Reflect today that you are truly a new creation in Christ

Da Paolo Tessione - September 4, 2020

Nobody pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise the new wine will split the skins, will be spilled and the skins will be lost. Rather, the new wine must be poured into new wineskins “. Luke 5:37

What is this new wine? And what are the old wineskins? The new wine is the new life of grace with which we have been blessed in abundance and the old wineskins are our old fallen nature and the old law. What Jesus is telling us is that if we wish to receive his grace and mercy in our lives we must allow him to transform our old selves into new creations and embrace the new law of grace.

Have you become a new creation? Did you let your old self die so that the new person can be resurrected? What does it mean to become a new creation in Christ so that the new wine of grace can be poured into your life?

Becoming a new creation in Christ means that we live on a whole new level and no longer cling to our previous habits. It means that God does powerful things in our life far beyond anything we could ever do on our own. It means that we have become a new and suitable “wineskin” into which God must be poured. And it means that this new "wine" is the Holy Spirit who takes and possesses our lives.

In practice, if we have become a new creation in Christ, then we are adequately prepared to receive the grace of the sacraments and everything that comes our way through daily prayer and adoration. But the first goal must be to become those new wineskins. So how do we do it?

We do this by baptism and then by intentionally choosing to turn away from sin and embrace the gospel. But this general command from God to turn away from sin and embrace the gospel must be very intentional and lived on a daily basis. As we make practical and intentional decisions daily to reach out to Christ in all things, we will find that the Holy Spirit suddenly, powerfully, and immediately pours the new wine of grace into our lives. We will discover a new peace and joy that fills us and we will have strength beyond our capabilities.

Reflect today that you are truly a new creation in Christ. Have you strayed from your old way and released the chains that bound you? Have you embraced the full new Gospel and allow God to pour the Holy Spirit into your life daily?

Lord, please make me a new creation. Transform me and completely renew me. May my new life in you be the one that continually receives the full outpouring of your grace and mercy. Jesus I believe in you.