New Creations

-
Scripture: 17 So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see everything has become new! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. 20 So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:17-21 NRSV)

Meditation:
            What wonderful good news Paul has for us in these verses. However, there are days when we feel like anything but a new creation. Often we simply just feel old. We strain to be an ambassador for Christ. What is the remedy for this?
            There may be several causes. The most important thing to keep in mind is that we are new creations and ambassadors for Christ whether we feel like it or not. Jesus finished the work necessary to make us new creations on the cross some 2,000 years ago. And as soon as we by faith lay hold of that salvation we become new creatures in Christ.
            Our ambassadorship in Christ will only be effective if we deal with whatever drags us down. And there are lots of things that can potentially do that. We may just be over tired and need to get some rest. (How our culture fights against that!) We may need to focus our energy on prayer to help us get a handle on ourselves as the world tries to distract us from Christ. Our ancient foe the Devil may even try to draw us away from God, we must learn to resist him.
            Acting as ambassadors of Christ we have been given the task of declaring by our words and actions that we have been made new. We are needed desperately to hold out the hope of Christ to this hurting and dying world. Let us pray for God to help us in this endeavor,

Prayer:

Holy God, we ask you to give us the strength of mind and will to realize that we are new creatures in Christ. Help us to live for you no matter how we feel. Grant us wisdom to overcome by your cross anything that would hinder us from faithfully following you. May it be so in Jesus name. Amen.  

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Welcoming the Unwelcome

-
  Scripture: Luke 7:36-38 (NIV) 36  When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 37  A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. 38  As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them, and poured perfume on them. Devotion:             First of all, some warnings to my readers. This post will exceed the 500 words I try to limit my posts. Second, this post will contain content people may find offensive or otherwise unfit for print. Please understand that my purpose is neither to offend nor upset but to provoke thought and, hopefully, respectful dialog.             We will use Luke chapt...
Read more

The Hatred of the World

-
Scripture: John 15:18-20 (ESV) 18  “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19  If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20  Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. Devotion:             This scripture is compelling. It explains what happened to Jesus and His disciples some 2,000 years ago. The message of God is rarely welcome news for the world. It calls out many of the culture's favorite practices for what they are: sin. Ever since Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, humankind has been adamant about trying to hide or excuse their sin. Sin causes a barrier between humans and God that humanity cannot overcom...
Read more

Reflecting on Reformation Day

-
  On October 31st, millions of Christians around the world celebrate Reformation Day, a commemoration of a pivotal moment in church history. It marks the day in 1517 when Martin Luther, a German monk and scholar, nailed his Ninety-Five Theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg. This act, challenging the practices and doctrines of the Catholic Church, ignited what we now know as the Protestant Reformation. The Courage to Stand for Truth Reformation Day calls us to reflect on the courage it takes to stand for truth. Martin Luther faced immense opposition and risked his life to speak against the corruption and abuses he saw within the church. His conviction was rooted in a deep understanding of scripture and a sincere desire to return to the teachings of Christ. As we remember Luther's bravery, let us examine our own lives. Are we willing to stand firm in our beliefs, even when it is difficult? Do we seek truth in God's word and let it guide our actions? Script...
Read more