Gregg's New Years Rest Stop 2013
Published: Mon, 12/31/12
If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17).
This is such an amazing verse for this new year, and for each new day, and indeed for each new moment!
In Christ means "to be vitally united with Christ."
This doesn't mean we become divine. We indeed will always be human.
It does mean that Christ becomes our source of true life, since He is the Life (John 14:6).
John 15:5 describes this truth as Jesus being the life of the tree and we being branches.
Jesus is the sap that rises up through us branches to produce fruit of His life (fruit of the Spirit).
John 15:5 further reveals the futility of us trying to produce fruit apart from depending on Christ.
Imagine the folly of a branch trying to produce fruit apart from the living tree!
This is indeed the folly of sin!
And there's more amazing grace in this verse wrapped up in the little word new.
There are two Greek words for the translated English word new in the New Testament.
The Greek word kainos means "brand new." It means something that never existed before.
The Greek word neos means "a newer version of a same thing." It means new and improved.
The Holy Spirit gave Paul the specific Greek word kainos for this verse.
Why? To reveal that we have been re-born as brand new people!
The Holy Spirit emphasized this amazing truth by giving Paul the Greek word for creation.
This Greek word ktsis means "created out of nothing."
This same Greek word is also used in the Bible to refer to God's creation of the world.
I love the following notes on 2 Corinthians 5:17 by John Wesley in the mid-1700s:
Only the power that makes a world can make a
Christian.
And when he is so created, the old things are passed
away, even as snow in spring.
He has new life, new senses, new faculties, new
affections, new appetites, new ideas.
God, men, the whole creation, heaven, earth, and all
therein, appear in a new light.
These stand related to him in a new manner since he
was created anew in Christ Jesus.
Therefore, we are not patched-up people.
We are not mended. We have been made new!
God hasn't tweaked us, He has totally transformed us in Christ Jesus!
And now the risen Christ lives in and through our new hearts!
The characteristics below became completely true about us at the moment of salvation.
And because you and I are connected to Jesus Christ who is Eternal Life (1 John 5:20),
these characteristics will never get old...they will be as new next year as today!
Our bodies will continue to grow old. And our feelings will wax and wane.
But these truths remain new forever. It is who we are and how we are related to Christ.
God calls us to believe His Word and His finished work through Christ.
This is a call for us to live out of our new and true characteristics by faith.
God also calls us to trust Him to break us away from engrained old habits and beliefs.
This breaking can hurt, but we can also trust God to heal us with His loving touch.
Then God trains us up to embrace the new for the glory of His dear Son in our lives!
This is the very special ministry of discipleship.
HAPPY NEW YEAR! HAPPY NEW LIFE!
TRUTHS ABOUT YOU THAT BECAME BRAND NEW AT SALVATION
New acceptance God made us acceptable in the Beloved Son (Ephesians 1:6).
New armor Put on the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:11).
New authority Bring every thought into captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5).
New awareness Beware of false prophets (Matthew 7:15).
New beginning God has begun a good work in you (Philippians 1:6).
New beliefs God said, "These words which I command you shall be in your heart" (Deuteronomy 6:6).
New birth Jesus said, "You must be born again" (John 3:7).
New blessing You are blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ (Ephesians 1:3).
New boasting God forbid that I should boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ (Galatians 1:14).
New boldness Come boldly before the throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16).
New calling God called you through His grace to reveal His Son in you (Galatians 1:15-16).
New citizenship For our citizenship is in heaven (Philippians 3:20).
New comfort God comforts us in tribulations so that we can comfort others (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).
New compassion The Lord is very compassionate and merciful (James 5:11).
New completeness You are complete in Christ (Colossians 2:10).
New confession Every tongue shall confess to God (Romans 14:11).
New connection Jesus said, "I am the vine, you are the branches" (John 15:5).
New contentment I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content (Philippians 4:11).
New conversation Let your conversation always be with grace (Colossians 4:6).
New countenance They saw in Stephen the face of an angel (Acts 6:15).
New covenant God has made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant (2 Corinthians 3:6).
New creation If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17).
New cross Jesus said, "Take up your cross and follow me" (Matthew 16:24).
New delights Delight yourself in the LORD and He will give you the desires of your heart (Psalm 37:4).
New dependence Trust in the LORD with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding (Proverbs 3:5).
New desires Delight yourself in the LORD and He will give you the desires of your heart (Psalm 37:4).
