2 Cor 4-7
As I’ve been reading through these New Testament passages, one theme that has stuck with me is starting over, starting fresh, and starting new. When the disciples received the Holy Spirit, their sudden boldness when it came to Jesus made them seem like completely different people. And the same thing happened with Paul. His acceptance of Jesus completely transformed his life, and he had to start over on a daily basis at first, telling people about what had happened to him until his story spread. This reminds me of a question posed by one of my favorite literary characters, Anne Shirley, or Anne of Green Gables, who asked, “Isn't it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet?" Those of you who know Anne know that she made a lot of silly mistakes and was always very distressed about them, but she was still able to be positive and hope that she could make the best of the next day.
Back in Romans 7, Paul explains that because Jesus died for us, and we accepted him as Lord, we have died to what once bound us. We have been given a chance to start over, and we made that choice. In 2 Corinthians 5, Paul called this the ministry of reconciliation. God does not count our past sins against us, and the grace we have received gives us an opportunity to start over, even on a daily basis, when we confess and repent our sins. He says in verse 17, “therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” This verse has always filled me with joy. It’s exciting to think that we are completely brand new creations when we accept Jesus, like nothing ever seen before. My past is dead and gone—only useful for storytelling, and my future is fresh every day, with no mistakes.
Stacey
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