Spring has arrived! Springtime is my favorite time of year for many reasons; the warmer weather is less humid and life is bursting right out of the gate in color everywhere as the birds are chirping louder. I enjoy the warmth of the sunlight on my freshly shaven face.

However, the most important reason to me is that I remember how my life changed after my accident 25 years ago. I was dead long before the wreck took my life; the Bible says I was dead in my sin (Ephesians 2:1.)

It took dying physically for me to be reborn again both spiritually and physically. Spiritual newness is a supernatural letting go of the old to make room for the new life and healing God has for us. Nature shows us that new life in the spring cannot come until the old has passed away.

Jesus explained to His followers that unless we are reborn as kids, we cannot experience new life in Him (John 3:1-21.) The Apostle Paul emphasized the need for us to be crucified with Christ before being raised with Him. Death must come before life; our old lives have to end before we can start over.

Starting Over?

Over the last few years, this fallen world has slipped further into dark times, it ain’t playin’: pandemic, natural disasters, wars, hatred. This world won’t last forever, because it is broken. While the world may fear the end, the church looks at it through a different lens, the end is the beginning of a better life, a world of perfection— Heaven !

 The Bible teaches us that one day God will destroy this planet and start all over, restoring things to how they were meant to be in the beginning; a sinless Paradise with God living with His people. Easter gives us a foretaste of the new heaven and earth, Jesus’ glorified body is the future of God’s people, living in a world with no more pain or suffering, nor death.

Yet, most of us loathe starting over.  After living with a disability for over 25 years I can relate, I’ve had to start over a lot in my life. Relearning simple things can be frustrating for me. I understand the desire to stick to a routine and not challenge ourselves.

But I’ve also learned that new things are better than old things. I am a different person than I used to be 26 years ago, the old Martin is dead. He had to die to make way for the new Martin. And one day in Heaven there will be a glorified Martin, sinless and no longer disabled.

The old is gone once we’ve been forgiven. Grace is a way to start over in this life, not an opportunity to keep sinning. Nothing is sadder than seeing a person return to their old lifestyle.

King Solomon called this foolishness (Proverbs 26:11.) The new life we’ve been given means new outlooks, opportunities, and treasures. Jesus taught His followers to be different from this world and store up their treasures in Heaven (Matthew 16:19-20.)

It is foolish to hold onto our old lives and things of this world because they are both temporary. The late missionary Jim Elliott was correct, “He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”

The sanctification process is how the Holy Spirit weans believers off of a dependence on this world, believers are becoming more like Christ and less like this fallen world; it is a change that is preparation for eternity.

Since we aren’t perfect yet, we must fight our carnal desires and dreams. Anyone who teaches otherwise isn’t teaching Christianity, it is worldliness and it is destroying the church, God is enough. Satan tempted Jesus with the same temporary crap many false teachers tell their sheep.

The Struggle Is Real!

Jesus promised His followers that they would face trials in this life, since this world hated Him it would hate us also (John 16:33.) But our encouragement is, our God is with us throughout the struggle until the very end.

Trials aren’t meant to punish us or stop us, they’re meant to prepare us and make sure we are redefined from this world. The Apostle Paul encouraged the early church that suffering in this life purifies us from a world that will come to an end (Romans 5:3-10.) The entire universe is God’s great dance floor.

This world will end regardless of what scientists try to do to stop it, God will wipe it clean with the stars to make room for His eternal kingdom, God only knows when. This is why it is impossible for true Christians to live their best life now, carnal dreams cannot compare to the glorious heaven God is preparing (John 14:3-4.)

If we are struggling with anything in life or have lost hope, we can take heart, this world isn’t our eternal home. Jesus promised His Kingdom is not of this world (John18:36,) because the old earth and heaven must pass away while God is starting over!