New devotion You cannot serve God and mammon (Matthew 6:24).
New direction In all your ways acknowledge God, and He shall direct your paths (Proverbs 3:5).
New discernment The mature in Christ have exercised their senses to discern good and evil (Hebrews 5:14).
New discipling of others Commit what you've heard from me to faithful men who will teach others (2 Timothy 2:2)).
New ears Jesus said, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear" (Matthew 11:15)!
New embrace My beloved Jesus' left hand is under my head, and His right hand embraces me (Song of Solomon 2:6).
New empowerment His divine power has given to us all things for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3).
New endurance Let us run with endurance the race set before us (Hebrews 12:1).
New face God has shone in our hearts to give light of His glory in the face of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 4:6).
New faith Faith comes by hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:17).
New Father There is one God and Father in you all (Ephesians 4:6).
New fellowship If we walk in His light, we have fellowship with one another (1 John 1:7).
New fight Fight the good fight of faith (1 Timothy 6:12).
New flight The LORD said, "I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to Myself" (Exodus 19:4).
New focus Let us run...looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2).
New forgiveness As the elect of God...forgive one another...even as Christ forgave you (Colossians 3:13).
New freedom from sin For he who has died has been freed from sin (Romans 6:7).
New friend Jesus said, "You are My friends for whom I will lay down My life" (John 15:14).
New future The LORD said, "I will give you a future and a hope" (Jeremiah 29:11).
New garments Put on the new man created by God in true righteousness (Ephesians 4:24).
New gaze Beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord (2 Corinthians 3:18).
New gentleness Let your gentleness be known to all men (Philippians 4:5).
New gifts Having gifts granted to us by grace, let us use them (Romans 12:6).
New giving God loves a cheerful giver (2 Corinthians 9:7).
New global perspective Jesus said, "Go, make disciples of all nations" (Matthew 28:19).
New grace By the grace of God I am what I am (2 Corinthians 15:10).
New grafting We have been grafted into Christ in His death and resurrection (Romans 6:5).
New growth Grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18).
New hatred for sin Do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts (Romans 6:12).
New healing By His stripes we are healed (Isaiah 53:5).
New hearing The sheep follow the True Shepherd, for they know His voice (John 10:4).
New heart God said, "I will give you a new heart" (Ezekiel 36:26).
New heritage O God, You have given me the heritage of those who fear Your name (Psalm 61:5).
New home Man goes to his eternal home (Ecclesiastes 12:5).
New hope My hope is in You LORD (Psalm 39:7).
New humility Be clothed with humility...God gives grace to the humble (1 Peter 5:5).
New hunger Blessed are those who hunger for righteousness (Matthew 5:6).
New identity I have been crucified with Christ, it is no longer I who live but Christ lives in me (Galatians 2:20).
New image You are being conformed to the image of God's Son (Romans 8:29).
New immortality The mortal must put on immortality (1 Corinthians 15:53).
New integrity God has given you a spirit of power and of love and of a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7).
New interests When I became a man, I put away childish things (1 Corinthians 13:11).
New joy Jesus prayed to the Father, "that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves" (John 17:13).
New journey Do not be afraid, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go (Joshua 1:9).
New justification The just shall live by faith (Romans 1:17).
New kindness Add to your godliness brotherly kindness (2 Peter 1:7).
New learning Jesus said, "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me" (Matthew 11:29).
New liberty Stand fast in the liberty by which Christ has made us free (Galatians 5:1).
New life When Christ who is our life appears, you also will appear with Him in glory (Colossians 3:4).
New light Walk as children of light (Ephesians 5:8).
New longing I long for Your salvation, O LORD (Psalm 119:174).
New love For the fruit of the Spirit is love (Galatians 5:22).
New Master Having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness (Romans 6:18).
New meditation May my meditation be sweet to the LORD (Psalm 104:34).
New member of body of Christ For by one Spirit we were baptized into one body (1 Corinthians 12:13).
New mercies Great are Your tender mercies, O LORD (Psalm 19:156).
New mind We have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16).
New mining of God's Word Be diligent...rightly dividing the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15).
New ministry God has given us the ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18).
New mission Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature (Mark 16:15).
New motivation Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom (Colossians 3:16). New obedience Bring every thought into captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5).
New oneness He who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him (1 Corinthians 6:17).
New partnerships I thank my God for your partnership in the gospel (Philippians 1:5).
