What does the statement “A New Beginning or A Fresh Start” mean to you? For me it means, “different, not as before; new opportunities; it means change or more accurately to be changed, to be altered”.
I have been a Christian since I was sixteen years old. Who I was then is not who I am now. I am different. I have grown and matured and have been changed by life’s experiences; the good, the bad and the ugly. God has used it all to shape me into the person I am now. And He will continue to do that for each of us, all through our lives.
As a sixteen-year-old girl I was arrogant, immature and ignorant of God’s ways. I was still under the control of my flesh in many ways. I didn’t read my Bible regularly and I had no understanding of the Holy Spirit’s work. But over time, God’s wonderful Holy Spirit began a renovation in me. He striped back, he broke down, he rebuilt, and he began to transform me. I am being transformed, as Scripture says, from one degree of glory to the next. Slowly I’m becoming more and more like Christ.
It reminds me of the metamorphosis of the butterfly. She wasn’t always this beautifully delicate and colourful creature. The butterfly used to be a rather plain caterpillar. As I look at the butterflies flying around our neighbourhood, it’s hard to imagine that they were once tiny little eggs on a leaf. But from that egg came a little caterpillar, which ate and ate and grew and grew. With each growth spurt it sheds its skin; and finally, when fully mature, it finds a safe place and spins a silken cocoon around itself. It then goes into hibernation until one day it suddenly breaks open the cocoon and from within emerges this beautiful butterfly. And the cycle of transformation begins again as in time she will lay eggs on a leaf.
Someone once said, “The conversion of the soul is a miracle of a moment; but the manufacture of a saint is the task of a lifetime.” And that is so very true. God’s conviction and revelation break into our hearts and minds; we repent, accept what He has done for us and we become Christ followers. But that’s not the end, it’s only the beginning! It’s from there that this extraordinary process of change begins. The reality is you and I are not perfect; but God is busy perfecting us. James 1:2-4 tells us that God is making us “perfect and mature, not lacking in anything”, and we are told in Ephesians 4:13 that we are “attaining maturity and the full measure of Christ.”
“Attaining” means to come into possession of, to achieve, to reach as an end. We are still in process of taking possession of, achieving and reaching the end of this process. It starts at salvation and ends at our physical death, when we transition from this life to the next. In the process there is pain and pleasure; sadness and joy; celebration and defeat. But the point is we are not yet perfect, but we are being made perfect through the renovation and transformation process of God.
Dear Christfirst family, remember we are not just physical beings; we are spiritual beings with the hope of eternal life in heaven. How we live our lives here affects all of eternity. It’s important that you and I remain committed to living wholeheartedly for the Lord and that we obey Him in everything. It’s important that we choose every day to embrace the renovation process of God.
This means daily choosing to live our lives in a manner that reflects the fact that we are Christ followers. It’s deciding to follow Jesus and His example in all things, no matter the cost to you. And when we mess up, it’s asking for forgiveness and starting over again with a commitment to live for Jesus. We aren’t perfect yet, but we are being made perfect. We will get it wrong at times, but Jesus made allowances for this in his great sacrifice.
Keep abiding in Him; keep Him as the highest priority in your life; keep devouring the Word and keep hiding that Word in your heart, so it can be the light to your path. We are no longer under the law and yet the law of Christ is written on our hearts. What that means is we don’t work for our salvation, but we do work out our salvation every day with the express purpose of bringing glory to our Father in heaven.
Be at peace with all people as far as is humanly possible. The law written on our hearts is, “love the Lord your God and love others as yourself” (Mark 12:30-31). This shows the world that we are truly His disciples. We bring God glory when we conduct ourselves in a godly manner, when we practice self-control in our lives, and when we learn to control our emotions and our tongues.
Remember as children of God, we are called to a much higher code of conduct. Let’s rise to that challenge as we live our faith out on a daily basis – being transformed into the likeness of Christ.