Dhimas Anugrah
[I do], forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:13-14
When asked why someone had become a Christian, many people would answer that it was because of the life-changing experience. That’s what happened to me. Back when I was a ninth grader, by His grace, the Holy Spirit touched my heart during an evening youth prayer gathering. The moment of repentance seemed so simple, nothing too dramatic. At the time, a Sunday School teacher from the Philippines preached a sermon in English. The message was simple, she explained why God longed to embrace every sinner.
At the end of her sermon, the Sunday School teacher invited everyone present to accept Jesus as God and Saviour, and started living a life of repentance for Him. My heart was touched. I felt that was the moment where I had to fully surrender myself to God–to Jesus, whom, before, had been nothing more than just an ordinary religious leader for me.
Long story short, in my new faith, I had become the new creation. But, this beautiful story was just the start of a long spiritual journey. So, what does it mean to be a new creation in Christ? In this article, I will share my journey.
Two Important Things
First: The decision to accept and follow Jesus is not the end of our faith journey on earth. It is, by contrast, the start of a new life journey (Hebrews 12:1). The life of the new creation in Christ involves a growing process and sustainable transformation. We surrender our thoughts, submit ourselves to God’s will, and live according to His word (Rome 12:2; James 1:22-25). This process involves developing the habit to pray regularly and to read the Bible everyday, because through these two activities, we practice ourselves to have an intimate relation with Him.
Second: To live as a new creation in Christ also means giving up our old ways (1 Peter 1:18, 2 Corinthians 5:17). This process involves the change in our ways, the change in our characters, and the change in how we interact with others. We are told to forgive others and ask for mercy and forgiveness to God for our sins.
The change from the old ways to new ones had been shown by many heroes of faith who had come long before us. Their change had bore real fruits. One of these heroes of faith is the apostle Paul. Before repentance, he had been known as Saul, who waged war on Christianity. He persecuted Christians and was present during the stoning of Stephen, the first Christian martyr. But, on his way to Damascus, Paul had an unexpected and powerful encounter with Jesus which changed his life forever (Acts 9:2-25). From being a persecutor, Paul was now persecuted for his faith in Jesus. But, the persecution had shaped Paul into one of the most prominent Early Church leaders. The story of Paul proves that even though humans stray too far away from God, there is always the road leading back to Him.
Apart from Paul, we are also familiar with the story of a woman who was taken in adultery in John 8:1-11. In this story, the Pharisees brought unto Jesus a woman taken in adultery and asked Him what they should do with her. Jesus answered them: “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” The Pharisees went out one by one, and Jesus forgave the woman; He told her to go and sin no more. This story shows us that no matter how deep we are in our own sins, God is always ready to forgive us and offer a new way of life.
Looking at the Cross
Leaving the old life does not only mean leaving our sinful ways, but also surrendering the things that hinder us from following God totally. We are encouraged to faithfully look at Christ’s cross. It means we focus on Christ’s examples and what He has done for us in Calvary. Looking at Christ’s cross invites us to process and leave the old way of life, liberating us from things such as negative thoughts and unhealthy relationships.
Living as the new creation in Christ is a journey which involves our willingness to look at Christ’s Cross. This refers to Jesus Christ’s sacrifice on the cross to redeem our sins. The cross is the ultimate symbol in Christian faith which represents the ultimate love and sacrifice of the Son of God.
The Christ’s Cross also invites us to put off the old man and put on the new man (Ephesians 4:20-24). Through His death on the cross, Jesus had made it possible for us to be forgiven for our sins and have a new life in Him. This means we are not defined by our wrongdoings and failures of our past, but we are defined by the status of “the new creation” in Christ.
The death of Jesus Christ is not merely an event on Christian calendar, but it is more of an invitation extended to all of us to become a new creation. My repentance many years ago was not the end, but rather the start, of a purposeful and meaningful life journey. The same goes for your repentance. When we receive the invitation to repent and walk in faith, we can have and experience life to the fullest which comes from being the new creation in Christ. So, let us remember the sacrifice that Jesus has made for us all on the cross, and start living as the new creation in Him everyday, leaving our old ways behind.
Our Daily Bread Ministries in Indonesia is supported by the freewill offering of individuals in Indonesia, who through their gifts enable us to continue to bring the life-changing wisdom of the Bible to many here. We are not funded by any church or organisation.
