[The following devotional is a part of our 2015 Easter Season Devotional Book “Passion Road.” We will be posting a devotional each day on this blog between February 18 – April 5, 2014.]
New Creation by Jonathan Holmes
Read: 2 Corinthians 5:14-17
I love to be in control. The more control I have over a situation the more confident and comfortable I feel. The moment I have to surrender some control my stress and anxiety go through the roof. The people close to me realize this and lovingly call me a “control freak,” at least I hope this is out of love… It is safe to assume that there are a few other people out there that are like me. Even if you can’t relate to my level of need for control, I am sure there are areas in your life that you enjoy exercising control. Do you enjoy controlling the finances? Your children’s lives? The future plans? Whatever it is for you, we all have areas in our life that we struggle with letting go of control.
When I read in v. 17 that “the love of Christ controls us…” I get a little freaked out. My grip tightens on the reins to my life and I think, “Well that is a good idea, but I mean I am really the one in control.” My sinful desire to control my life resists the gospel’s pull to surrender.
Jesus died so that we would die. (14)
When you and I say that we follow Jesus, we are surrounding the control of our lives. We are releasing our grip of control on our lives and are to be directed and moved by the love of Christ. The first step in walking with Jesus is dying to self. When Jesus died, we died in Him and with Him.
Jesus dies so that we would live with Him. (15)
We not only died with Jesus, but we were also raised with Him to “walk in newness of life (Romans 6:4).” Because we have died with Christ, we can surrender control to Him; and because we live with Christ, we can live through Him (1 John 4:9).
One result of Jesus’ death and resurrection is that it makes us into “a new creation.” From now on we no longer look at our achievements and attributes in the flesh. Rather, we are participators in the new life as a new creation offered through the death of Jesus. To be in Christ is to be a new creation.
Questions:
- How should we look at other Christians as part of this new creation? Should we evaluate others based on attributes, education, race, gender, or position?
- Read Romans 6. What is the joining theme of these two passages?
Prayers for Lent
- Thank the Father for providing life through His Son’s death.
- Take a moment and meditate on the Truth that you are a new creation through Jesus’ life and death.