“Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.” And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.” Revelation 21:5-7
One of the most difficult things to do in being transformed into a person who operates in the mindset of Christ is to let go and release old thought patterns, memories, and actions. They are a stronghold to many people and the reason they can’t move forward and overcome in certain areas of life. For some reason they cannot see themselves or anyone else as a new creation IN Christ; which hinders them from becoming all they were recreated to be when they said yes to a relationship with Him. John 3:3 says, “Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
Being born again wasn’t meant to be a onetime experience that ensured our entrance to heaven, although this is the most vital element of Christianity that sets us apart from any other religion. But being born again is much more than just our salvation! It is a constant flow of Christ’s new life IN us, a fountain of living water that is constantly cleansing us, renewing us, and making us whole. For the person who understands this truth it is the most liberating part of being born again because it reminds us that Christ is alive and at work on the inside of us.
When old thought patterns begin to set in we release them to God and are filled with mind of Christ. When old memories arise we release them to God and are filled with the image of His perfection in us. When old actions start to manifest we release them to God and are filled with the fruit of the Spirit. But in order for this to happen we must take the action step of releasing them to God. If we choose not to release them, we will repeat patterns of the past that hinder us from living the life of the new creation we were made into when we were born again IN Christ Jesus.
How many times have you said or done something that you told yourself you would never do? It happens to all of us. For instance when people grow up and make a vow to never do to their children what their parents did to them. But once they have children of their own they find themselves doing the very same things. Or the person who loses their temper and explodes and then vows never to do it again only to find themselves repeating the same behavior within a few weeks. Then there is the person who vows never to marry a person who resembles someone from their past who has wounded them. But many times the person they choose to marry is very similar to that person.
Why do these scenarios and similar ones happen? The answer is that just making a vow to never repeat a pattern doesn’t work. It is a humanistic pledge rooted in self works and it has no strength to help us overcome our areas of weakness. The only way to truly overcome old patterns is to renew our minds to what Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5:17. He said, ““Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” When we operate in this mindset we are able to release the old thought patterns, memories, and actions that have hindered us in the past. We are able to give them over to God, trusting that He is the only One who has overcome them. And through faith IN Him we are made into the image of an over comer.
This decision enables us to do two things. First it enables us to adopt a kingdom mindset and see the kingdom of God at work in us and in our situation. And second it enables us to inherit all things that pertain to life and godliness. This is when we can see ourselves and others as God’s new creations IN Christ and we are able to overcome the temptation to walk in the patterns of the old man. When I came to this revelation years ago I wrote the following phrase in my Bible as a reminder. “Each day Holly is being born again and again and the power of Christ in me to overcome is greater than the power of my old patterns. I believe by faith that my inner image is the image of Christ and I will wait
until that inner image is manifested on the outside.”
What I have discovered as I have reminded myself that I am a new creation IN Christ and released old thought patterns, memories, and actions to the only One who can save me, is that I am filled with the newness of life each and every day. I no longer wake up riddled with guilt or shame of yesterday’s faults and I no longer condemn myself for wrongful actions. I am no longer chained to the memories of the past that held me in a prison of fear and I no longer doubt that old things have passed away and all things have become new. This is my prayer for you today as you grow deeper in your relationship with God through understanding who you are IN Christ Jesus. May the newness of our living Savior be a fragrance about you and may you be reminded each day that IN Christ you have been made an over comer with an inheritance in heaven and on earth.
Prayer: I praise You for making all things new in me and I believe by faith that You have overcome all the thoughts, memories, and actions of my old man. I believe by faith that as I release these to You, You will be faithful and fill me with Your living water and the newness of Your life IN me! Amen
No comments:
Post a Comment