The Renovation

PresbyCan Daily Devotional

2 Corinthians 5:17 – Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! (NIV)
There are a number of renovation television shows which I really enjoy. I find it both fascinating and awesome to see how a good contractor can transform a poorly functioning home into something totally different so that it works for the family living within. The contractors are able to look at the existing building and see the possibilities and potential therein, then to use their skills to bring about the reality of positive change. As long as the foundational structure of a home is solid, they can do just about anything in regard to redesigning the original space. In fact, by the time the renovation is completed, the transformation is so amazing that it's hard to believe that it's even the same structure.
Likewise, when we come to Christ, the solid foundation, He sees and knows our potential — all that is possible within us. As we yield to the power of His Spirit's leading, we, too, become transformed creations. The acts of our sinful nature, which reigns before our commitment to Christ, are described in Scripture this way: quarrelling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, envy, selfish ambition, dissension, division, hostility, impurity, lustful pleasures, sexual immorality, idolatry, sorcery, drunkenness, wild parties, and other like sins. Committing ourselves to Christ as Lord and Saviour and seeking daily to lay our decisions, thoughts, speech, and actions before Him, however, changes everything within in us as His Holy Spirit quietly works to renew our hearts and minds, gradually bringing about our reconstruction as God's holy people.
Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control — the fruit of the Spirit — gradually transform us from the inside out. In fact, by the time Christ is finished with some people, it may be hard to believe that they are the same persons. They may physically look the same, but both inwardly and outwardly, a totally amazing transformation has occurred.
Renovating a house is very expensive, and may be completed in a relatively short period. Jesus offers the grace of His love and forgiveness freely to anyone who chooses to believe — God's gift to mankind that when accepted has the power to begin a lifetime of quiet inner renovations that mold and shape us into all that God intends us to be.
How's life going for you these days? Are you perhaps in need of that inner renovation of the heart and mind that only Christ, the master contractor, can provide? If so, I urge you to take a moment and pray this prayer.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, I need You and believe in You. Come into my life and forgive my sins, for which I am truly sorry. Help me daily to turn my life over to You, that I may reach my full potential and be all that you intend for me to be. In Your name, I pray. Amen.