21 Days of Hunger - Day 16
2 Corinthians 5:17
I recently purchased a vehicle that I have been admiring for a long time. I sold my motorcycle, and saved my money with the notion that I was going to purchase this vehicle one day. I did my research and found the best possible price, and boy did I find a great deal. I cannot fully explain and describe the feeling that came over my entire body when the sales associate handed me the keys to my brand-new car (well technically it was certified pre-owned, but whatever). It was like as if I was in a dream. This car that I was dreaming about for so long was finally...mine!
You see, my history with vehicles have been quite adventurous. My first car did not have a working horn or a fuel indicator (you just had to guess how much gasoline was left in the tank). My second car leaked so much oil that I had a case of oil in the trunk (I was not aware that your car was NOT supposed to leak oil). My third car’s driver-side door fell off while I was making a right turn on a Brooklyn street. That’s right. I had to stop the car at the corner so that I can go and retrieve my car door that was lying in the middle of Kings Highway. My fourth car did not have heat or a windshield defrost, so when I took Christabel to work in the winter, we had a blanket in the car. My fifth car did not have an accurate speedometer, so when it informed you that you were going 110 miles an hour, chances are you were only doing about 60. Yes, my journey with vehicles have been interesting, but everything changed when I received the keys to my “new” dream vehicle.
In 2 Corinthians 5:17, the Apostle Paul writes to the church of Corinth these amazing words, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” What an amazing declaration in describing our “new” nature in Christ Jesus. Scripture informs us that if you are “in” Christ Jesus, you are a new creation. The preposition “in” denotes a position identifying a place, time, or state of being. To be “in” Christ Jesus means you are surrounded or submerged within the gradual understanding of Christ’s likeness. It means that your identity is being swallowed up by Christ’s identity. His love, His passion, His desires, His standards, His peace, His power are all becoming a part of who you are because you are “in” Him. Just imagine yourself as a sponge being dropped into a bucket of water. The longer that sponge remains in the water, the more water is being absorbed by the sponge. As you and I remain “in” Christ, we are soaking up more and more of who He is.
What strikes me the most about this concept of being “in” Christ is the fact that the “old” things have passed away, and the “new” things are coming. The word “new” used here in the Greek is, kainos, and it means, “to be fresh or recently made; unused, unworn, unprecedented.” Isn’t that wonderful? Being in Christ is like stepping into that brand-new car. It is enjoying that new car smell. All of the adventures and mishaps of the past took place in an old car, but new adventures await because this is a new season. This is a new beginning. Please be encouraged today to know that God has brought you into a new season, especially because you are “in” Christ Jesus. Do not allow the thoughts and sins of the past rob you from remaining “soaked” in Jesus. Embrace the newness that God is providing for you, and enjoy the new car smell of your life. Adventures await.
Enjoy the new car smell!
