March 30, 2021 – “A New Creation!”

      Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.  2 Corinthians 5:17.

             We use the term ‘new’ when asking, “What’s new?” Or when we purchase something for sale in this world, new clothing, a new house, or car and anything else this world offers.

Having something new means it loses its value quickly. It rusts, wears out, or the item can be stolen. With the advancement of technology, the desire for the latest tech gadget grows greater.

The mind is not immune to wanting new ideas to think about, new games to play, a fashion make-over, so we can become like ‘new’.  These new possessions soon become old.

Eighty-three years ago, I experienced this feeling of newness from the inside out. I didn’t really understand then, but being baptized into the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit made me feel ‘new’. When I listened and read His Word for myself, I understood the immensity of this feeling of newness is the forgiveness of God. I choose to love God first, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” Matthew 9:6-10.

In the beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth. Genesis 1:1. That first chapter of the Bible gave me an understanding of the immensity of our Lord God, and how He loves. Each of us came into being in His Care. For you formed my inward parts;
You knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. Psalm 139:13-14. He made the very breath we breathe. Without Him, we are nothing… and this God Almighty watches over each of us.

Another chapter begins like Genesis 1:1. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. John 1:1-4. The Word is Jesus. Jesus came to live on the earth.  He taught the disciples. Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6.

We celebrate Palm Sunday, when Jesus was proclaimed as King. Rejoice, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is He, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. Zechariah 9:9.

This was prophesied many years before. The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So, they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written, “Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt!” John 12:12-15.

Palm branches signify victory and salvation, and the arrival of the King of the Jews.

The following Friday, the people cried, “Crucify Him!” The death on the cross is our love gift. Jesus did not stay in the tomb, but God Himself raised Him from the dead. When we read this verse, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” 

         You are my friends if you do what I command you.” John 15:12-14.

We have the promise of salvation, to be raised from the dead and be with Jesus when we become a New Creation in Christ Jesus in baptism into Him. Our life changes as we learn to Love others. We become a part of the body of Christ.

How do we remember Jesus? Jesus taught his disciples on the night He was betrayed and arrested. For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also He took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes. I Corinthians 11:23-26.

         A missionary friend during WW II was arrested and imprisoned. He remembered verses of scripture and saved a crust of bread, and some water to remember Jesus Christ his Lord Even during his time away from his brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus, he worshipped Him.

        For by grace, you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in His flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. Ephesians 2:8 -16.

May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which He has granted to us His precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For, if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.  2 Peter 1:2-8.