The Lord Is Able to Make Us New  

Recently my wife was using our microwave oven when she noticed a little piece of plastic sticking up around the keypad. It turns out that it was one of those clear coverings used to protect a new appliance. When we first purchased and set up our microwave, we had evidently overlooked that protective piece of plastic and had failed to remove it. It had fit so well and was so transparent that we hadn’t noticed it up until now – and we’ve had this oven for several years. So when my wife peeled off the plastic, it resulted in that part of the appliance looking brand new again.

Wouldn’t it be nice if we could peel off a layer of our skin every so often and become like new? Our faith in Christ doesn’t offer us such a physical renewal. If it did there would probably be crowds of people flocking to Christianity for all the wrong reasons. However, the Bible does assure us that there is a definite newness provided for those who put their faith in the Lord. Our bodies may not suddenly become young-looking again, but our spirits and our hearts can be made new.

Even in the Old Testament it looked ahead to a time when God would do such a work of transformation in His people. “I will cleanse you from all your filthiness…I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you…I will put My Spirit within you” (Ezekiel 36:25-27). The New Testament affirms the reality of such a change made possible for those who enter into relationship with Christ. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (II Corinthians 5:17).

 Through what Jesus did for us at the cross, He can peel away all the filthiness associated with our past sins, including the shame and guilt. No matter what we’ve done, He can cleanse us of it. We may still have some consequences of past actions that affect our lives, but we can look brand new spiritually to God. We can have clean hearts and a new spirit as the Holy Spirit comes to live within us.

However, this transformation goes beyond simply our appearing to be new in God’s sight. He actually changes us and makes us new in certain respects. The Bible declares that we “should walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4). There should be a difference evident in some of our actions and in how we live our lives. The Lord can not only change our behavior, but He can begin to peel off some of the layers of selfishness and ungodly attitudes that have plagued us. He can replace our self-centered desires with the greater desire to please Him and to do His will. Rather than primarily looking out for ourselves, He can instill within us a love for Him and a love for other people that will rise to be the main motive behind our actions.

This is good news. No matter how we may have messed up in the past and regardless of the extent of our moral filthiness, faults, and weaknesses, we can be cleansed and made new through faith in Christ. Too often we begin to think, “This is just how I am and nothing can be done about it.” Don’t believe it. There is a newness available in Christ. He can peel away what’s bad and replace it with His righteousness. He can put a new spirit within us that will empower us to live for Him. Let’s put our trust in the One who can make us new.