“Therefore, if anyone has Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” – 2 Corinthians 5:17
You cannot change your life like Jesus can change your life. That is why Paul doesn’t just say, “Okay, you’re a Christian now, get rid of your bad habits and get some good ones.”
John Piper calls that the curriculum in the school of legalism. It’s an idea that says, “Okay, God saved me, and now I need to improve myself.” NO! In the school of grace, God creates a new person, and that includes all the new attitudes, emotions, and practices that we are supposed to put on.
2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone has Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”
Paul tells us in Ephesians 4:23-24, “to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.”
Did you catch that? He says to be RENEWED in the spirit of your mind. You can’t do that on your own. Then it says to put on your new self…which is CREATED after the likeness of God. You can’t do that on your own either.
To step into your new life, you must choose God’s way. The Bible never says to come to God and then figure out how to improve on your own. The reality is, you can’t. You might “be better” for a short time, but it won’t be sustained. True change only happens through Jesus Christ.
Do you want to change? Do you want the new life Paul talks about in Ephesians 4? Choose God’s way. His way isn’t just the best way, it’s the only way.