Day 5 of 30 – Our True Identity Challenge
Dear Seeking Sister,
I am renewed. The most refreshing you’ll ever feel is when you own the feeling that you are renewed. “All things have become new”, is what part of 2 CORINTHIANS 5:17 tells us.
Read some of these synonyms for renewed: Rehabilitated, transformed, changed, converted, new, improved, and reintroduced.
It is hard to draw a parallel to the feeling of a righteous renewal. The best I can do is compare it to the feeling I have after a long, hot shower. Not just any shower, but a shower after a grueling 15 – 16 hour road trip with a carload of people. I’m tired, achy, irritable, and dirty.
The shower refreshes me, but it changes me a bit too. I am more revitalized, less sore, and no longer dirty. My petulant attitude gone – washed down the drain. Just like the moment I believed. I had a new, vibrant energy and excitement upon my declaration of belief. My past sin (dirt) was removed. I looked to my future with a renewed purpose driven life. My renewal wasn’t just a physical feeling though. I’m sure yours wasn’t either.
The renewed person acts upon new ethics, by new rules, and in new company. As a believer I was created anew; my heart was not merely set right, but a new heart was given to me. I am the workmanship of God, created in Christ Jesus unto good works (Ephesians 2:10).
My character and my conduct changed. The people I surrounded myself with changed. I am still changing and being molded. I will continue to grow and mature until my day.
I am renewed. God has given me the will and the power to do well. I readily give Him all the glory for all good things.
Action: Open your bible and read 2 CORINTHIANS 5:17 in a few different translations (see below). Then read the NKJV translation in sections meditating on each section. For each section, ask yourself, what does this mean to me?
- Therefore, if anyone is in Christ
- he is a new creation;
- old things have passed away
- behold, all things have become new.
Then repeat with conviction as many times as it takes to take, “I AM RENEWED!”
2 CORINTHIANS 5:17
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (NKJV)
“When someone becomes a Christian, he becomes a brand new person inside. He is not the same anymore. A new life has begun!” (TLB)
“Because of this decision we don’t evaluate people by what they have or how they look. We looked at the Messiah that way once and got it all wrong, as you know. We certainly don’t look at him that way anymore. Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life burgeons! Look at it! All this comes from the God who settled the relationship between us and him, and then called us to settle our relationships with each other. God put the world square with himself through the Messiah, giving the world a fresh start by offering forgiveness of sins. God has given us the task of telling everyone what he is doing. We’re Christ’s representatives. God uses us to persuade men and women to drop their differences and enter into God’s work of making things right between them. We’re speaking for Christ himself now: Become friends with God; he’s already a friend with you.” (The Message)
—
[The 30 Day True Identity Challenge comes from Tiffany Dooley’s Mirror Mirror message from The City Church]