Daily devotional, August 23, 2024 Ctrl+Z
"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
I started writing essays during the typewriter era. I remember receiving an Underwood manual typewriter from my dad for my 9th birthday, and then an IBM Selectric typewriter the year after. And so when we bought a personal computer, and I discovered that pressing the two buttons: CTRL and Z can undo whatever I typed, I was so happy. Goodbye snow pake, goodbye liquid paper!
If only life could have that undo button. An undo button for all the wrong decisions, a CTRL + Z for failures and mistakes. And while there may not be an undo button in life, I have learned that each of us can have a fresh start, if only we will surrender our life to Jesus.
"We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life."
Romans 6:4
Regrets will always be a part of human existence. So are guilt and shame. And these are especially true when we do not abide by a God who only has the best plans for our life.
And so for all the failures that we make, the sins we have and continue to commit, let us welcome the good news that we do not have to continue living a sinful and shameful existence. We can live a new life because Jesus Christ came to save us, if only we will surrender our lives to Him and make Him our personal Lord and Savior.
"But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him."
John 5:8-9
So what does it mean to surrender our life to Jesus? It only means making our relationship with Jesus the top priority in our life. We build a relationship with Him the way we build relationships with humans. We talk to Him everyday through prayers, and we listen to Him respond to us through the bible, godly people around us, sermons, and bible study sessions.
It means making His teachings and commands as our moral compass. That our core values will revolve around Loving God and loving others.
"If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full." John 15:10-11
So when we pray to Jesus, and admit our sins to Him and repent on them, we acknowledge that we need His saving grace. When we resolve to step away from our sinful lifestyle and forget about our favorite sins, we get to honor Him. When we believe that Christ came to save us and He only has the best plans for our life, He will make us brand new.
"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
Our God is a God of second, third, and many chances and there is no sin that He cannot pardon. He has already done all the heavy lifting on the cross so He can save us and give us new life. All we need to do is to just believe, trust and surrender our lives to Him.
Thank you for reading through our devotional today. I invite you to ponder on Romans 6:1-14 to dig deeper on today’s topic.
Reflection Question: Do you need to press the undo button in your life? Do you know that with Christ you can have a brand new start?
Conversation with the Lord: Heavenly Father, thank you for giving us new life. Your graciousness and mercy are beyond words, and as we receive this gift of yours may we continue to honor it by abiding you and witnessing to others about this grace. Amen.
