(The following is the August 4 devotional from my Next Step Devotions book. Before reading it, I suggest you read 2 Corinthians 5 and pay close attention to verses 16-17.)
We have a great assurance regarding the transformation possible in Christ: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come!” (v. 17). There are, of course, many external ways life looks much the same before and after becoming a Christian. Not everything changes the instant we know Christ. How, then, can Paul make the above claim?
Anyone who has experienced Christ’s salvation should be able to point to multiple significant inner changes that happen when one surrenders to Christ, such as:
Sins once appealing to us are now appalling as the Holy Spirit convicts us.
We have a newfound hunger and thirst for righteousness.
We want to know God and his Word more completely.
We welcome connections within Christ’s body, the church, for worship, growth, fellowship, and service.
Our priority shifts from serving ourselves to expressing Christ’s love to others.
You can add to the above list based on your experience of coming to Christ and your observations of how he has transformed others. We aren’t perfect in all the above ways immediately, but we notice the change in our life’s direction. The change starts on the inside at the heart level but inevitably works outward in our everyday lives.
We are new creations, but Christ hasn’t finished with us. He is leading us through a lifelong process of growth, not a one-time event. More change for the better is underway.
Next Step:
What are the first changes you experienced after becoming a Christian? How is God continuing to change you? What significant transformations have you seen God produce in others?
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