I’m excited for this post, because it is what I needed to hear.

I read Bible plans with my support group and the one we read over Easter taught that God wasn’t going to waste His time fixing the old man. He made us into a new creation. So let’s look at relevant scriptures and how they make a difference in our lives.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

2 Corinthians‬ ‭5‬:‭17‬ ‭ESV

This all sounds good and well, but I don’t always feel like a new creation. The old doesn’t feel like it has passed away. So does that make this statement false? Stick with me.

Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’”

John‬ ‭3‬:‭5‬-‭7‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Okay. Now we get more information directly from Jesus—I am born of flesh. This part of me is like every human being, flesh begets flesh. But… I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior and became born again, born of the Spirit. My spirit was birthed by the Spirit of God. I became a new creation. One previously nonexistent.

For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority.

When you came to Christ, you were “circumcised,” but not by a physical procedure. Christ performed a spiritual circumcision—the cutting away of your sinful nature.

For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with him you were raised to new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead.

You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross.

Colossians‬ ‭2‬:‭9‬-‭14‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Look at that last paragraph. I was dead, but God made me alive with Christ. I can’t help but chuckle as I picture my old self like the walking dead, refusing to die. But God sees it differently.

So now the case is closed. There remains no accusing voice of condemnation against those who are joined in life-union with Jesus, the Anointed One.

For no matter how hard they try, God finds no pleasure with those who are controlled by the flesh. But when the Spirit of Christ empowers your life, you are not dominated by the flesh but by the Spirit. And if you are not joined to the Spirit of the Anointed One, you are not of him. Now Christ lives his life in you! And even though your body may be dead because of the effects of sin, his life-giving Spirit imparts life to you because you are fully accepted by God. Yes, God raised Jesus to life! And since God’s Spirit of Resurrection lives in you, he will also raise your dying body to life by the same Spirit that breathes life into you!

And you did not receive the “spirit of religious duty,” leading you back into the fear of never being good enough. But you have received the “Spirit of full acceptance,” enfolding you into the family of God. And you will never feel orphaned, for as he rises up within us, our spirits join him in saying the words of tender affection, “Beloved Father!”

Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭1‬, ‭8‬-‭11‬, ‭15‬ ‭TPT‬‬

This brings me to my second point of emphasis, dealing with the part of me that is flesh. I love the Passion Translation above pointing out we are “fully accepted” and enfolded into the family of God. Our new creation is an adopted child of the Father. No work required.

How foolish can you be? After starting your new lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort?

Galatians‬ ‭3‬:‭3‬ ‭NLT

The Galatians faltered in their walk, as we do, trying to follow religious traditions to make themselves worthy. They had forgotten what the Good News was all about. Look back up at Colossians 2:10, we are complete because of Christ. The more we follow Him, the more our lives look like they should. Like Paul we leave the past in the past and press on.

I admit that I haven’t yet acquired the absolute fullness that I’m pursuing, but I run with passion into his abundance so that I may reach the purpose for which Christ Jesus laid hold of me to make me his own. I don’t depend on my own strength to accomplish this; however I do have one compelling focus: I forget all of the past as I fasten my heart to the future instead. I run straight for the divine invitation of reaching the heavenly goal and gaining the victory-prize through the anointing of Jesus.

Philippians‬ ‭3‬:‭12‬-‭14‬ ‭TPT

Whatever happened in your past is like a toothless lion, it may make a lot of noise, but its bite can’t hurt you.

Believing in Jesus and all the truth of who He is and what He has accomplished, brings forth a complete new creation, a born again spirit in us. His work is a forward facing work. Looking back trips us up and moves our focus in the wrong direction.

Knowing I don’t need to haul out the old man and get him fixed up is freeing. I’m going to face forward, trust Jesus, and take one step at a time.

Grace & Peace,

Sandy

Image created in Canva.