Life Lesson

2 Corinthians 5:17, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. (KJV)

I was reminded of a valuable principle today as I took care of some responsibilities around our house. I took a portion of the day away from my daily schedule and our son and I re-painted the kitchen. Now, doesn't that sound like an awesome way to spend a Tuesday? Seriously, I did enjoy the opportunity of working along side of our son to accomplish this project. One of the side issues that I remembered is the importance of teamwork. We use that word at New River but it is a privilege to see it take place in the work of the church but also in our daily lives. Good things can be accomplished when people commit to a common cause and they establish a common goal to attain. We were able to see that accomplished today.

But there is another principle that came to my attention as I was cleaning up and re-arranging the kitchen after the project was completed. As I observed the room the passage in 2 Corinthians dropped into my heart. I began to rehearse the principle of a "new creature" in relation to "old things are passed away." The color of our kitchen changed before our eyes as a new color was added to replace the old color. The transformation was very evident and the transformation was made possible through the process of painting. 

Our spiritual transformation was and is made possible through the process of salvation. Our salvation was purchased through the death of Jesus Christ. The blood of Jesus covers the sin(s) of the old man (you and I) and out of that transition we observe the birth of a new creature in Christ. We celebrate that process as we serve God in a manner of surrendered obedience to His will and way. The season of Lent allows us to remind ourselves of our new life and remember that we were purchased with a price and that price was the death, burial and resurrection of our Savior, Jesus Christ!!