Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation. 2 Cor 5:17-18We need better solutions to life’s problems.
When we were growing up, things like home appliances and televisions lasted longer. A lot longer. I’m not sure if they were built better or if it was more out of necessity. If something broke, we tried to fix it. In our house, many things were held together by wire and duct tape. A substantial wire cable even kept our garage from falling over. If we couldn’t fix it, we might have called a repairman—but it was rare to replace something outright.
Our dad was handy but didn’t always have the right tool for the job. That’s where wire and duct tape came in. It didn’t always look pretty, but it worked. Many a broken baseball bat was held together with a nail or duct tape. I still remember the sting to the hands from hitting balls with a refurbished bat. From his experience, we learned that having the right tools is key to achieving the best outcome, but those tools aren’t always available.
Many aspects of our lives often require repair as well. Despite outward appearances and beautifully curated social media, life is hard. Even the rich, beautiful, and famous don’t have a free pass. They may be among the most broken and miserable people if addiction and suicide rates are any indication.
We often lack the right solutions to address our problems as individuals and as a nation. Seeing people put their hope in political candidates is heartbreaking. About half the country is devastated every four years because “all hope is lost.” The other half rejoices, at least temporarily, because their political messiah has won. But no matter who resides in the Oval Office, this remains true: there are no political solutions to spiritual problems, and all problems are spiritual. We continue to attempt to patch spiritual wounds with political or other temporal solutions.
Every personal and corporate problem is rooted in what the Bible calls the Fall of Man, as described in Genesis 3. No exceptions. Therefore, the only real solution to what ails us is the gospel—the good news of our redemption through Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. When Jesus died and rose again, he reversed the curse. Theologians refer to this as the beginning of the New Creation. God, in Jesus Christ, is making all things new.
The world offers temporary solutions, like wire and duct tape. The gospel is the only true and final answer to our need. One day soon, the entire cosmos will experience rebirth. The good news is that it’s already begun.
Apprentice yourself to Jesus so your good works contribute to New Creation—and you experience the freedom, joy, and abundance he wants you to have.
Run the play. Freedom and joy await.
“… there are no political solutions to spiritual problems, and all problems are spiritual.”
Finding Our Place in the Story
Where am I using “wire and duct tape” instead of turning to Christ?
How am I tempted to look to politics or performance for salvation?
What would living today as part of God’s new creation look like?
Thoughts on New Creation from N.T. Wright
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