That New Car Smell

From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. 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 Corinthians 5:16-18 ESV). London businessman Lindsay Clegg told the story of a warehouse property he was selling. The building had been empty for months and needed repairs. Vandals had damaged the doors, smashed the windows, and strewn trash around the interior. As he showed a prospective buyer the property, Clegg took pains to say that he would replace the broken windows, bring in a crew to correct any structural damage, and clean out the garbage. “Forget about the repairs,” the buyer said. “When I buy this place, I’m going to build something completely different. I don’t want the building; I want the site.” It is not a bad idea to work at improving ourselves. There are countless books, tapes, and magazines devoted to giving us the information necessary to improve our lives. There are methods to improve the way we look physically. There are methods to improve the way we act emotionally. And, there are many methods that have been developed to help us improve our spiritual lives also. All of these have their place in our lives. However, none of them will do any lasting good unless we begin with a fresh start! I have never quite lost the wonder of getting into a new car and smelling that “new car smell.” There’s something about that smell that cannot be duplicated. There are many things that can be done to “recondition” a used car. We can use ozone filters to take out any unpleasant odors like cigarette smoke or pet odors. We can clean the vehicle inside and out, shampooing the carpet and upholstery. We can check the vehicle at different mechanical points to insure it is as good as it can be. But, it will never have that new car smell or look. Do you know that the Lord is not in the “preowned merchandise” business? He only handles new units! That’s what the Apostle Paul means when he tells us that we have become a new person when we trust Christ. When we become God’s, the old life is over. He makes all things new. Like the London businessman, all He wants is the site and the permission to build. So many times I have seen people who have tried to repair their lives. We are a “fix-it” people. You don’t need to just repair the old life, you need the Lord to begin fresh in your life and build His glory into it. Let Him do that today. Give Him complete ownership of your life and you will see the difference begin immediately.