Book Snippet

A new creation in Christ Jesus

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Once we were messes, but now we’re God’s masterpieces. Once we were sinners steeped in our sins, but we’ve been redeemed and are saints.

There’s something exciting when we think about starting over because we’ve all messed up. All of us have said and done things we’re embarrassed about, things we wish we could take back, things we wish we could do over.

Guess what. That’s what being in Christ is all about. It’s about forgiveness, grace, and mercy.

It’s about finding hope when all hope seems lost. It’s where we’ve messed up once again and think, “What’s the use of trying?”

But in Christ we are new creations and God’s desires to give us a future and a hope that is completely different than what we’ve known. It’s a future hope, not only for right here and now, but also a hope of heaven where all the bad things, all the suffering, sorrow, and pain are gone. A place of no more tears or regrets. The old spirituals call it “The Land of No-Mores.”

(From Here to There: A Journey to Spiritual Transformation, pages 32-33)