(Dict. Def To change (something) into another form, substance, state, or product; transform)
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has com. 2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV
I have recently been dragged kicking and screaming – well more like squirming and protesting– into the 21st century by my co-workers because of their zealous enthusiasm for MAC computers. These people are young (compared to me) and dauntlessly rush to meet technology head on. They jump in at the deep end, grab the bull by the horns - they’re fearless! And not-so-young, wary me stood steadfastly by my PC, not because I thought it was the better work tool, but because I don’t need a new computer, the one I have is perfectly fine, I’m stubborn and set in my ways, it’s so much easier for me to stay with what I’m comfortable with, etc., etc. I even joked about it saying I figured the Lord would rather I didn’t hang out with Apples! But once in the Pacific Centre Apple store, I was transported into a world of iPods, iPads, iMacs, iPhones and i-just-about-everything cool. I-impressed. I - amazed. I - converted.
It was not unlike my coming to faith; not that I was protesting the Lord tugging me towards him, but I was certainly being very cautious about it. For some of us the road is more circuitous and measured. For others who are born into a nurturing Christian family, faith comes more naturally, and for others still it’s a momentous flash of conversion when the Holy Spirit knocks you off your feet. I have a friend who came to the Lord as a teenager without parental approval but with a heart so bursting for the Lord, he endured their discouragement and went on to become a pastor. Through his journey, he brought the joy of knowing Jesus to many others, me included. There are many routes to Jesus, and all of them lead to serious life change.
Once you accept the changes that belonging to Jesus makes in you, your world starts to make a little more sense. And the more you stick with Him, the more sense the world makes. It’s a journey. One that is fraught with falls and infused with joys. It may take time for the old to completely pass away but, in time, you will recognize the transformation and know “the new has come.” After all, you are a new creation.