As a K-Drama fan I have observed that Koreans offer tofu to their loved one who has been recently freed from prison. I did a bit of research and found out that they give bean curd to a freed prisoner as a way of wishing that the person could lead a new and purer way of life. Since tofu is white, it symbolizes purity, signifying the well wisher’s hope that the person could lead a new life of innocence and devoid of committing crime.
Just like released Korean prisoners, we present-day followers of Jesus are offered a new life, devoid of the sins that have separated us from a life of peace with God. When we fully surrender our life to Jesus, repent from our sins, and promise to obey Him, we get to have a fresh start.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” 2 Corinthians 5:17
We may not have committed crimes that have landed us in jail, but each of us have at some point been imprisoned in the cycle of sinning that we thought we could never stop committing. These include envying other people, idolizing our careers or the life we are trying to portray, coveting other people’s lifestyle to the point of living beyond our means, living a life of lies, harboring anger and resentment to the point of unforgiveness, and ungratefulness couped with self-entitlement to the point of depression.
But God gave us Jesus to free us from our self-imposed imprisonment. He came to unshackle us from the chain of repetitive sinning. All we have to do is take on His offer of new life, and commit to living a life of worship.
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” John 10:10
So how do we start to live this new life of worship? Well we put Christ at the front and center of our lives. Apart from stepping away from our sins, we will also vow to grow our faith. We start the day with a quiet time — or moments of silence, prayer, and bible reading and reflection. We then commit to take to heart and apply what we have learned in our daily lives.
“to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” Ephesians 4:22-24
A life of worship also means we will also seek the Lord with other believers through participation in bible study sessions and other church activities. We will also worship the Lord in Church every Sunday. As parents it also means teaching our children to worship God, and telling them about His character and His teachings.
“And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;” Colossians 1:9-10
Living a new life in Christ is indeed the best blessing we could ever receive. It means receiving eternal life with Jesus, and getting to enjoy His presence and the abundant life that He offers while we are here on earth.
“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23
Thank you for reading through our devotional today. I invite you to
ponder on Romans 6:1-23 to dig deeper on today’s topic.
Reflection Question: Do you feel like you need a fresh start? How will reaching out and fully surrendering your life to Jesus could help you get a clean slate?
Conversation with the Lord: Heavenly Father, thank you for offering us a new beginning. Thank you for freeing us from the chains of sins. Please continue to strengthen us so that we can remain obedient to you, and aligned to Your will in our lives. Amen.