New past Old things have passed away, behold, all things have become new (2 Corinthians 5:17).
New paths The LORD leads me in the paths of righteousness (Psalm 23:3).
New patience You are strengthened by His glorious power for all patience with joy (Colossians 1:11).
New peace For Christ Himself is our peace (Ephesians 2:14).
New persecutions Blessed are you when they persecute you and accuse you falsely for My sake (Matthew 5:11).
New perseverance Tribulation reveals perseverance (Romans 5:3).
New physical fitness Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19).
New pilgrimage Blessed is the man whose strength is in God and whose heart is set on pilgrimage (Psalm 84:5).
New pliability O LORD, we are the clay, You are our potter, and all we are the work of Your hand (Isaiah 64:8).
New position God raised us up together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:6).
New praises The LORD said, "This people I have formed for Myself, they shall declare My praise" (Isaiah 43:21).
New prayerfulness Pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
New prayers The Spirit Himself makes intercession for us (Romans 8:26).
New preciousness You are chosen by God and precious (1 Peter 2:4).
New present Do not worry about tomorrow (Matthew 6:34).
New promises His divine power has given us exceedingly great and precious promises (2 Peter 1:4).
New protection The Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one (2 Thessalonians 3:3).
New purpose The LORD said, "Everyone who is called by My name is created for My glory (Isaiah 43:7).
New race Let us run with endurance the race set before us (Hebrews 12:1).
New radiance The Son is the radiance of God's glory (Hebrews 1:3).
New use of time See that you redeem the time (Ephesians 5:16).
New relationship As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God (John 1:12).
New rest We who believed have entered into His rest (Hebrews 4:3).
New riches In Him we have redemption according to the riches of His grace (Ephesians 1:8).
New righteousness We have received the gift of righteousness by faith (Romans 5:17).
New sacrifice Present your bodies a living sacrifice to God (Romans 12:1).
New security God said, "I will uphold you with My righteous right hand" (Isaiah 41:10).
New sensitivity Be kind to one another, tenderhearted (Ephesians 4:32).
New sight The eyes of your understanding have been enlightened by His mighty power (Ephesians 1:18).
New smell We are the fragrance of Christ (2 Corinthians 2:15).
New solitude Shut all else out and pray to your Father who is in the secret place (Matthew 6:6).
New son For as many are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God (Romans 8:14).
New source I will not dare to speak of things which Christ has not accomplished through me in word or deed (Romans 15:18).
New spirit I will put a new spirit within you...and I will put My Spirit within you (Ezekiel36:26-27).
New standing Take up the whole armor of God and stand firm (Ephesians 6:13).
New stewardship We are servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God (1 Corinthians 4:1).
New struggles Jesus said, "You will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).
New sufferings We know Christ in the fellowship of His sufferings (Philippians 3:10).
New surrender Let us lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily ensnares us (Hebrews 12:1).
New sword Take the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, and pray (Ephesians 6:17-18).
New tears Jesus wept (John 11:35).
New temperance For the fruit of the Spirit is temperance (Galatians 5:23).
New temptations Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil (Matthew 4:1).
New testimony They overcame by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony (Revelation 12:11).
New thankfulness Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift (2 Corinthians 9:15)!
New thirst My soul thirsts for God, for the living God (Psalm 42:2).
New thoughts Whatever things are true, noble, just, pure lovely -- meditate on these things (Philippians 4:8).
New transformation Be transformed by the renewing of your mind (Romans 12:2).
New trust Blessed is that man who makes the LORD his trust (Psalm 40:4).
New unity Endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Ephesians 4:3).
New victory This is the victory that has overcome the world -- our faith (1 John 5:4).
New vision The LORD said, "Record the vision on tablets that the one who reads it may run and not fail (Habakkuk 2:2)
New walk As you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him (Colossiams 2:6).
New waiting Those who wait on the LORD will renew their strength (Isaiah 40:31).
New water to give others Jesus said, "Whoever drinks My water shall never thirst" (John 4:14).
New ways The LORD's ways are everlasting (Habakkuk 3:6).
New weakness Jesus said, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9).
New will It is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure (Philippians 4:13).
New winsomeness To the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak (1 Corinthians 9:22).
New wisdom You are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God (1 Corinthians 1:30).
New work ethic Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31).
New worship Jesus said, "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth" (John 4:23).
New worth We are more than conquerors through Christ who loved us (Romans 8:37).