A NEW CHAPTER

A NEW CHAPTER

It’s been observed that January is the month where most people have tried out new things, have set their minds on goal setting, changing courses and so on. It’s observed that people always have an urge to start afresh, to undo things that have consequences. Humanly people want to have a new beginning or a start.

I would like to share an illustration to explain the idea.

My dog chewed the tongue on one of my new, very expensive running shoes. I hoped to save my investment, so I took the sneakers to a shoe repair shop. I placed them on the counter and told the man, “My dog got hold of this.”

The repairman picked up the shoe, looked it over, and placed it back down on the counter.

“Well, what do you recommend?” I asked.

He looked at me and replied, “Give your dog the other shoe.”

God wants us to gain a new perspective about our problems. He wants us to wear glasses of His love and discipline.

Even God knows us pretty well. He knows that every human has a heart to begin afresh. To have newness within.

Let’s Read from 2 Corinthians 5

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 2 Corinthians 5:17 – NIV

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Corinthians 5:17 – NKJV

This verse boosts up our faith. It says, that all things have BECOME new. We need to understand that when we begin to acknowledge Jesus and start surrendering every area of our life, we will see the Newness in us and accordingly act on it.

The new creation is described in 2 Corinthians 5:17: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” The word “therefore” refers us back to verses 14-16 where Paul tells us that all believers have died with Christ and no longer live for themselves. Our lives are no longer worldly; they are now spiritual. Our “death” is that of the old sin nature which was nailed to the cross with Christ. It was buried with Him, and just as He was raised up by the Father, so are we raised up to “walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4). That new person that was raised up is what Paul refers to in 2 Corinthians 5:17 as the “new creation.”

How do we take hold of this New Beginning? Let us look at the 4Cs

1. Contemplation

Contemplation can also be mentioned as Meditation or a deep thought about something. Until and unless we don’t realise what area I need to begin afresh. I will not be able to make a plan or have a goal set. “A rock pile ceases to be a rock pile the moment a single man contemplates it, bearing within him the image of a cathedral.”

Unless and until we don’t picturise ourselves to what we want to be, we will never achieve it.

Ways that we can contemplate

1. Interrogate yourself – Why do I need to begin afresh? What impact has it made or is it going to make if I change this action, attitude or behaviour? Am I ready to lose in order to gain the approval of Jesus?
2. Weigh Your Actions: The area that I need to have a new beginning, has it borne fruit, what kind of reactions has it caused? Also, there may be times when people would feel that you are faking it. You have an ulterior intention. Sudden change in behaviour or action may flare up doubts, misinterpretations. OR, there might be some one who will know you and support you, standing by you. Jesus will always know our intentions. He has brought about that newness in us and we need to realise that. The new has come.

2. Conviction

Only a deep revelation can bring us a great conviction. Conviction could be ‘Faith that is Verbalised’. A conviction about the cross. Conviction brings about a change in the way we look at things. Earlier we looked at it from the worldly perspective but now we look at it from the perspective of the cross. How has the cross impacted me and how far can I go with my conviction? Basically, so to say, what am I convinced about?

38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[a] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39

Paul had this deep conviction and so He was ready to be a Martyr for Christ. He was so bold to share the gospel, inspite of Him being in chains and in the prison.

We need to reflect back, and look at our convictions. Where does my revelation come from? The world says, we are foolish and our convictions don’t make sense to them. However, again I reiterate, those who are in Christ Jesus, they are a New Creation, the old has gone and the new has come. We have become New. We need to walk in that conviction. Let not the world or our situation determine our new beginning. We need to hold on to the roots of that revelation, which is Jesus Christ and move on.

3. Confession

Confession or acknowledging our weakness, that we will fall, we will meet failures, we will face discouragements or critics. When my foundation or my revelation is not steady or if I am not convinced enough or motivated enough then I may fall back. But we should not stay there. We can come back. Remember, the verse says that the ‘New has come’. Acknowledging that I am susceptible to fall but I have a new start each time I fall, through Jesus Christ. Question is whom should I acknowledge it to, or confess? Can I go on telling people that I can’t do it or is it like only between God and myself? Many times, we make resolutions, but we fail to share it with people who will constantly show their trust on us. We generally, share it with those who are around us on an immediate basis, however, we also need to acknowledge it to those who constantly pray for us and guide us. We need to be accountable to those who would never give up on us. Those people who see beyond what we can see. They can see the New Creation all ready.

Let’s understand this aspect through the below illustration:

Jack removes the envelope from the small pile of mail and draws in a deep breath. It is from his former employer. He has lost sleep waiting for it. What he is about to read could lead to his exoneration or to imprisonment.

He had written to this man two weeks ago, confessing that he had stolen money from the cash deposits he drove to the bank each day as part of his job. After he received Jesus Christ, he felt that confession and offer of restitution was the only thing to do.

He was taking a huge risk. Should the company decide to prosecute, it could have grave consequences for his family. As a full-time student with a part-time job and a family to care for, there was no way he could afford an attorney if they chose to prosecute.

If they were to sue him for the entire amount, that would put his family out of house, home and seminary. He proceeded to send the letter anyway. Now Jack calls to his wife, Pat, and asks her to come into the kitchen. When she sees the envelope, she nervously goes to the sink and begins washing dishes because that’s how Pat works off nervousness. “Could Jack really go off to jail?”

Slipping his thumb under the flap, Jack slowly tears the envelope open. He pulls out a single sheet of paper, pausing only for a second as he considers the possible outcome of his confession. He begins reading aloud to Pat. “Dear Jack, Thank you for your letter indicating your actions while in our employ. The figures from the deposits were adjusted by our accounting department and there is no need to address this matter further. We appreciate your sincerity.”

Yes, so it all starts with knowing that Christ has given a New Beginning. My responsibility is to LIVE in that Newness. Cast off all my old ways. I begin with acknowledging my weaknesses and, it calls for embracing the consequences.

Many times, we are too fearful of the consequences of the past, that even though we want to confess, we don’t. We keep it undercover. Then that change doesn’t happen. We are unable to start our new journey. It’s one of the ways the enemy tries to hold us back, by shaming us and not allowing us to return from our old ways. Therefore, the bible is very clear, ALL have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. We need to hold on to that conviction, acknowledge God’s redemption plan and walk in the Newness.

Change of Course

Accepting that now I am a new person and behaving accordingly. Also, I may tend to switch to my old self. Without a plan and a goal, I may go back to my comfortable self.

• Plan it out (What area, we need to work on)
• Speak it out (Have an accountability partner)
• Work it out with someone (find someone with the same goal)
• Share it out (achievements)

We ought to remember that 2 Corinthians 5: 15 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

God teaches us 3 basic principles to a New Beginning:

• “Love when you expect no love in return.
• Do good without expecting thanks.
• Lend when you do not hope for a return.

Life is ours for the taking. We can begin a new life whenever we please.

We may have as much of God as we will. Christ puts the key to the treasure-chamber into our hand, and bids us to take all that we want.

If a man is admitted into the bullion vault of a bank, and told to help himself, and comes out with one cent, whose fault is it that he is poor? Whose fault is it that Christian people generally have such scanty portions of the free riches of God? (Citation: Alexander MacLaren, quoted in Streams in the Desert. Christianity Today, Vol. 41, no. 3.)

Sandra wife of Virjil .The New Hope Community is situated in the heart of the city between Old and New Panvel. We can confidently share that New Hope Community is a Church in Kamothe, Church in Khandeshwar, Church in Khanda Colony, Church in Panvel, Church in New Panvel because we are centrally located and these places surround our church Venue.