Here is an important truth we sometimes do not grasp. Not only did God give us Jesus Christ so that whosoever believes in Him will have eternal life. But God also gave us Jesus Christ so that whosoever believes in Him will be transformed into a New Creature, a New Man, a New Woman, and yes, even a New Child.
The bible declares in 2 Corinthians, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature, old things are passed away, behold all thing are become new. And all things are of God.” That means at the moment of conversion, you and I have been divinely transformed into a new creature. Your position and standing with God has also changed.
That is why the bible also exhorts us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds so we can prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God. Our minds are to be transformed by the Word of God so that we walk as the new creature and resist this world’s present thinking, value systems and conduct.
The church has made the big mistake of teaching the new creature takes over immediately, but the truth of the matter is that God says we are His workmanship and He will continue to work on us until Jesus comes. Therefore, you can be a new creature, a new man, a new woman in the eyes of God, but the manifestation of that new you to yourself and to others may take some time.
I have learned in dealing with myself and in dealing with others as a Pastor, there are three (3) primary reasons, (among others), that delay the manifestation or the releasing of the new you.
The first reason that delays the releasing of the new you is SIN. Please notice, I said sin and not SINS. We are all sinners and will continue to sin until Jesus comes. But there is one sin in most people’s lives that we refuse to give up or is simply very difficult to give up. The bible says in Hebrews 12:1, “…lay aside the sin that so easily beset you.” In other words, if we are to release the new creature inside of us we must also release that entangling sin that so easily knocks us down. This is the sin that above all others defeats us. And it is a different sin for every believer. I had to learn the hard way, that until that one sin is eliminated, you can never be who you really are as a new creature in Christ Jesus.
The second reason the releasing of the new you is delayed is because of not having a fear of God. What I mean by that is we oftentimes forget that God sees, hears and knows everything we do or say. And by not having a fear or reverence for God we sometimes act like we don’t care if God is watching or not. We go about our daily business taking God’s mercy and grace for granted.
The third reason the releasing of the new you is delayed or never happens is because of pride. God said He hates pride. Pride causes us to think more of ourselves than we should. Pride deceives us into thinking we don’t need God. Pride also deceives us into thinking all that I have accomplished and all that I have is because of me and God had nothing to do with it.
Whether its sin, a lack of a fear of God, pride or all three, sometimes God has to break you in order for the new creature in you to be released. Trust me, you do not wand God to break you. His breaking is not pretty and it is extremely horrible.
I was once guilty of all three and it took a long time for God to break me. When God breaks you, He has a tendency to make you a public spectacle. When God breaks you, He can bring you down from the top of a mountain to the lowest depths of hell on earth. When God breaks you, He can destroy your false high self-esteem. When God breaks you, He can bring you to your lowest low. But when you surrender all, God and only God puts all of your pieces together again in such a way that the new you emerges.
Don’t let God have to break you!