At the Cross, At the Resurrection

At the cross: He's taken us, our old selves, and all the terrible and yucky things that weighed us down and hurt us, taken those onto Himself on the cross and then taken them down to the grave! That's where all my sin, pain, confusion, depression, fear, shame, guilt, condemnation, punishment, alienation, and struggle - and even my old, sinful self - are today! Dead and gone! Buried and forgotten!

At the resurrection: He's taken us, newly created with and full of His resurrection life, and all the wonderful things that He is, taken us and all those wonderful things up, up and up with Him into the heavenlies! And that's where we are today, filled with all that He is - peace, love, safety, authority, joy, favor, strength, fullness, sinlessness, righteousness, perfection, union with God, fellowship, acceptance, LIFE - alive and full and free! Risen indeed and with God forever!

 On this first day of the new year, it's wonderful to think of how in Jesus we have completely left the old behind and entered into a whole new day, a whole new creation, a whole new realm of grace!  We are out of the devil's realm, out of bondage to sin, out of darkness, out from under the law, out of the realm of death...and We are into the Son's kingdom, into freedom, into the light of the One who is Light, into grace and favor, into LIFE ETERNAL!  Wow!

 "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation - old things are passed away; behold, ALL things are become NEW!"  2 Co. 4:17

 We are new!  ALL new!  ALL things have become new for us, and we will NEVER be old again!  The old things like condemnation, bondage to sin, guilt, being under curse, hopelessness, emptiness, inadequacy,  etc. - these things are gone from our lives forever and no more define us!  We are now defined by HIS LIFE in us - defined by peace with God, His loving nature, His faith, His power, His righteousness, fullness of joy, perfect peace that is beyond understanding, the power that raised Him from the dead, unmerited favor, blessings upon the head of the righteous, the unconditional love of God, the companionship of the Holy Spirit, and 24/7 fellowship with God in our spirits, where we are ONE with God Himself!  THAT'S how we are defined today and forever!

Thank You, Jesus, for bringing the 'old' us with You on the cross and the 'new' us with You in the resurrection!