From Pastor's Heart :

A Brand New Start

January 30,2019

One of the most profound truths in Christianity is the new birth. When a person receives Jesus Christ into his heart, instantly, he becomes a new creation in Christ. Essentially, the person enters a new life, a new beginning, and a new start (II Cor 5:17). No other religion offers this genuine hope of a fresh start in life. From God's perspective, this born-again person not only becomes a brand new person in Christ, he has no past. Old things have indeed passed away, and all things have become new. Imagine waking up one day having a new identity and a new life. Not only that, a new world has opened up with unlimited possibilities, the Kingdom of God. In addition, a written manual and a personal guide have been assigned to our assistant in living this new life. What can possibly go wrong? Nothing, except the entire new birth experience took place in the spirit. Also, our new life starts in the spirit. Our biggest challenge is to manifest what is in the spirit to the natural.

I can never forget a testimony from a couple that I heard several years ago in a church that I visited. The husband was on a stepladder changing light bulb one evening; in the process, he accidentally touched the socket and was severely shocked. Falling to the ground, he suffered a concussion. The husband remained in hospital in a coma, and through prayers, he awoken several days later. However, the husband lost his memory and has no recollection of his identity nor his past. The couple went on to share how the husband had to relearn his identity and the challenges they faced together in rebuilding their lives. What the husband did not realize is that the accident is actually a blessing in disguise. How many who give anything to have their past rejections, hurts, disappointments, failures, and bitter memories totally eradicated? Nothing then can hold them back from rebuilding their life. The accident the husband experienced actually gave him a brand new start. The wife became his personal guide in starting a new life.

When I thought about the testimony of this couple, I thought about our born-again experience. Gal 2:20 tells us, "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." Our old man with his sinful and ugly past has died and buried with Christ. We have been resurrected with a brand new identity identical to Christ. Like the husband upon awaken from the coma had to relearn his identity, we also have to relearn our new identity. Thank God we have a manual, the Bible, to reveal our new identity and to show us what we have and what we can do as a new citizen in the Kingdom of God. We also have a personal guide, the Holy Spirit, to help us to live this new life in Christ. How effective we will be as a Christian hinges upon how closely we follow the guide.