Introduction

Friends, do you ever wish you could press “reset”? To erase the smudges of yesterday’s choices, to soften the sting of words you wish you could take back, to trade the ache of regret for the music of hope? You’re not alone. Our hearts hunger for a fresh beginning, for a clean slate, for the kind of change that touches more than our to-do lists and reaches all the way down to who we are. The good news is simple and stunning: in Jesus, God does not hand us a mop and say, “Clean up”; He hands us a new heart and says, “Come alive.”

Tim Keller put it elegantly: “The gospel is this: We are more sinful and flawed in ourselves than we ever dared believe, yet at the very same time we are more loved and accepted in Jesus Christ than we ever dared hope.” —Tim Keller

That line echoes the heartbeat of today’s Scripture. It is a sunrise sentence, scattering the shadows and warming the cold corners of the soul. Hear it as if you’re hearing your name woven into every word:

2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV) “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

Let those syllables sit with you. New creation. Passed away. Behold. Come. Can you sense the steady hands of your Savior lifting the weight from your shoulders? This is more than a pep talk; this is a proclamation from the throne room of heaven. God is not in the business of putting patches on a threadbare life. He crafts new cloth. He doesn’t paint over rust; He forges new steel. He writes your name in grace and sets your future in hope.

What might that mean for your everyday life—the Monday alarm clock, the midweek slump, the midnight wrestle? It means your identity is not anchored to yesterday’s failures or today’s frailty. It means the chapter called “old” has a period at the end; it means there is a Spirit-breathed sentence of newness being written right now. It means grace doesn’t simply pardon you; grace empowers you. Not wishful thinking. Not thin optimism. Durable, Spirit-empowered transformation.

Picture it: shame silenced by the Savior’s song; fear fading under the Father’s favor; sin’s chains slackening in the light of the cross; a future stretching wide with possibilities because Jesus is alive and He shares His life with you. Do you hear the whisper of hope? Do you sense the smile of God over you? Would you dare to believe that what Christ declares is truer than what your past accuses?

Today, we’re going to savor this good news: who you are now in Christ; how the old life truly has passed away; and how to walk in the steady, transforming power of grace. So take a breath. Open your hands. Lift your eyes. The Author of new beginnings is here, and He is very good at His work.

Opening Prayer: Father of mercies and God of all comfort, we come to You with open hearts and honest needs. Thank You for Jesus, our Redeemer and righteousness. Speak Your Scripture into our souls until we hear Your voice louder than our fears. By Your Spirit, make the truth of our new creation in Christ vivid, personal, and powerful. Let old chains fall, let fresh faith rise, and let the beauty of Your grace shape our thoughts, our words, and our steps. We ask for tender conviction, triumphant assurance, and joy that endures. In the strong name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

Identity as a New Creation in Jesus

Identity shapes how you think, how you love, and how you show up in the smallest things. In Jesus, identity is not a costume you put on when life goes well. It is a work God starts and God sustains. It reaches your mind, your body, your story, your habits, and your hopes.

Paul’s words are plain and strong. He ties your life to a Person. He says that being joined to Jesus changes what is true about you. This is not a slogan. It is a real change with real fruit.

“In Christ” is a short phrase with deep meaning. It means union. It means you are joined to Jesus like a branch is joined to a vine. Life flows from Him into you. His strength supplies what you need.

This union is personal. Jesus is not far. He holds you. You are not an add-on to His plan. You belong to Him. When the Father looks at you, He sees the Son who loves you and gave Himself for you.

This union is also covenant. Think of a marriage vow that stands on promise and love. Think of a family name that now rests on you. You carry the name of Jesus by grace. You are counted as His.

Folks ask, how does this touch real life? Union with Jesus touches your past, your present, and your future. It gives you a sure center. It steadies your sense of self when feelings swing or when plans change. It gives a place to stand when temptation rises. It gives peace when the heart feels thin.

From there, Paul’s line about a “new creation” brings you back to the first page of the Bible. God spoke and worlds came to be. God spoke and formed light where there was only dark. That same living God speaks over you in His Son. He makes a person new.

This is not surface work. God does not patch your mask or polish your image. He gives life where there was deadness. He puts His Spirit within you. He stirs holy desires. He awakens love for what is true and good. He trains your will to say yes to Him.

Think about how change starts. Often it begins with a new appetite. You start to want what Jesus wants. You start to hate what harms your soul. The mind learns to think with Scripture. The heart learns to rest in prayer. The body learns new habits shaped by grace.

The church family becomes part of this creation work. You learn in a people, not just alone. You taste new life as you sing, as you confess, as you serve, as you share the Lord’s Table. God uses simple means to grow sturdy saints.

Paul also speaks of what has gone. The former way of life had many masters. Shame, fear, pride, anger, and selfish desire made loud claims. In Christ, those claims are stripped of their title. They do not own you.

God has dealt with guilt through the cross. The debt is canceled. The stain is addressed by the blood of Jesus. You do not have to carry a list of your wrongs like a badge. Your record rests in the hands of a faithful Savior.

Old patterns can still knock on the door. They may try to lure you. But their power is broken. The Spirit teaches you to say, “That is not who I am.” You can confess sin without despair. You can repent with hope. You can make amends with courage.

This change also touches the labels the world gives. Labels can stick like burrs. Success, failure, status, past pain, even family sin can try to name you. God gives you a new name in Christ. Beloved. Forgiven. Holy. His.

Then Paul says the new has come. Think of a new season that has started. The air is different. The light is different. You are living in that season right now by grace. This is present tense. This is daily life.

God’s Spirit works in the details. He forms patience in a tense room. He grows kindness in a harsh thread online. He shapes self-control when anger heats up. He gives courage to speak truth with love. He gives mercy to forgive real wounds.

This newness shows up in ordinary places. At the sink. In traffic. In meetings. In late-night care for a child. In long care for an aging parent. In every place, you carry the life of Jesus. You can ask for help. You can receive fresh strength.

There are means God gives to keep this life strong. Open the Bible and ask, “Show me Jesus.” Pray short prayers through the day. Keep close to a few trusted believers. Share your sins and your sorrows with them. Receive the Lord’s Day as gift. Serve someone who cannot repay you.

Think about baptism. It pictures your union with Jesus in His death and life. You went under with Him. You rose with Him. That picture tells the truth about you. Your past does not sit on the throne. Christ does.

Think about the Table. It pictures ongoing nourishment in Christ. You come needy. You receive what He gives. You go out fed. Week by week, the Spirit builds a stable life through this steady grace.

Think about speech. New creation speaks new words. Bless more than you complain. Speak Scripture to your own heart. Speak thanks out loud. Name God’s kindness in small things. Your tongue becomes an instrument of peace.

Think about work. Offer your tasks to God each morning. Ask for skill. Ask for integrity. Ask for love for the people you serve. Your desk, your tools, your shift, your classroom can all be places where the life of Jesus shows.

Think about suffering. New creation does not erase pain. It gives presence in it. Jesus keeps you. He prays for you. He carries you. He will finish what He began.

So take Paul at his word. Joined to Jesus, you truly are made new by God’s power. The former rule has ended. A present, Spirit-given life is here. Walk in it with simple trust and daily obedience.

The Old Life Has Passed Away

Paul’s words land with a steady calm ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO