COACH’S CHALLENGE – NEW CREATION
At the NRBA this year, I have been encouraging students to focus on who God is and on who he created each one of us to to be according to scripture, so that we can stand firm and endure challenges, like the ones we are currently facing in our nation and world, and in the process, point others to Jesus.
What I have shared in previous challenges is God’s truth about you and me, not what the world tries to convince or imagine us to be. And because of Jesus’s extravagent love for us, we are secure, and don’t have to be fearful or anxious about anything. We have become new creations, living stones, more than conquerors, light bearers, ambassadors and so much more! And not one part of our identity is a result of something we have done. “All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them.” (II Corinthians 5:18-19) It is entirely a gift from God to all those who place their trust and obedience in Jesus. And with this amazing new identity, we are now given the privilege of representing Jesus to the world. How awesome is that?
“So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regard Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin[for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (II Corinthians 5:16-21)
I will share more on this verse in my next challnge, but perhaps you are reading this today and you want to be that new creation whose relationship to God has been reconciled (restored). You have a sincere desire to understand and know the true you, created magnificently by God, and today you are ready to embrace all that God has created you to be. You can begin that journey at this moment, right now, by simply offering yourself to God, turning away completely from the old you, and dedicating the rest of your life to following Jesus. Will you let me know if you made that decison today? At the NRBA, we are here to help you get started lving out your true identity as a discple of Jesus. Please email me from this website and let me know how I can assist you.