Old Things Passed Away: Living as a New Creation

by
0

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” – 2 Corinthians 5:17

If you’ve been following my story, you know that God miraculously delivered me from alcohol addiction in one supernatural moment. You know He later healed my lungs in a way that left my doctor speechless. But here’s what I haven’t told you yet—the part of the story that sits between deliverance and blessing, between the miracle and the ministry.

The consequences didn’t disappear the moment God set me free.

When Grace Meets Reality

Let me be honest with you. When God instantly removed my addiction to alcohol, He didn’t instantly remove the wreckage I’d left in my wake.

The broken trust in my marriage? Still broken. The fear my daughters carried? Still there. The damage to my career and reputation? Still damaged. The financial mess I’d created? Still a mess.

God had done the impossible—He’d set me free from alcohol. But now came the hard work of rebuilding everything I’d torn down during those years of addiction. This was my consequence season, and friend, it was hard. Really hard.

During those years of rebuilding, God gave me a life verse that I held onto like a lifeline:

“Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” – Hebrews 12:2

I memorized that verse. I prayed it. I clung to it on the days when the weight of what I’d done felt crushing. Because here’s what that verse taught me: Jesus endured His hardest season by keeping His eyes on the joy that was coming. And if Jesus did that, I could at least try.

The Rebuilding

Rebuilding trust with Jill was a daily choice—for both of us. She had to choose to believe I was different this time. I had to choose to show her, day after day after day, that God had truly changed me.

I’ll never forget the first time Jill went out and left me home alone. That old enemy—fear—tried to whisper in her ear: “What if he drinks while you’re gone?” But she chose trust. And I chose faithfulness.

Slowly, brick by brick, we rebuilt.

My daughters—oh, my precious girls—they were out of the house by the time God set me free. So rebuilding with them looked different. It was phone calls where they had to learn Dad’s laughter was real again. It was visits where they discovered the man they talked to on the phone was the same man who showed up at the door. They didn’t have to brace themselves anymore when they called home. They didn’t have to walk on eggshells during visits.

The financial damage took years to repair. Career opportunities I’d lost didn’t magically reappear. Some relationships remained broken. These were the consequences of my choices, and God, in His wisdom, allowed me to walk through them rather than instantly removing them.

But here’s what I learned in that valley: Consequences aren’t punishment when you’re walking with Jesus. They’re part of the sanctification process. They’re the classroom where God teaches us endurance, character, and hope.

I kept my eyes fixed on Jesus, the author and finisher of my faith. And slowly, surely, joy began to replace the shame.

God Doesn’t Just Start—He Finishes

Here’s something beautiful I’ve learned: God doesn’t deliver you and then move on to the next person. He doesn’t perform a miracle and check you off His list.

No. He stays. He keeps working. He never stops.

“Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.” – Philippians 1:6

This verse has become another lifeline for me. It’s the promise I stand on every single day.

The God who reached down and pulled me out of addiction? He’s still working in me. The God who healed my lungs? He’s still working in me. The God who restored my marriage and my relationships with my daughters? He’s still working in me.

Every morning when I wake up, He’s working. Every conversation I have, He’s working. Every ministry opportunity He opens, He’s working. Every struggle I face, He’s working.

He won’t stop working in me until the day I’m standing face to face with Jesus. And friend, that truth changes everything.

It means my failures today don’t disqualify me from His purposes tomorrow. It means the work He started in me isn’t dependent on my perfection—it’s dependent on His faithfulness. It means I can trust that the same God who began this good work will see it through to completion.

The Old Man Died

Now, years later, I’m living in the reality of 2 Corinthians 5:17.

The things I used to chase before Christ? They don’t interest me anymore. I used to live for the weekend party. Now I live for Sunday morning worship. I used to pursue money like it could save me. Now I pursue God’s kingdom like it’s the only thing that matters—because it is.

I used to know every liquor store’s hours within five miles of my house. God took that knowledge completely away. I couldn’t tell you the hours of the liquor store to buy alcohol if you asked me right now.

The old man—that guy who lived for temporary highs and earthly treasures—he’s dead. Actually dead. And a new creation is living in this body. A creation that finds joy in prayer, in serving, in studying God’s Word, in loving my wife and daughters well.

What does the joy that Christ bring me now? It’s a lifeline. On hard days, on good days, on every day—His joy sustains me in ways alcohol never could and never would.

Living as the New Creation

These days, my life looks completely different.

God has led me into ministry in ways I never imagined. He’s opened doors for me to serve in our church’s prayer ministry, to lead in our men’s group, to share my testimony with others who are struggling. Each day He blesses me with opportunities to point people toward the grace that saved me.

And He’s not done yet. That’s the beauty of Philippians 1:6—God’s still working. Still opening doors. Still using my story. Still making me more like Jesus.

Jill and I—we do our devotionals together almost every morning. I’d love to say every morning, but we’re not hitting that mark. We try, but you know… life happens. But most mornings, you’ll find us with our Bibles open, reading together, learning together, growing together.

Every day, Jill and I pray together that we would walk in the Spirit. We ask God to make the fruits of the Spirit evident in our lives—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. We’re not perfect at it. We stumble. We have days where we fall short.

But we keep coming back to this one thing: We want to live our lives in obedience and love. That’s our goal. That’s our prayer. That’s what we’re striving for.

And here’s the amazing thing—God keeps working in us. He’s patient with our stumbles. He’s faithful when we fall short. He’s completing the work He started, one day at a time.

All Things New

Looking back at the man I was—tethered to oxygen, enslaved to alcohol, destroying everything I touched—I barely recognize him. That’s not false humility. That’s the honest truth of what it means to be a new creation in Christ.

God didn’t just clean up the old me. He didn’t just remove the bad habits and leave the rest alone. He made me completely new.

Old things passed away. And behold—behold!—all things have become new.

The consequences were real. The rebuilding was hard. The valley was long. But keeping my eyes fixed on Jesus, the author and finisher of my faith, brought me through to the other side.

And God’s not done with me yet. He’s still working. Still refining. Still making all things new in me, day by day, until the day I see Jesus face to face.

For Those Still in the Valley

If you’re in your consequence season right now—if you’ve experienced God’s deliverance but you’re still dealing with the wreckage—hear this: Keep your eyes on Jesus. The consequences don’t mean God’s not done with you. The hard work of rebuilding doesn’t mean the miracle wasn’t real.

Fix your eyes on the author and finisher of your faith. Let Him walk you through this valley. Trust that He’s making all things new in you, even when it doesn’t feel like it yet.

And remember this promise: He who has begun a good work in you will complete it. He’s not done with you. He’s not moving on to someone else. He’s staying right there with you, working in you, until the day you stand before Him.

The old things will pass away. The new things are coming. In fact, they’re already here—you’re just learning to walk in them.

That’s my prayer for you today. That you would see yourself the way God sees you—not as the person you were, but as the new creation He’s made you to be. And that you would trust Him to keep working in you, day after day, until His work is complete.

Old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new.

Walk in that truth today, friend. It changes everything.

Note: This is part 4 of my testimony series. If you haven’t read the earlier parts, start with “I Know a Guy Who Was Far From God” to see where this journey began.

Coming soon: The moment God called me out of hoarding my time and into His service. How a Wednesday night message changed everything and led me from a seat in the sanctuary into ministry. When God says “I want your time,” you’ll never guess where He plans to send you. Plus, I’ll share simple daily rhythms that keep us walking in the Spirit. Stay tuned—God’s not done telling this story yet.

What about you? Are you walking through your own consequence season right now? Have you experienced God’s faithfulness in the rebuilding process? I’d love to hear your story in the comments below.