Day 1: The Gift of New Life
Reading: 2 Corinthians 5:14-21
14 For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.
16 So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:[a] The old has gone, the new is here! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin[b] for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Footnotes
[a] 2 Corinthians 5:17 Or Christ, that person is a new creation.
[2] 2 Corinthians 5:21 Or be a sin offering
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Devotional:
"The old life is gone. A new life has begun." These aren't just beautiful words—they're a divine declaration over your life. When you belong to Christ, transformation isn't about trying harder or doing more; it's about receiving what Jesus has already accomplished. God doesn't ask you to clean yourself up before coming to Him. He invites you to come as you are, and He does the transforming work. Today, reflect on what "old things" you're still carrying that God has already declared gone. Your past failures, shame, and sin have no claim on your new identity. You are not who you were. In Christ, you are completely, radically, wonderfully new.
14 For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.
16 So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:[a] The old has gone, the new is here! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin[b] for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Footnotes
[a] 2 Corinthians 5:17 Or Christ, that person is a new creation.
[2] 2 Corinthians 5:21 Or be a sin offering
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Devotional:
"The old life is gone. A new life has begun." These aren't just beautiful words—they're a divine declaration over your life. When you belong to Christ, transformation isn't about trying harder or doing more; it's about receiving what Jesus has already accomplished. God doesn't ask you to clean yourself up before coming to Him. He invites you to come as you are, and He does the transforming work. Today, reflect on what "old things" you're still carrying that God has already declared gone. Your past failures, shame, and sin have no claim on your new identity. You are not who you were. In Christ, you are completely, radically, wonderfully new.
Recent
Archive
2026
January
February
The Power of God's NameSurrendering To God's PlanDeclared InnocentWhat Is Truth?Evidence of His GoodnessIt Is FinishedThe Empty TombJesus AppearsBreathe and BelieveBlessed Are Those Who BelieveThe Invitation To FollowWhen Waiting Becomes WorshipThe Gift of Second ChancesFrom Darkness To LightThe Mission Of Love
March
From Disciple To ApostleThe Power Of The Holy SpiritWitnesses Of The ResurrectionSigns That Point To JesusMaking Discipleship Your Life MissionThe Cost Of DiscipleshipJesus or Jesus Plus?Get Behind Me SatanTrusting Jesus With EverythingHope Has A NameThe Identity ShiftThe Cost Of FollowingLiving For Christ AloneAmbassadors Of ReconciliationWait Actively On The LordThe Power Of Worship In WaitingObedience Before UnderstandingThe Danger Of DistractionCommunity In The WaitingInviting God To InterruptSheep of Goats? Examining Our IdentityTriumphal Entry - Misplaced Hope
April
From Hosanna to Crucify - The Fickleness of Human HeartsLove in Action - Serving The Least Of TheseReturning To The Good ShepherdThe Empty Tomb - Evidence of VictoryWhy Do You Look Among The Dead?Crucified With Christ - Your Personal ResurrectionFrom Fear To Faith - The Disciples' JourneyLiving Resurrection Life DailyDay 1: The Heart of DiscipleshipDay 2: The Power of Your StoryDay 3: Waiting with PurposeDay 4: Community Makes DisciplesDay 5: Healing and Purpose in JesusDay 1: The Consuming Fire of God's PresenceDay 2: Waiting in WorshipDay 3: When God's Timing Exceeds Our PlanningDay 4: Baptized and Filled with the Holy SpiritDay 5: Pierced Hearts and Transformed LivesDay 1: Waiting in WorshipDay 2: Unqualified but ObedientDay 3: The Holy Spirit's PowerDay 4: Church as Family
May
Day 5: Your Life MissionDay 1: What Do You Have to Give?Day 2: Community Over CharityDay 3: Discernment in GivingDay 4: Walking in the LightDay 5: Mission-Focused HelpingDay 1: What Do You Have to Offer?Day 2: Faith That Helps Others StandDay 3: Healing as a Sign Pointing to JesusDay 4: Different Kinds of Healing We All NeedDay 5: Becoming a Healing CommunityDay 1: The Power of the SpiritDay 2: Rejoicing in PersecutionDay 3: United in MissionDay 4: Generous Hearts, Growing ChurchDay 5: Obedience Over ComfortDay 1: Everything Belongs to GodDay 2: The Heart Behind the GiftDay 3: Unity Through the SpiritDay 4: Obedience Over ObligationDay 5: Trusting God's Provision
June
Day 1: The Foundation of Our MissionDay 2: United in PurposeDay 3: God's Heart for the VulnerableDay 4: Sustained by CommunityDay 5: Your Mission FieldDay 1: The Battle Belongs to GodDay 2: The Cost of Following JesusDay 3: Separated for a PurposeDay 4: Spirit-Filled and Spirit-LedDay 5: Hope in the DepthsDay 1: Scattered But Not SilentDay 2: From Slave to ChildDay 3: The Beautiful FeetDay 4: Waiting in HopeDay 5: Living Testimony
Categories
no categories
3 Comments
I often have trouble not regretting my life before Christ - before I received the truth… before I cared that the life I was living was wrong in most ways. I’ve always been commended on what a “good heart” I have (because I try to treat people with common decency, I guess??) and people would commend me on how caring I was but I was living a lie worshipping the creation rather than the creator. I was putting my faith in the stars because I was so self centered and craved to be “like God” and know the future. I didn’t realize that last bit at the time. Astrology is something that daily I have to say “no” to ALMOST like a drug. I sometimes feel ashamed that I even have that inclination to even reference it because the “doctrine” (bleh) of what makes a Gemini or a Virgo or whatever is ingrained in my head and I’ll catch myself rationalizing someone’s behavior based on the month, date, time, and year they were born. I had books on astrology and I was so invested in learning all the ins and outs of how the stars influence us. WHAT HOGWASH. Now I know the TRUTH. I know that the only thing that matters is God. Yahweh. Jesus. And thank the Lord for that Holy Spirit. It’s to the point that a simple saying like “thank your lucky stars” makes me cringe. I know that I am washed clean by the blood of the Lord, but I am often reminded (or maybe the enemy reminds me) that I was no better than the Israelites with their golden calf. I realize none of us are better than those mistakes without Jesus. I so often have to remind myself that I’m new and I was blind to the truth before. It’s so hard to do that when you’ve exposed yourself to so many lies, but if I don’t remind myself, I’ll spiral into a shame parade.
n
nThank you, Jesus, for loving all of us the way you do and washing us clean so we can eternally be who you made us to be!!!
Thank you Sefy, for sharing. I’m so thankful that you follow the Holy Spirit and not your “lucky stars”.
I love your testimony, Sefy.
n
nWhat sticks out to me in this passage is that God has done the work of new life. Already. It’s complete. Our only job is to walk in that. To not forget our identity in Christ and go back to the old habits, which is exactly the choice you make, Sefy, every time you reject astrology