SPIRITUALITY - THE NEW BEGINNING THAT COUNTS

Although some see the first day of the year as an extraordinary “new beginning,” I really don’t view it as being different than any other day. In fact, Thomas Mann clearly describes my prespective on marking the passage of time,

Time has no divisions to mark its passage,
there is never a thunder-storm or blare of trumpets
to announce the beginning of a new month or year.
Even when a new century begins
it is only we mortals who ring bells and fire off pistols.

I do love new beginnings, though, …when God does it that is! For it is our Father who “makes all things new” (Revelation 21:5). Through the working of His Spirit, “a new birth” is conceived! A “new person” is created (Eph. 4:24, Col 3:10)!

Did you catch that? Our creator didn’t do a “patch up” job. He created a new being! Those who are His are human, but they are a totally new “breed” of human! There are two different “species” of man, if you will. The heart and spirit of the first “species” is different from that of the new!

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you.
I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.
And I will put my Spirit in you and
move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.
- Ezekiel 36:26

Many argue over whether or not we have free-will or if God chooses us. It seems that what gets in the way of our understanding is that we fail to consider that there are these two “species” of man:

• The man with a heart of stone cannot love God.
o However, the man to whom God gives a new heart is capable.
• The man upon whom God’s Spirit does not move cannot follow His decrees. His absolute corruption makes this impossible. He has no desire for God.
o However, with a new heart and God’s Spirit, the new creature has a new attitude (Ephesians 4:23). The desire and the power to follow God’s law is available to the one upon whom God has moved.

What is God’s law for His new creature? The new law is to love (John 13:34). Is the new creature’s love for God “forced” by God, thus not genuine, as some suggest? No! The new creature chooses to love God because that is his nature! Isn’t it the created nature of all mankind to have the ability to choose God? Obviously not, or every man would! Instead, our Creator designed only the new ‘breed” with this priceless ability. “This can’t be! That’s unfair!” some say.

If God, as the Creator, chooses to place the ability to love Him in one “breed” but not the other, isn’t that His prerogative? We don’t consider it unfair because He didn’t plant the ability to love in a cow! Why do we get in a quandary when it is suggested that He planted the ability to love in His new “breed” of man, but not the old?

Manmade “new beginnings” are only deceptions.
Truly, what counts is a New creation
(Galatians 6:15)!

Whole-Heartedly,
Bonnie