Everything Is New

by Rick

This morning we continue our series entitled, “Refined Focus”, by continuing with our mini-series entitled, “Focusing on Dying To Self”.  We have been walking our way through the following passage for over a month.  Let’s get back to it today.

 

The Apostle Paul said, “The love of Christ controls us, because we know that one person died for everyone.  So all have died.  He died for all so that those who live would not continue to live for themselves.  He died for them and was raised from death so that they would live for him.  From this time on we don’t think of anyone as the world thinks of people.  It is true that in the past we thought of Christ as the world thinks.  But we don’t think that way now.  When anyone is in Christ, it is a whole new world.  The old things are gone; suddenly, everything is new!” (2 Cor 5:14-17 ERV).

 

We spent weeks on the line: “But we don’t think that way now.”  This morning we finally get to Paul’s closing statement in this passage.  After teaching us that we are dead in Christ (and we have done all the dying we are going to do), that Christ died for us so we would live in honor of Him, and that we are supposed to think differently from the world, Paul closes it out by driving home our new reality.  Paul said, “When anyone is in Christ, it is a whole new world.  The old things are gone; suddenly, everything is new!”  This statement baffled me as a young Christian.  The Bible was telling me that I was new and that everything had changed.  However, in my mind I focused on the fact that I still struggled with many of the same issues.  I still faced many of the same challenges.  I knew I was Born-Again, but I did not “feel” new, per se, so I struggled with this verse.  I struggled because I did not understand what Paul was saying.

 

As you read this message, you may be today like I was back then.  You may be struggling to embrace your new reality.  You may be struggling to “see” how everything is different when many things seem the same in your life.  The key to understanding what Paul was saying is learning to look at your life from God’s perspective.  Over the next few days we will seek to get a better understanding of Paul’s statement.  

 

So what does this mean to you today?  A few things.

 

  1.  God made plans for you before the world began.  He already mapped out your success.  It’s just that when you were born you were oblivious to those plans.  Therefore, you mapped out your own way and pursued your own success.  The day you were Born-Again you were then in position to discover God’s plans, to live out God’s purpose for your life, and to experience true success in the process.

 

  1.  The day you are Born-Again everything changes, as far as possibilities go.  Your outlook may not be initially different, because you have not discovered anything yet, but in the realm of the Spirit everything is different.  Since you have God’s Spirit living in you, you are in position to receive all God planned for you before the world began.

 

  1.  The day you are Born-Again you are a new person in your spirit.  Your spirit is made new.  God’s Spirit comes into you and connects with your spirit, bearing witness that you are a child of God.  The problem is: Your mind has not caught up with your Spirit.  Your mind has not yet been deprogrammed and reprogrammed to live as the person you are.  You are new, you just don’t know how to live it yet.  Everything has changed, you just don’t know how to walk in your new reality yet.  That’s why your mind must be renewed by systematic study of the Word of God.  The more you study God’s Word, the more you learn to align your thoughts (your mind), feelings (emotions) and decisions (will) with God.  The more you do that, the more you get to experience and enjoy the newness of the life Christ provided for you.

 

I will stop here for today and continue this tomorrow.

 

Closing Confession:  Father, this is a season of refined focus for me.  I bring my life into focus in 2016.  You are helping me to take self-inventory in this season.  Anything and everything that is not like You, that is not productive, that does not take me down the road to my purpose, I STOP in this season.  I re-calibrate.  I am determined to live my life from Your point of view.  I am a new man.  I was born from above.  I have Your Spirit in me.  Your Spirit reveals to me the plans You made for me before the world began.  I live to live those plans.  I live to walk-out my purpose.  I live to glorify Your name.  I live to complete my divine assignment.  I am IN You and it’s a whole new world.  Old things are gone and SUDDENLY everything is new.  I live every day in this new reality.  I live in the newness of the life Christ provided for me.  As I do, I have and enjoy life, because I get to live the life You birthed me to live!  I declare this by faith.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

This is Today’s Word!  Apply it and Prosper.

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