You can make yourself better, but only Christ can make you new. And if ever there was someone who became a new creation, it was Paul. What exactly does new mean, though? If we look at the original Greek in 2 Corinthians 5, we see the word kainos, which means, “recently made, fresh, recent, unused, unworn.” (Strong's Concordance G2537.)
So often as Christians, we talk about being restored…but restored just means we’re just an improved version of what we were before. This verse here in 2 Corinthians tells us that no matter what we’ve done or how we’ve lived, in Christ, we are brand new.
What does that tell us about Paul? When he chose to follow Jesus, his history against the church was wiped clean, though it doesn’t mean there weren’t consequences (like having to build trust and demonstrate the authenticity of his newness to a multitude of believers). But in God’s eyes, there is no before—only now and evermore.
~From Philippians: Living What Really Matters by Teresa Swanstrom Anderson for Get Wisdom Bible Studies on YouVersion
Stay Encouraged and Be Blessed!
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