“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
When a person chooses to follow Jesus and becomes a new creation in Christ, their sin dies. Jesus’ blood on the cross paid for that sin. It’s a message we hear over and over again. But in this world, that promise sounds dreamy. How can sin simply be erased?
2 Corinthians 5:17 brings to light a different way to think about sin. In the English Standard Version, it says “the old has passed away.”
You’ve likely lost someone in your life. It’s difficult to let go of them and you’ll likely never forget them. Sin works the same way – it’s gone but it’s not easy to forget. The shame can plague us.
Perhaps God designed us that way: to be able to forgive but not always able to forget.
What would happen if we didn’t remember our past sins?
What would happen if we weren’t able to become a new creation?
As we proceed into a new year, reflect on how you’ve been made new, what you’re not able to forget and why, and how you can share the gift of newness in Christ with others.
Lord, thank you for “new” – new opportunities, new mercies, and new life in Jesus. May we embrace the new with our eyes focused on you. I lift up to you my relationship with ____________. Give me courage and the opportunity to share You with him/her. Amen.
