New.
It’s a word full of promise. A book waiting to be read. The waxy scent of a box of crayons opened for the first time. The pages of a calendar waiting to be filled with reminders of a life well-lived.
And our God says he is making all things new.
“See, I will create
new heavens and a new earth.
The former things will not be remembered,
nor will they come to mind.
But be glad and rejoice forever
in what I will create,
for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight
and its people a joy.” (Isaiah 65:17-18)
“He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!”Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” (Revelation 21:5)
New. It rings of hope. There will come a day when God makes everything new. Sin’s stain and death’s decay will be no more. Instead of groaning for the day of redemption, creation will sing in harmony. Sorrow and pain will be forgotten, mere shadows now erased by the light of God’s glory and grace.
New. We are not yet what we will be, yet we live both in anticipation and fulfillment of the new creation. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Corinthians 5:17). In Christ, we no longer belong to the old, fallen creation. We belong to the age to come. We stand at the threshold between this age and the next, showing the world what it looks like when God makes all things new.
And what does this new creation look like? It looks like the kingdom of God. A place that belongs to the humble and poor in spirit. A place where those who mourn over their sin will be comforted. A place where the gentle inherit the earth and those who hunger for righteousness get what their hearts desire. The new creation is a place where God dwells with his people and his people honor him. It is the place where God’s will is done and where his kingdom is made manifest among us. Where the chains of sin are broken. Where people are forgiven and freed. Where relationships are restored and grace abounds. Where former enemies worship together in harmony.
We live in a broken and fallen world, but we also live as the redeemed and restored people of God. As we enter this new year, let us live as who we are: a people whom God has made new.
How will you live as God’s new creation this year?