“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Cor 5:17).
Call them what you want–second chances, mulligans, do-overs–they all provide a fresh start. I am convinced that one of the reasons we humans make so much of the beginning of the new year is that we can easily mark the point of beginning again.
What we need more than anything else in this life is new beginnings. That we so easily mess up life is a source of constant, and at times overwhelming, discouragement. Without the ability to begin afresh, hope is destroyed. Without a path that leads to a future somehow divorced from our ugly past, hope is impossible. The good news of the gospel is news of a new creation and total newness. Paul knew the power of Christ’s invitation to throw away the former life and begin again as a new creation in Him.
The Bible is filled with “do overs”. Adam and Eve’s sin begins a long history of God’s promises to re-create his creation. Make whatever list you wish of your favorite Old Testament personalities, and somewhere in their lives you will find God acting to give them a new start after serious mess-ups!
Our new life in Christ is not based on what we do–it is based on what God does in Christ when we let him have his way in our life. Jesus invites all of his creation to participate in the re-creation he offers–to find new life in Christ. If you’ve never had a ‘do-over’ in life, if your 2009 life is destined already to look too much like your 2008 life, it is the time to let Jesus give you a brand new start. Ask Him for that new start today. If I can help you find your way down life’s pathway, please don’t hesitate to contact me.