“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” II Corinthians 5:17

As we were walking through our field one day (one of our few flat, cleared spots!) we discovered this grasshopper clinging to a piece of grass. And as we watched, he began to change, he wiggled slowly out of his old shell. He was bright green and soft looking. Once he was free from his old shell, he paused on the blade of grass to rest and let his wings dry. The old exoskeleton fell away, and he was ready to start his life anew.

As Christians, we have been saved by Christ. We are “in” Him and He is in us. And at this point we become a new creation. Just like our molting grasshopper, we are leaving behind our old self (shell) and becoming a new creation. We may look the same, our voice still sounds the same, and our outward appearance may not change. Just like the grasshopper will still be a grasshopper. But inside we are new and joyful and peaceful and “in” Christ!

Just like our grasshopper shedding his old, tight, uncomfortable exoskeleton, we shed our sin, our guilt, our past, and our uncomfortable searching for our right place in this world. We do not become “perfect” creations; we still sin, and worry, and feel guilty. But because Christ is in us, we have only to ask and we become forgiven creatures, able to talk with God, because through Christ, God now sees us as “righteous”.

I love that each day we get the opportunity to become a new creation in Christ and live our lives close to Him and His will.

This week let’s embrace our Christ given newness. Let’s throw off our sins, fling away our guilt and shame, cast off our doubts and embrace our new life in Christ and with God our Father!

I thank God for each of you! And I thank you today for joining me today to discover our “newness” in Christ!