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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.

 

Are you a new creation? If you believe that God sent his son Jesus, who lived a sinless life on earth, to die on the cross, as the ultimate sacrifice for your sins and that by doing so removed the barrier of sin between you and God, then you are a new creation. Quite simply, if your faith is in Jesus, you are a new creation. Your sin no longer separates you from God.

How are we, as a new creation to act? Paul worded it this way in his letter to the Colossians “Put to death, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. You used to walk in these ways; in the life you once lived. But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Colossians 4: 5-17NIV.

As a new creation, we are to do things God’s way instead of the world’s way. We will want to live our lives as Jesus would have us live rather than our own way. We will see others as Jesus did. We will spread the reconciliation Jesus provided to us as his ambassadors. We will strive to live up to God’s moral character. Will we be perfect? No. This will be a lifelong effort for many of us. Will we sometimes revert to our old ways? Absolutely. But being new creations through Jesus’ death and resurrection, we know that nothing can separate us from the love of our God, and with Jesus as our center, we will soon return to the correct path.

Heavenly Father, thank you for making us a new creation. May we bring glory to your name in how we live our lives. Let us be ambassadors to spread the knowledge of your love and forgiveness. Amen

Kris Messmer

kmmessmer@charter.net