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All Things New
2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
When we give our lives to Christ and receive Him as our personal Savior, we are freed from the grip and power of sin into a newness and freedom that only God can give. When salvation becomes our way of life, God continually works out those old ways and habits of doing things—the things that kept us bound—and replaces them with His desires, love, disciplines, and forgiveness. Not only are we intrinsically new—being spiritually washed and declared faultless in the sight of God due to the sacrifice of Jesus—but our everyday mannerisms and the ways in which we actually go about doing begin to reflect the new as well. We lay down, at the Holy Spirit’s prompting, our own way of living so that the light of Christ shines for others to see, engaging the Lord in everyday moments. Is that even possible to do—to think on God as we’re brushing our teeth, to listen to the Holy Spirit’s prompting on what we should wear, to gauge how we speak to and treat others? Well, with each response of yes, Lord, the more we grow in faith and wisdom and the willingness to be loved by God who so loved us.
At the start of 2025, Orange Grove embarked on a themed journey of All Things New. Our focus has not only been on building enhancements and upgrades and ministry efficiencies, but we’ve sought individually to be new in our service to God, in our devotion, study, and commitment to the mission and ministries of our church. ALL things doesn’t imply part of the way; it suggests an introspection of our true commitment to God and answering the questions, Am I really ALL IN when it comes to the ways of God? Am I really living for Him? Am I truly giving Him my all? This is the deep work God requires. He gave us the best that He had (to reference the song) in Jesus, and we should continually be about walking in the new He sets before us.
As we round out the year and look ahead to what’s next, let’s not forget this 2025 journey to heighten our sense of newness in Christ, letting go of the old, and allowing the light of love to shine in our hearts so others may know of the goodness of God and the incredible blessing we have to live our lives for Him!
