"Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new”. (2 Corinthians 5:17, The Message).
[Renovation]
takes solid work, requires real change in behavior, and sometimes the
recognition that failing will be part of the journey. A fascinating and
convicting book is “Renovation of the Heart” by Dallas Willard. It’s one to put
on your reading list – and recognize that you might be reading one chapter over
and over and over. He spends some interesting time thinking about the role of
the will and the relation to the Holy Spirit in this “renovation”, in becoming
“new creatures”.
The
key to this renovation, however, as opposed to the fad of New Year’s
resolutions, is that spiritual fresh starts are based in a power that is not
our own power. In fact, we have to give up our “own power” in order to be
effective, and that makes all the difference.
So looking at that verse again, we can be assured that when we unite with the Messiah, when we are reborn in Christ, when the Holy Spirit becomes part of our hearts and minds… we have a true chance at a fresh start.
-- Lt. Colonel Carol Seiler, the Salvation Army
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