Joni and I watch a lot of HGTV shows together. I love how they take a house that is dysfunctional and ugly and make it useful and beautiful. The process is intriguing.
Identity the problem. Come up with a new plan. Demo the old stuff. Rebuild with hard work.
Results? Amazing.
Too often we take that process and convert it into a do-it-yourself project to grow as followers of Jesus. The results? Not so amazing.
I tried executing the DIY blueprint over and over.
I am dysfunctional. Check. I have identified the problem. I believe God has a plan for my life. Check.
Now I need to rebuild my spiritual dwelling place. This is where I veered off the Biblical script. I thought the self-demolition of my sinful behaviors and personal remodeling of my life would be based on my hard work.
Bad plan. Jesus doesn’t remodel a messed up structure. He builds a completely new one on the day the contract is signed.
”So then, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; what is old has passed away – look, what is new has come!“ (2 Corinthians5:17, NET)
Not recreated. A NEW creation. We are not remodeled. Jesus came to create a brand new structure. And that new house is built on the firm foundation of Jesus.
Honestly, I am not sure if I didn’t understood that process or just couldn’t trust it. I tried self-demolition of my fleshly behaviors. It seemed to work for a bit. But as I returned to my DIY rebuild there were new walls of wrong actions and bad motive structures that needed removing. It felt like every time I reviewed my spiritual house there was more junk to be dealt with. This DIY show went on for season after season.
I kept thinking if I put the right plan in place and worked diligently I would see a beautiful improvement in my spiritual house.
On the sidelines the enemy told me I would not be having these problems if I would;
- Read God’s Word more faithfully
- Pray more fervently
- Love and serve others more consistently
- Tell others about Jesus
- Give more to the church
All of those things on that list are good and valuable. But that list is not what makes you righteous. You are righteous because of Christ.
Period.
When you trust that and believe that you have a new identity as a new creation then the list above becomes a grateful desire and not a begrudging obligation to try and be better. All of the guilt and shame and sin that used to define you is no longer true. That old house is demolished. You are a new structure. New life has begun.
My life was changed over four decades ago when I decided to trust Jesus as my Lord and Savior. It took me way too long to understand that I was completely remade as a new creation at that very moment. I spent many frustrating years trying to fix something that Jesus had already fixed. My life was completely revamped when I began to fully understand who I am in Christ and that I just need to live my life daily trusting in His grace and love.
My DIY days are over. Now my desire is build on the foundation of Jesus and decorate my spiritual home with truth, love, and grace.
Remind yourself daily who you are. You are a new creation when you trusted in the finished work of Jesus. Your sin was completely demoed on the Cross. God has delivered righteousness to that new structure on day one. Your yard sign says you are a saint. I know. Your neighbors might be surprised but they don’t see what God sees. Jesus has built a new life.
My job became so much better. Live joyfully and without condemnation. Trust His new creation and enjoy the beauty of forgiveness and grace. I can’t do it myself.
