Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

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 (ESV))

Newness!

What does that word bring to mind?

Personally, I think of freshness and all of the things that come to mind with that word. I think of the way that the air smells after it has rained. I think of a field of grain gently blowing in the wind. I think of the feeling that you get when you step out of the shower.

There are so many ways to describe newness, but perhaps the best way is as a beginning. Now, as the years pass, I find myself thinking of what it was like to be a child. I find myself thinking of the awe, wonder and excitement of the experiences that I had that have defined my life. Many are still very prominent memories that will always hold a place in my heart, but there is one newness that allows an eternity of joy.

This is the newness that we have by professing a faith in Jesus!

When I think of this newness in Christ, I can't help but think of baptism. We willingly surrender everything to Jesus and He cleanses all of our past sins as we enter into the water. We then come up in a newness of grace and mercy that is only found in His name. In essence, we are born again!

Jesus replied, "Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again."
(John 3:3 (NIV))

I have read this passage many times, but today I noticed a footnote that I have skimmed over in the past. It clarifies "born again" as being "born from above." In other words, we are no longer born into this sinful, fallen world. We are "born from above" by an act of the Lord.

I don't know about you, but I can't think of any greater way to be made new.

Have you been made new?

Copyright 1998 - 2026 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
https://www.dailylivingministries.org
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