2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV)
¹⁷  Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

This verse should be encouraging to anyone who wants a new spiritual beginning.  It does not matter who you are, what you have done, or how you have lived, you can be a new creation in Christ if you are willing to obey the gospel.  Some people never change because they do not believe they can be forgiven for their past, but that is not true.  The Bible is clear about the power of God’s grace, and His willingness to remember sins no more when true repentance takes place.  The brethren at Corinth are a great example of this.  They were guilty of many vices before they were created anew (1 Corinthians 6:9-11), but when they obeyed the gospel, they were washed, sanctified, and justified in the name of Jesus, becoming new creatures in Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:17 is not only an inspiring revelation for those who want a new spiritual beginning in Christ, but it is also encouraging for those of us who are already Christians. To know that, by the grace of God, our past is completely behind us, and that all the mistakes that we made have been forgiven, should motivate us to do better as we go forward.  We should never take for granted the blessedness involved in our redemption.  In quoting David, Paul said,

“⁶ Just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works: ⁷ “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; ⁸ blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin”  (Romans 4:6-8).

It is this willingness on God’s part to forgive our lawless deeds, and not count our sins against us, that allows us to be a new creation in Christ.  This willingness on the part of God came with a price.  His Son, and our Savior, had to die on a cross, shedding His blood for the forgiveness of our sins, for God to be justified in covering our sins (Romans 3:21-26).  We should thank God continually that He was so willing to sacrifice His one and only Son so that we might live.

There is more good news.  The blood that Jesus shed for us, allowing us to be made new, continues to work on our behalf.  If we walk in the light, the blood of Christ cleanses us from all sin (1 John 1:7).  John is referring to sins that we commit in the future.  Of course, for any sin to be forgiven, there must be repentance on the part of the transgressor (Luke 13:3), but this is still news that should inspire us.  We now know that we do not have to live sinlessly to go to heaven.

By the grace of God, we can be saved, despite our faults and flaws, as long as we continue to believe in Jesus.  This is what Paul meant when he taught that we are saved by grace through faith and not by our own doing (Ephesians 2:8).  It is not that we do not have to obey God.  We do (Matthew 7:21).  However, we know that we are secure in Christ as long as we live faithfully (Revelation 2:10).  We can have confidence that we are going to heaven as long as we walk in the light, and this is all because of the enduring mercy of God that allowed us to become a new creation in the first place.  I hope this inspires you to do all you can to show God that you are thankful.

As you wind down for the night, think about these things.