What do YOU think is more important? SomeTHING? Or someONE?
You know what they say, the best things in life aren’t things. I’m pretty sure that we’d all agree that people are more important than things. If that includes you, then you might feel like I left out an important aspect of the “Mornings with Bishop Robert” podcast two days ago. Well, I can fix that!
But first, welcome to “Mornings with Bishop Robert,” I’m glad you’re here. My goal is to introduce people to the Jesus they never knew, and help them get to know Him and His word personally – and better ! Please like, subscribe and share this with a friend, would you?
A couple of days ago I spoke on the topic of “SOMETHING NEW” and how God is always doing new things. I mentioned that He does new things every day and uses the people who follow Him to display His power and love to others. But I saved the most significant “new thing” God does for today.
Today’s verse says IF ANYONE IS IN CHRIST, THEY ARE A NEW CREATION.
The most important “SOMETHING NEW” that God ever does is the complete re-creation job on the people who decide to follow Him.
Folk without Christ are not in a good place. Actually, they are dead. They may look good on the outside, but the looks are not telling the whole story. The best case scenario is something like a beautiful floral arrangement. It may appear stunning, smell wonderful and be attractive to the eye. Except that every flower in the arrangement is dead. Once the flowers were cut off from the source of their life; they died. Now it may take a bit of time for it to show, but it is true none the less.
The bible says that, without Christ, we are dead in our offenses and sins. Even if we look good on the outside, we’re still dead on the inside. And let’s be frank, some of us don’t look too good on the outside, our sins show. Then Jesus came and paid the price that sin demanded. He died, too. But, because He was totally without sin, He raised Himself from the dead – and THAT makes all the difference for us! It’s the only miracle Jesus ever did that can touch our lives, too. We’ll never taste the loaves and fishes He multiplied, none of us will ever walk on the Sea of Galilee with Peter or watch Jesus call Lazarus from the tomb.
But when Jesus raised Himself from the grave, He took the keys of death and hell with Him. Now everyone who comes to Him is made alive together with Him, since He has forgiven us all our offenses and sins. And the Apostle Paul describes that process this way: “If anyone is in Christ, they are a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”
IN CHRIST
In as opposed to out. We are baptised into His death, and raised with Him in the newness of life. Once we are IN HIM we are forgiven and, most importantly, WE ARE ALIVE. We have been born again, through the living and abiding word of God.
NEW CREATION
Just as He did when He created the universe, the earth and everything in it, He speaks and completely recreates US. What was dead is now alive. That which was powerless is now filled with His power. Our hearts of stone are replaced with hearts of flesh, capable of loving the things He loves. And since we are alive, we can now GROW in Him. Absolutely everything is changed. We are an utterly NEW creation.
THE OLD HAS PASSED AWAY
Our old life died with Christ on the cross. This was so that our sinful selves would have no power over us, and we would not be slaves to sin.
THE NEW HAS COME
Christ was raised from death, He cannot die again. Death has no power over him now. We live in Him, and sin has no power over us either.
WE are the best part of Christ making all things new. We are the ones He loves, the people He wants to be in a relationship with for eternity. He loves us so much He paid for our trip.
If you’ve never invited Jesus to give you new life, this would be a great time to do it. Just invite Him to be your Lord, and to make you a new creation.
IF ANYONE IS IN CHRIST, THEY ARE A NEW CREATION
You are an “anyone” – and He wants to make you a new creation. The decision is yours.
