Job 31-33 / 2 Corinthians 3 / Psalm 43 / Proverbs 22:8-9
Have you ever wanted to be a better person? Or wished you were a better person? You’ve tried your hardest to do the right thing, to love people without being angry, offended, or judgmental. It’s hard. It seems no matter how much will-power we try to muster we can’t seem to improve ourselves. What about a self-help course? Maybe that would work.
Or maybe not. No matter how hard we try, apart from the life of Jesus Christ in us, we cannot become better people. We are attempting to be better from the outside in, when what we need is to be better from the inside out. Unless a person’s heart and motives change, she or he will not be able to maintain a better way of life. I wonder if New Year’s resolutions would work? Nah, probably not.
2 Corinthians 3:16-18 gives a great picture of what is needed to truly change. But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. So, all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.
The veil spoken of in those verses is the law which represents condemnation toward our sinful nature with no way of escape. Once we turn to the Lord, that veil of condemnation is removed, and freedom comes. 2 Corinthians 5:17 tell us – This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
There is your “better person” or in other terms, a new foundation upon which to build. “New person” in the Greek language refers to a new kind, something unheard of. What you were before Christ is nothing like what you are after Christ. From the moment of new birth on we have a genuine opportunity to change, to make something new out of our lives.
Everything that we were is gone; we are no longer that other person. We may still find ourselves thinking about our old life and we may even be tempted to go back to some of our old habits but now we have power to say “no” to those old habits and sins. They no longer have the right to dictate who we are!
I’m thankful the veil of the law was removed and that we are now walking according to the Law of Love. I’m thankful for my new life, my new self and I’m grateful to have the opportunity of being changed into His image. The next time you are frustrated with your imperfections, remember what Jesus has done in giving you the ultimate self-improvement “course”.
