Post Sunday Devotional Sunday November 9

2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

It has been a quiet day. Last week was very busy. How busy? Well, I won’t go into that but we all know what those weeks are like when you look at your calendar and schedule and wonder, hey when do I get a second of “me” time in all of this? After awhile when you have hundreds upon hundreds of these types of weeks you begin to appreciate and relish the silence of that “day after.” The day after being the day that the busyness of life comes to a halt for a moment and normalcy returns (whatever normal is). As difficult as those busy weeks are those weeks provide you an incredible amount of information and sights that your eyes, hearts and brains take in and typically I really appreciate all that God had to show me during those busy times. They are things that for the most part do not happen in the “normal” weeks. In this busy week I celebrated and mourned. Laughed and cried. Planned, prepared and carried out. Talked and listened. Succeeded and failed. Used my gifts and buried my gifts. Feared and retreated, was bold and conquered. Amazing how all that could possibly happen in one week, but it did. It wasn’t the first time I’ve had a week like this and I’m confident it won’t be the last. What makes it so amazing though is that it was entirely different than the last time a week was like that. Same types of ups and downs, ins and outs and so on, but different events, different results, different people and now in this moment there is just a lot of thoughts and a lot of strong feelings to continue on in not my direction, but Christ’s direction.

Christ’s direction because it is week’s like this past one that make it all the more evident that in my own strength I’m not going to be getting very far. I’m actually grateful for those top of the rollercoaster to the bottom of the rollercoaster in 3 seconds or less weeks because they reveal so much about life and where it is headed if continued on “in this manner.” “In this manner…” Only you can define out what “in this manner” is for you. What is your “in this manner?” How do you speak to others? How do you react in failure or disappointment? How do you celebrate? How do you rejoice? How do you give thanks? How do you relate to others? How do you see your future? How do you overcome your past? How do you live in the present during those busy times? What is your “in this manner?”

That is why I thought of 2 Corinthians 5:17 because it talks about anyone (that means anyone) that is “in Christ” there will be a new manner, a new creation. This new creation that we are to be is the fact that the old has passed away (it died), only occurs if you and I are “in Christ.” Thus our “in this manners” will only be new and fresh if we are “in Christ.” What is “in Christ?”

It means that we are united to Him by faith. We have faith in Him. Faith in who He says He is. Faith in what it (the Bible) says He did. And faith in how He told us to live. He told us in John 15 to remain “in Him.” It says that apart from Him we will bear no fruit, thus there will be no new “in this manner” for us.

Because “in Him” means we draw all of our strength and support from Him and when His strength pours through us there will be a new “in this manner” in us.

I’m not sure what you all began to think about as we talked about the concrete block on Sunday, but as I was explaining it in relation to Peter standing to face the crowd in Acts 2:14 the events of my week came rushing through my mind. I admired Peter because he didn’t decide at that moment to stand, he had already made up his mind to do that. He had already placed the concrete block down and chosen to stand upon it prior to this moment, so when the moment did arise there was no need for him to think through this particular moment, there was not any conflict going on in his mind, no matter how chaotic or dramatic the situation. He was already a new creation because he was in Christ and being a new creation meant that His faith was in Christ and the building blocks of life were set before Him already to stand upon. So as the events of my week came rushing through my mind and the concrete block was placed on the floor before me and I stood upon it, I wondered did I behave in such a manner all week with the concrete faith that I lived in Christ or did I just live as in Eric? I could write forever about this but…

There is no erasing yesterday’s scorecard. I just have the new one I’ve been given today. I’m grateful that this relationship with Christ has begun a good work in me that allows me the opportunity to actually be a new creation. That the war torn weeks ultimately become weeks of redemption and the celebratory weeks have more purpose than just a few drinks and a few laughs, but rather have the feel of eternity emanating from them. I don’t just like that, I love that. I don’t mind bleeding if the blood that is shed is for something that matters, something that is eternal.

So because I was busy I was able to meet new people this week. I was able to deepen existing relationship this week. I disappointed some and encouraged others. I was an example of fallen humanity that was in need of Christ and strangely at the same time I was also a picture of God’s new creation and His grace was able to come forth. This I’ll never be able to fully comprehend but I’ll tell you it makes you know that you are truly alive and who provided you that life.

My “in this manner” means more to me today than it did last week. For I know that my “in this manner” is a that growing newly created manner “in Christ.” I want it to be new, so I place another one of the “in Christ” concrete blocks before me to stand upon so I can rise up and out of the old. For the old has passed away, no thanks to me, but thanks be to God and His glorious Son, Jesus Christ who for the joy set before Him endured the sin, shame and suffering of the cross, all so I could be with Him and in Him.

Questions to Ask Yourself:

1. 2 Corinthians 5:17 “…he is a new creation…” How do you now live as a new creation?

I think that is enough questions for this week……
pastor e