Trinity Blog

¹⁶ From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once regarded Christ from a human point of view, we regard him thus no longer. ¹⁷ Therefore, if any one is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold, the new has come. ¹⁸ All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; ¹⁹ that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. ²⁰ So we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We beseech you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. ²¹ For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.  2 Corinthians 5:16-21

If you live in Ashtabula County you know all about Interstate 90.  The highway bisects the county almost in the geographical middle of the county.  Depending on which way you are traveling east or west, the highway comes into or leaves the county either around Madison or the Pennsylvania State Line.  I cannot begin to imagine how many people have travelled into and out of our county over the course of a year or even a lifetime, but I personally have driven out of the county to visit loved ones for the holidays and into the county when those vacations are over.

Our journeys of discipleship are very similar to trips made on Interstate 90.  The highway comes into and leaves the county; we are on a similar journey out of the kingdom of sin and death and into the Kingdom of God.  The Greek word Exodus from which the second book of the bible takes the name in a quite literal fashion means the road out, and the word Eisodus quite literally means the road in.  Paul would describe the journey of discipleship as if any one is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold, the new has come.   The old has passed away, the road out, the new has come, the road in.

To take Route 90 out of Ashtabula, or the old creation has passed away, quite simply means that our connection to sin and death has been severed and we are now free or liberated from our sins, our guilt and our connection to the evil powers of this world that cause us so much misery and apathy.  Like Israel in Egypt or Babylon, the taskmasters have been vanquished, and we are free to take the road out of slavery to sin and death and free to take a journey into new and better land.  The moments we crossed the line are forgiven, our moments of falling short of the humanity we were created to be are cancelled, our moments of missing the mark in obedience to the covenant are gone.  These are the old things which have passed away.

To take Route 90 into Ashtabula, or the new creation has come, quite simply means that we now have been baptized into Jesus Christ, and we can be born again and live life anew and afresh in God’s righteousness.  Like Israel in the land of Canaan, we are free to enter the promised land flowing with milk and honey.  But to make the trip in means to live life differently than the lives we lived in Egypt or sin.  To love instead of hate.  To be faithful to God.  To offer kindness to the least and to make things right and just.  Israel was called to be holy or different because they were in Canaan and not Egypt, we are called to be holy or different because we are in God’s creation instead of Sin’s creation. 

Friends, we are on the cusp once again of another season of Lent, a time of introspection, discipline and repentance.  If we are on the road out of sin and death, what do you need to give up this Lenten Season?  Perhaps not Brussel sprouts or chocolate, but pride or hate?   If we are on the road into the Kingdom of God, what do you need to take on this Lenten Season?  Humility, justice or love?  If any one is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold, the new has come; let us put aside the old life and through the Spirit of Jesus Christ become the new creation.  Let us take the road out of sin and the road into Christ.  Amen.