All Things New

All Things New
… a new beginning! 
Terry R. Baughman

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV).

God, our Creator, is unique, not just in that He makes matter from nothing, He can also make something new where there was wear and waste. He is a creator of both innovation and restoration. He delights in restoration, in bringing life to some who have given up all hope. He also loves to bring new life to those who have lost their reason to live. He makes something from nothing when He speaks courage to the discouraged, hope to the hopeless, and cheer to the sad and lonely. His offer of an abundant life is to all who will come to Him in faith and experience the New Birth.

God does not just make new things, but He takes existing molecules of matter  rearranging them for some grand new design. God is not a consumer who uses and discards the wasted materials of some passing fad, growing tired of some things and creating replacements. Rather, God is the ultimate recycler. He takes the well-used, often rejected elements of nature and reenters them into the process of reclamation and redemption. 

One only has to observe the aftereffects of a devastating wildfire to witness the calculated reformation brought about in time. The elements in a destroyed forest decay and dissolve into revitalizing nutrients for emerging flora. The miracle of rebirth is seen in just a few years as the burnt out scar upon the landscape turns green with new and vibrant life. Restoration is built into nature and resides in the character of God. He delights in bringing new life to the soul ravaged by a life of sin. 

Original sin was born in the heart of rebellion from the selfish exaltation of Lucifer. In some vast past this angel of light became the prince of darkness. He was cast from the celestial realm onto the sphere of Earth, disrupting the synchronous order of creation and introducing the foreign concept of chaos. Genesis records the chaos of the scene, “Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters” (Genesis 1:2). God began to speak and His creative voice and presence restored order and produced  beauty. The reoccurring comment to all that He spoke was, “It was good.” His Word makes everything good. 

Nothing brings more pleasure to God than to see possibilities where there has been devastation. God is pleased when the wasted become renewed, the rejected are reclaimed, and the worn out and dying become rejuvenated and revived. 

At the close of the year we are given an opportunity to consider the moment, reflect on our progress, and evaluate our future ambitions. It’s a perfect time to establish some new spiritual goals as we consider our past progression. We have a new opportunity for a fresh start. We can wipe the slate clean and determine our future destiny in Christ. 
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Scripture:
“We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life” (Romans 6:4 NIV).

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