A NEW SUIT OR A NEW MAN?
A group of stylists at a barbers convention devised a dramatic means of demonstrating the power of their profession. They found a homeless man sleeping on the street, with tangled, dirty hair. His face was unshaven and his clothes were filthy. He reeked with the odors of cheap liquor and garbage. Then the barbers went to work, plying their skills. They gave him a bath, shampoo, shave, haircut and manicure, and doused him with liberal doses of cologne. As a crowning touch, they dressed him in a new suit.
The barbers then presented him before the convention, declaring he was "a new man,” and he certainly looked the part. But as impressive as his “transformation” was, guess where they found him a few days later. Back on the street, passed out drunk in the same gutter. The problem? While they altered his outward appearance, the barbers had done zilch to change his inner nature.
Virtually anyone can put a person in a new suit, but only Jesus can put a new person in a suit. When we surrender to Christ, He doesn't change our exterior. He transforms us from the inside-out. He remakes us into a totally new person, with a totally new identity. Second Corinthians 5:17 states, "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" In Galatians 2:20 Paul declares, "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me." That's pretty straightforward: "I no longer live..."
Think about the implications. Our identity in Christ isn’t based on our own effort. Trying harder, doing more, or forcing ourselves to be better doesn’t change us, any more than a new suit transforms a derelict. Jesus doesn’t merely give me a “make-over.” He makes me into a “brand-new me,” with a brand-new identity. He’s constantly “cutting our hair” and “trimming our nails” spiritually. Of course, we work with him, by submitting to his authority, and opening ourselves up to his process of transformation. It’s often painful, but we delight in becoming more like him. We rest in Jesus, and let Him live His life through us. Doesn't that sound wonderful and freeing? Our identity in Christ isn’t about white-knuckling our way through life. It’s not a self-improvement plan. If it were, all you'd need is a shave, and a haircut… and a new suit!
Principle: My identity in Christ isn’t based on my own effort. Jesus transforms me from the inside-out.
Promise: In Christ, I am a new creation.
Ponder:
How do I find strength in knowing that only Jesus can change me?
What practices can I adopt to cooperate with him in my transformation?
Pursue: For a deeper dive, study 2 Corinthians 5:15-21.
Prayer: “Lord Jesus, thank you for my new identity. I submit to your authority, and open myself up to whatever work you choose to do in me.”
Perceptions: Record any ideas God puts on your heart from today’s devotion.