Preparing to Celebrate Christ at Easter Part 3 | Study

Scripture

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! - 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)

When we enter into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, something wonderful happens: Our sins are forgiven and the Holy Spirit comes to live on the inside of us. We become a “new creation”—our spirit is made new and we begin a new life in Christ.

In the Amplified Bible translation, 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, Therefore if anyone is in Christ [that is, grafted in, joined to Him by faith in Him as Savior], he is a new creature [reborn and renewed by the Holy Spirit]; the old things [the previous moral and spiritual condition] have passed away. Behold, new things have come [because spiritual awakening brings a new life].

This verse says the old spiritual condition has passed away, and the fresh and new has come. Notice the word “have.” This means God has already given us everything we need in Christ to become all that He created us to be.

The Bible also says that God’s seed [His principle of life, the essence of His righteous character] remains [permanently] in him]...(1 John 3:9 AMP). It’s amazing to realize that when you accept Christ as your Savior, the seed of all that God is comes to live in your spirit.

In Him, we have everything we need to learn how to think, talk, and act like Christ. And we experience these blessings as we study God’s Word and make the decision to believe what He says more than we believe how we feel.

As we grow in our relationship with God, we discover who we are and what we have in Christ. And this is the one thing we need more than anything else: To know who we are in Christ…and to know what we’ve been given as an inheritance through His death and resurrection.

Take some time each day during Lent to read and meditate on God’s Word. Study scriptures that tell you about God’s amazing love for you. Find out who He says you are, and learn about everything you have through His incredible grace and mercy.

As you do, you will begin to see yourself and your life in a whole new way…and experience the life-changing transformation of becoming a new creation from the inside out!

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Key Scripture

And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. - 2 Corinthians 3:18 (NIV)

From Joyce

"You are a new creation in Christ, and God is working in your life. Little by little, one day at a time, God is changing you.”

Challenge

Second Corinthians 5:17 says we are “new creatures in Christ.” Check out the link to discover more about who you are in Christ. Read the confessions and look up the accompanying verses. Then pick a few and write down what they mean to you. Read More.

Prayer

Thank You, Father, that You have given me everything I need to become who You created me to be. Help me to continually grow in my relationship with You and discover more and more about who I am in Christ. In Jesus' name, amen.