You've Got It Goin' On!

Having been made a new creation, a new self, the old self has nothing to do with our current existence. We are not our own worst problem, nor His—we are His greatest workmanship. What if we believed it?

Some have confused the two words, self and flesh, but they are not the same. Self (the old man) was crucified (Rom 6:6) and removed in favor of the new self, the new man, which shares in the very nature of God. We have one nature at a time and one self at a time. If we had even remnants of the old self, then that would mean we have two selves at the same time. We do not.

This confusion has led many to unnecessarily demean and distrust themselves, all while thinking it wise to do so. “I’m a new creation,” they might say, “but I sure don’t want to trust myself.” “The worst part of relationships,” they might say, “is that you take self into them.”

I contend that Jesus would be delighted for you to trust your true self and for you to enjoy your true self in every relationship. Having faith in Him about His workmanship glorifies Him, and it frees you from fear and a false and endless war of self-annihilation. There is no war against self—He gave you a new self through the cross and resurrection, and His victory is also ours.

You’re fantastic. Or, as my daughter would say, “You’ve got it goin’ on!”