians 5:17. I knew that something old had "passed away," and the "new" had come!
Religion has never had the positive impact offered by relationship with Christ. My experience happened in my parent's home after my mother saw what God was doing in my heart (it's a long story!) and said, "You know what you need to do." For some reason I went to her and dad's bedroom, not my bedroom (It was a SMALL house without a family room). I knelt and prayed some kind of awkward version of, "Jesus help me. Jesus Save me." It was enough!
One of the most profound New Creation Realities is this: In Christ, you don't have "mental ascent" (which is merely thinking and feeling better). What God does in your heart changes you, the real you within. Your desires change. Your will changes. Your mind becomes clear.
To be sure, this change comes under CHALLENGE and ATTACK. You stumble, but you don't fall back to your old self. You don't fall back because "OLD THINGS HAVE PASSED AWAY" and "ALL THINGS HAVE BECOME NEW."
In the words of the old spiritual, "You Must Be Born Again:"
You know I’ve been born again
I started to walk, I had a new walk
I started to talk, I had a new talk
I looked at my hands, my hands looked new
I looked at my feet and they did too
You don't receive ALL NEW THINGS. You and your things are changed.
This is the reality of being a New Creation in Christ!
In the words of the old spiritual, "You Must Be Born Again:"
You know I’ve been born again
I started to walk, I had a new walk
I started to talk, I had a new talk
I looked at my hands, my hands looked new
I looked at my feet and they did too
You don't receive ALL NEW THINGS. You and your things are changed.
This is the reality of being a New Creation in Christ!
Reflection Questions:
1. What was your experience of Jesus Christ becoming your Lord and Savior?
1. What was your experience of Jesus Christ becoming your Lord and Savior?
2. What New Creation Realities have you discovered?
3. Is Jesus your Lord and Savior? Do you have religion/mental ascent or a relationship?
Action Items:
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
Action Items:
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
