Compared to what’s coming, living conditions around here seem like a stopover in an unfurnished shack, and we’re tired of it! We’ve been given a glimpse of the real thing, our true home, our resurrection bodies! 2 Corinthians 5:4 Message
What’s that following behind you? Is that your old self? Do you keep it around as a reminder of who you used to be? You know it’s not worth anything? Jesus doesn’t have a trade-in policy. He’s never renovated an old self into something better. There is a transactional moment where your old life is crucified in Christ, and you’re raised to new life in Christ. You don’t have to drag around anything from your past. The evil one will try and try to convince you that the old you never left, it will always be there for you to fall back on. If you listen closely, you can still hear the faint sounds of those old creaking boards where you tried to hide stuff inside your heart. No matter how much you tried with your best intentions, you couldn’t get ride of it. An old part of you wanted to keep some it, as if you could separate out the good and bad parts.
Your new life isn’t a better you. It’s brand new, a new creation with resurrection life. As you begin to walk with Jesus in this new life, you’ll get glimpses of where all of this is headed. Your new life is headed to your true home. Yes, you’re still here, in this broken, fallen, and sin-terrorizing world. You see new lives just like yours, and old lives still hanging around, claiming innocence, and outwardly professing a comfortable life. There’s so much more waiting for you. Until then, you’re learning how to love the life that Christ is living in you. Some of those old lives you know? They might have a few questions, and you’re exactly the one for the job. Don’t worry, God’s keeping your new home in perfect shape. It only takes a moment…
Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life emerges! 2 Corinthians 5:17 Message