In my sermon this week, I spoke on the topic of spiritual rebirth, and pointed out that when we are born again spiritually, we become a new creation. As I studied this past week, the following illustration came to mind.
A short time back, I purchased a tablet computer for my dear wife. She’s not totally into technology, but is learning. Everything has to work about right, or she’s done. Wouldn’t you know the new tablet was defective right out of the box? The company offered to repair the old one, or send me a refurbished one as a replacement. Well, I didn’t want the old one repaired, and I didn’t want a refurbished one. What was needed was a completely new device.
When we come to the teaching in the Bible that says as believers, we are new creations, I really don’t think this means God merely restores us to our original condition, nor are we just updated. It is more like a complete rebuild. In our world of computers, it would be removing everything, including the hard drive, and installing a new operating system, using only the original case.
People are born with a sin nature. Being restored to original condition would mean nothing had changed. Even an update would only give us a newer version of the old man. We are talking about a complete reprogramming, including a new way of processing information, a new way of life, and a new hope for the future.
God says when we trust Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we are a new creation: “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:22).
In summary, becoming a new creation means a transformed life. It is not possible for a genuine follower of Jesus Christ to continue in a life of sin, as if nothing happened.
By the way, we did get a new replacement for the old tablet, and it works just as its maker intended.
In His Love,
Pastor Jerry
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