"This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!" 2 Corinthians 5:17
I heard a fantastic sermon yesterday, which reminded me of how we can continue on this struggle of becoming a "new creation." We looked at Genesis 2:25 that says "Now the man and his wife were both naked, but they felt no shame." The very next chapter (really, the very next verse) conveys how they ate of the forbidden fruit and ran in shame to cover themselves with fig leaves (Genesis 3:7). Jason Mitchell spoke about how guilt and shame are very different. Guilt comes from actions that we've done and can bring about godly repentance; shame, on the other hand, is about who we ARE (rather than what we've done). Shame makes us feel like we'll never amount to anything more and keeps us away from others and God.
The sermon was on how to live the abundant life, and the message was centered on living in community how we are to be open with one another and not hide behind fig leaves or isolate ourselves. How can we do that? By remembering that in Christ we are a new creation. Like a song playing on the radio these days (almost too often even though it's a great song), "we are more than the choices that we make, we are more than the sum of our past mistakes, we are more than the problems we create, we've been remade!" Our behavior doesn't make us who we are - CHRIST makes us who we are. We can be honest in saying "I've screwed up" but that's not where the story ends. Instead, we can say "but glory to God, I am a new person in Christ!"
And while this information should not be a revelation to me, once again it hit home. I'm currently in my third trimester of pregnancy. I've gained far more weight than I should have already, even though the OBGYN hasn't said anything negative about it. I know. I know that I've parted from the path of eating healthy and exercising daily in the mornings. I've allowed myself to take naps in the afternoon rather than being diligent with my time in trying to be a healthier person. And while one day wouldn't kill me, I've adopted a new lifestyle in the last six months that is not what God has for me.
And as I gain weight, I also want to hide behind those fig leaves. I am ashamed, honestly, and the only way to hide is to truly 'hide.' But, I realized that I've been listening to the lie that my behavior is who I am and who I'll always be...I'll never get out of this cycle of disobedience, I will always struggle with these same problems, I will never break free. This verse reminds me that if I'm in Christ, I am a new creation. He has paid the price for my past and made me new. I can feel guilt over things that need to change, but I can't hide away in shame for isolation just brings further pain and problems. I need to hold onto this promise that God has made me a new person. I AM a new creation in Him. One step, one day at a time, I need to live that new creation out.
