A NEW ME IN '23

A NEW ME IN '23
(John Edwards)

God has made it possible for me to be new in Christ. "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new" (2 Cor. 5:17). What a tremendous blessing - all things become new! As I "put on the new man" (Eph. 4:24; Col. 3:10), here is what a new me looks like:

SPEAK TRUTH. "Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another" (Eph. 4:25). "Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds" (Col. 3:9). God hates "a lying tongue" and "A false witness that speaketh lies" (Prov. 6:17, 19). Revelation 21:8 reveals, "…all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death." One may have told lies in the past, but putting away lying, the new me does not lie, but always speaks the truth, no matter what.

WORKING AND GIVING. "Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth" (Eph. 4:28). Thieves, as demonstrated in Luke 10:30-35, will strip you of your raiment, wound you, and depart, leaving you half dead, if not worse! This may have been one's philosophy in life: What is yours is mine and I will take it if I want it. The new me does not steal, but rather works with his hands that which is good and operates by a new philosophy: What is mine is yours and you can have it if you need it. What a difference! The Bible can change the worst of people into the best of people!

GOOD MOUTH. "Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers" (Eph. 4:29). One may have had a bad mouth in the past, using foul, abusive, unwholesome, evil, unfit words and language. No such speech or talk comes out of the mouth of a new me. The new me has a good mouth. Now everything that is said is good and helpful. Words from a new me are an encouragement to those who hear them.

KIND, TENDERHEARTED, FORGIVING. "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you" (Eph. 4:31-32). One may have been very moody, hypersensitive, and temperamental in years gone-by. Now, in Christ, a new me is different. All bitterness, wrath, anger, clamour and evil speaking have been put away, with all malice. Who was once unpleasant to be around is now kind, tenderhearted (compassionate) and forgiving - the one everyone wants to have as their companion and friend.

We know of those who have made great improvements physically. Perhaps one was a "couch potato" who allowed himself to become very fat and out of shape to the point he couldn't walk to the mailbox without being winded. He decided to change that, and because of the lifestyle changes that were made, he lost so much weight and is now in such good shape that one might say, "Have you seen ____________ lately? You wouldn't recognize him!" This can happen spiritually as well, if one is determined. It may be said of one who lied, stole, had a bad mouth, and was defined by bitterness, wrath, anger, clamour, evil speaking and malice, "Have you been around ______________ lately? He's not the same person!" Most people don't change. Some people do. Will you? How about A NEW ME IN '23? If not now, when?


 

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