New Beginnings in Christ

II Corinthians 5:17-18 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;”

This passage means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! We can all have new beginnings through Christ!

New Beginnings Are Gifts from God

All of the new beginnings people have in Christ are gifts from God, who brought us back to Himself through the sacrifice of His Son. God has given us this ministry of reconciling people to Him. A ministry of reaching people with the gospel, of pointing them to Christ, of helping them navigate life’s crisis points and leading them to a healing relationship with God’s Son (II Peter 3:18 – But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.) We are to be growing as Christians. We are to be helping others grow also. We are to be growing in our knowledge of the Savior Jesus Christ. We are to be giving Him the glory for now in the present, we are to be giving Him the glory for the blessings of the past, and we are to be giving Him the glory on into eternity. God is worthy of our praise.

He is the one that can give us those new beginnings. He can help us in those crisis points in life. He can lead us to a new beginning of salvation through the finished work of Christ on the cross. Our salvation, knowing our soul is eternally secure, is the greatest need anyone has. If you have not had that new beginning of salvation with Christ as your Savior, I ask you to click on this link (Eternal Salvation Our Ultimate New Beginning with Christ) and read more about how you can know for sure you are on your way to Heaven when you die.

Old Things Pass Away

Paul is testifying to us here in these verses that old things are passed away, behold all things are become new. Before Paul had lived for himself, now he is living for Christ. Before he had lived in the flesh, now he’s living in the spirit. Before he had viewed things or looked at life from a carnal way or humanistic point of view, but now he sees them in light of the cross.

New Outlook on Life

He is saying now that he has been saved, he views life and things that happen in light of the cross. He has become a new creature. He has been born again. All the old habits, the old attitudes, the old values, the old way of thinking was in the process of fading away and his new life in Christ was sprouting forth. Like a vibrant new stalk in the spring pushes up beside the dead brown plant of last season, new life in Christ is a transformation from the inside out as all things become new.

New Beginning in Christ

New life in Christ is a new beginning in Christ. New life in Christ is a new beginning, a new spiritual beginning, a new beginning in life and a new beginning being used by Christ and being used by God. Since salvation, we are a new creature, old things are passing away and all things are becoming new. This would be what we would think of as the sanctification process.

All Things are New, but also All Things are of God

In verse eighteen Paul says all things are of God. All things are become new, but also all things are of God. All of this new beginning, all of this new chance on life, all of this second chance, all of this is from God!

Reconciled by Christ – Our New Beginnings are Made Possible by Christ

Paul goes on to say in verse eighteen, that God has reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ. God’s work, this new beginning, His second chances that are given to us, this new creature, this ability to start our life anew is from God; but it is a work He has accomplished in and through Christ. Before we were alienated by God by our own sins, we were alienated by our wickedness. The Bible tells us we were dead in trespasses and sins yet in Christ Jesus He reconciled us to Himself.

It is all of God. It is all by God. It is His mercy and grace that enabled us to have this new life, to be this new creature. But we must keep in mind it is all done through Christ. It is all done through His finished work on Calvary for us. It is God who has reconciled us to Himself through His Son Jesus Christ. He did all of this for one simple reason that is so perfectly described to us in John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

We Have a Ministry of Reconciliation

Paul goes on to say we have been given a ministry of reconciliation. Though the great principle of sinful man being reconciled to God, is rooted in Him and His great love to us whereby He saved us; Nevertheless, He has delegated to us the ministry of reconciling others to Him. We have a great responsibility that is! A great ministry has been given to us.

• We have the ministry and responsibility of reconciling others to Christ.
• We have the ministry and responsibility of helping others get that new beginning in Christ.
• We have the ministry and the responsibility of helping others become new creatures in and through Christ by the power and grace of God.

Conclusion

He has given us the charge of bringing others to Christ – bringing them to Christ in and through the finished work of Jesus on the cross. By bringing them to Christ, we are in a sense bringing them to God Himself. This new work, this new ministry He has given us is called evangelism, it’s called witnessing, it’s called preaching, it’s called teaching His word, it’s called soul winning, it’s called inviting our friends and family to church.  We all have that great responsibility to bring others to Christ and His gospel (I Corinthians 15:1-4 – Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures).

The greatest need the world has today is Christ. We have been given the ministry and responsibility of bringing others to Christ, of helping find the answer to their greatest need. Let’s determine to fulfil that responsibility, let’s go out into the highways and hedges and compel them to come in, so that the house of the Lord may be filled.

If you live in the Palm Coast, FL area and do not have a church home, or you have questions about salvation and being eternally secure in Christ – please contact us or come by and visit with us at one of our Bible studies or services. We would be honored to have you as our guest.