So, 2 Corinthians 5:17 continues with 'behold, all things have become new'.
God accepted me as the creature/person I use to be, and through His Son Jesus Christ, I am a new creation/creature/person. Awesome!
For the first time in my life, in the past few months, I learned what all is included in the 'new things' the scripture talks about.
1. I have a brand new heart
I no longer have a heart that is hopelessly bent towards evil, selfish, fleshy living anymore. (Yeah, that got me too. The Bible clear states that all actions and thoughts that are not of Him is evil.)
God took away that heart through Jesus Christ, made me born again, and gave me a heart that is able to freely walk in obedience to Him.
Awesome!
How does that play out in my life?
I want to do what God wants me to do now. I no longer want my way, even if I might find it hard and challenging to let go of my way. In Christ, I am able to not only be obedient, but desire to be obedient.
Ezekiel 36:26 puts it well, (Message) I'll give you a new heart, put a new spirit in you. I'll remove the stone heart from your body and replace it with a heart that's God-willed, not self-willed.
I have a heart that is God-willed. Whoop!
All of this happened when I confess my need for Christ, confessed my sins, and repented. God did the rest.
I must say that if you are still acting like you used to before you gave your heart to God, then I encourage you to check if you truely repented. God always meet a repentant heart with forgiveness and mercy.
My life now, as I choose daily to walk in obedience to God, will reflect that I have a new heart and that I truly repented.
Did you know all this? Let us walk as if we have a new heart. Let us produce fruit that shows we have repented. Let us ask God daily to teach us to walk accordingly.
Amen.
