This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
2 Corinthians 5:17
Paul taught that Christians have “new life” in Jesus. He reiterates that message throughout his letters. But what exactly does he mean by new life? Is it like the prisoner who has a last-minute reprieve from the governor? Are we in God’s protective custody? Or could it be that we choose to follow God instead of ourselves in the world as Christians?
In Philippians 2, Paul describes the attitude of Jesus and tells us to emulate it. But perhaps we can examine the words surrounding this probable first century song and see how we should actually live in our new lives. In verse two, Paul tells us that Christians should agree wholeheartedly with each other, love one another, and work together with one mind and purpose. Our new life should be one of love and togetherness with fellow believers, not of strife and division. Next, Paul tells us not to be selfish, but humble, putting the needs of others above our own desires (vs 3,4). This should be the key characteristic of Christians: a servant’s heart that is not egocentric but loving toward others. In verse 12, we are told to work hard for God with the strength and desire that comes directly from Him in the form of His Spirit. A new life requires that we stop complaining and arguing with each other (vs 14). Everyone has an opinion, but as God’s people we work together to accomplish His will in the world, not ours. Paul tells us to live “clean, innocent lives” in our dark world shining our light to the lost (vs 15).
In verse 16, we are told to “hold firmly to the word of life.” This phrase may mean different things to different readers. Some think we are holding on to the Bible as the living word. Some think the word of life is the good news of salvation or the gospel. Others see this as Paul reiterating the idea that we become the word of life for the world and that we should continue to hold firmly to our faith in Jesus as the storms of life surround us. Paul completes his thought here by reminding us to be joyful in the work of the Lord. He asks the Philippians to stay faithful to their new life to give him a reason to rejoice and then tells us to rejoice so that he can share in our joy. I love the idea that Christians are destined to be joyful and rejoice in life no matter what. The old life is filled with sorrow and pain and loss, but our new life in Christ gives us reason to hope and celebrate and rejoice. Our new lives are meant to be meaningful in God’s Kingdom as we shine his light into the lost world. We are indeed destined to be God’s ambassadors for the lost of the world. We should start living that way.
Scripture: Philippians 2:5-11
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