II Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

 

“New look! - Same great taste!” Whenever I see that on the label of a candy bar or a soft drink, I smile a little. The advertising department feels pretty sure that if that candy bar looks different on the outside people will assume it’s different on the inside too. So they assure the consumer that that is not the case. “Don’t worry! Nothing has really changed.”

The Apostle Paul said that that could never be the case with a Christian. To be ‘in Christ’ is to be a committed follower of the Lord Jesus. It’s to have confessed your sins and been forgiven. Paul said, when that has happened, you become a new creation. Your ‘newness’ goes all the way down. Old things have been exchanged for new. There is a distinct difference. The hymn writer put it this way, “I once was lost but now am found. Was blind but now I see.” How odd if he had written, “I once was lost. Actually I’m still lost but also now I’m found. I used to be blind but now I’m a seeing blind person.”

Paul isn’t alone in this kind of thought. A quick reading of the Gospels will show you that people that had an encounter with Jesus are different afterwards. Well, except for ones like the rich young ruler who didn’t want to follow Jesus and went away sad. (I guess he was different too.)

If you claim to be a Christian, but your life could have the label, “New look, same great taste!” applied, you really need to reexamine your heart. God intends for you to be a new creation.

Blessings,

Pastor Russ