New Creation

NEW CREATION

Part 3 of 3 in Will of God Series

2 Corinthians 5:17

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”

“Screw you!” Ten year old Scotty yelled, and punched nine year old Greg in the face. Ms. Busby jogged to the open field during recess and separated the boys.

“What’s going on here, guys?” she asked.

“Greg won’t throw me the softball,” Scotty said.

“I’m playing with Bobby and Jules, Ms. Busby,” Greg defended himself, rubbing his jaw. “If I throw the ball to Scotty, he’d just run away with it, and mess up everything.”

“Scotty, you know that these fourth graders are in training for spring softball.” Ms. Busby scolded. “Now leave them alone, and find someone else to play with.”

Scotty’s back on the playground during recess, after being disciplined for not obeying the recess monitor (see Determined Will devotion). But he seems to stay in trouble. Why is that? Whenever Scotty gets angry, he yells bad names, and does bad things. Apostle Paul had a hard time with early Christians’ speech and actions, too. Because God gives His kids limited free will, He allows us to choose our behavior. But He still corrects and punishes sinful behavior—the same as recess monitors, and people in authority do.

We can learn from Paul’s handling the early Christians’ wrong behavior how to clean up our own act. He reminded them in Ephesians 4:22-24: “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”

Lewd jokes, vulgar language, bawdy and rude behavior is from our “old natures,” and are not who we are today. I ask you the same question I asked in Determined Will devotion, “Are you Scotty?” Or are you a person who learns from others, and determines for yourself not to rebel against God, or other people in authority?

Take Home Nugget

Wholesome speech benefits those who overhear our words to others. Colossians 3:9-10 says, “Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and having put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.” Instead of filth, slander and obscene speech, may our words spring beautiful thanksgiving and praise to God.

New creations in Christ respect and dignify others simply because fellow human beings are created in God’s image, too.

J.D. Griffith

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