NEW CREATION-CUM-NEW THINGS

TEXT

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." (2 Corinthians 5 verse 17, King James Version)

On January 2, 2023, the Lord gave to me the theme for the year 2024, saying that He will do new things for us in this new year. I believe the Lord because He's faithful to perform His Word.

    As I meditated about this theme, the Holy Spirit began to show me the relationship between the "new creation"  and "new things".

     We all know that it is through the process of being born again that we become new creations in Christ. The Scripture reading for today says that if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. This is marvelous!

     The new creation in Christ Jesus is a peculiar person. According to Colossians 1 verse 13, he's been delivered from the power of darkness and has been translated into the kingdom of His dear Son, Jesus Christ. The Scriptures further reveals that the new creation in Christ Jesus has been quickened together with Him (Ephesians 2 verse 5) and has been "raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:" (Ephesians 2 verse 6),

      Obviously, this connotes that we that are in Christ Jesus are in the position of power and authority because when God raised Jesus from the dead, He "set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,  Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:" (Ephesians 1 verses 20 and 21) In other words, Christ's experience, including His power and authority are automatically imparted to us immediately we got born again. Consequently, God expects to see His children exercise power, authority and dominion over the entire gamut and spectrum of the kingdom of darkness.

      But this is the objective part of the coin. In other words, this is what it ought to be for anyone and for everyone that is in Christ Jesus. Subjectively or in practice, we discover that this is not the case with a whole lot of Christians. We discover that though in Christ Jesus, many are suffering from satanic manipulations and onslaughts. The "new creations" are seen caught in the web of predicaments that are characteristic of the "old nature". This shouldn't be so. Though, "new creatures", "old things" have in practice not passed away. This experience becomes frustrating and debilitating.

     For the new creation in Christ, the Bible says that all things have become new. In other words, from the moment you came into Christ, all things should become new. You are not expected to have old things happening around you. As the Lord Jesus said, the new wine should be stored in new wine skins while the old wine should be stored in old wine skins. (see Matthew chapter 9 verse 17). By extension therefore, the new creation in Christ should have all things become new for him and not the other way round.

     In this year 2024, the Lord has promised to see to it that His Children experience new things in life in accordance with their new creation status in Christ; and that He would put an end to old things happening in their lives, in Jesus name. Let's say amen to that.

PRAYER/CONFESSION

In this year 2024, the Lord is doing new things in my life to His glory and they are springing forth for all to see, in Jesus name.