Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! (2 Corinthians 5:17, NIV)
It’s getting close to the end of January, so that means that by now you’re like most people who set New Year’s resolutions—you have already broken them. You’ve abandoned the idea of the new you and have already returned to your old habits and tendencies. If you did not set any resolutions, it’s probably because in years past you never made it to February with them still in tact and have grown cynical toward the idea. Let’s face it, it’s hard to abandon the old self.
In golf, this is also true. I can work on breaking bad habits in practice sessions if I know what to work on, but for some reason they keep rearing their ugly heads when I am on the golf course. It takes a lot of practice and intentional effort to abandon the old tendencies.
Now, I have spiritual question for you: Have you ever made the decision to abandon the old you?
I’m not asking if you’ve been 100 percent successful at it. I’m just asking if you have made a conscious effort to live as the new creation that Christ has made of you?
I am talking about the New Covenant. The Old Covenant has been replaced by a much better promise. The New Covenant of the Good News of Jesus and life in his Kingdom presents us with a hope never offered through the old. We read in Romans 8:1-4:
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
Jesus did not come to establish a new religion or extend part of the Jewish model to Gentiles; rather, he came to show man that God is not about religion at all. It was the hardcore religious men with whom he had the most conflict and to whom he offered the most criticism.
Had Israel listened to various prophets like Isaiah, Hosea, or Malachi, they would have understood that God was always focused on the state of their hearts rather than their religious performance. But for some reason humans have the tendency to create rules, traditions, and checklists. We think we can control our outcome or manipulate God into blessing us. We might even realize it doesn’t really require much faith to live up to certain man-made religious requirements. Let’s be honest, how much faith does it require to show up to a service or group once a week, partake in a few rituals, abstain from a few harmful behaviors, and give a set percentage of your income to an organization? But Jesus said, “No one puts new wine into old wineskins” (Mark 2:22).
Have you brought part of the old model into the new life you’ve been given? Have you aligned yourself with a religious belief system that picks and chooses from the parts of the old and new that seem most convenient to do or easy to explain?
The faith God desires for us is relational, unpredictable, exciting, and most of all, loving. It’s a journey and walk with the living God. We can’t arrive; we can only grow… as new creations.
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Josh Nelson
January 24, 2018
Copyright 2018 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.