13 June 2015 - old creation deprecated

We implore you on behalf of Christ,
be reconciled to God.

In what ways are we still living "according to the flesh"? Jesus makes us new creations. Are we still using the old software on new hardware? If so, we're going to experience some incompatibility because "the old things have passed away". We are meant to be new both inside and out. We must not cling to the old self because "our old self was crucified with Him" (cf. Rom. 6:6). Our old software was deprecated and causes nothing but problems when we try to use it. That is why Paul says to "lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit" (cf. Eph. 4:22).

God himself makes us new within.

inwardly we are being renewed day by day (cf. 2 Cor. 4:16)

and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him (cf. Col. 3:10)

We pray with Paul that God "would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man" (cf. Eph. 3:16). When God is the source of our inner life we deliver on promises. We don't have to use fancy oath formulas to convince anyone. It is simply a matter of integrity. There is a unity of who we are, what we say, and what we do. In the old order of creation this unity is broken and so people swear by heaven, earth, Jerusalem, and even their own heads. But these external things don't have any power to make a promise come true.

Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.’
Anything more is from the Evil One.”

Jesus is the perfect example of this. He is the yes to all of the promises of God. There is no room for no alongside a yes so completely given (cf. 2 Cor. 1:20). He will renew us from within so we can too can be whole.

Whatever the spyware and browser hijackers we've downloaded onto these new creations we are given Jesus is able to cleanse us and make us new once more.

For as the heavens are high above the earth,
so surpassing is his kindness toward those who fear him.
As far as the east is from the west,
so far has he put our transgressions from us.