THE NEW YOU

A Sermon for The Sixth Sunday after Pentecost
July 8, 2007
by Pastor Laura Gentry

Galatians 6:1-18
My friends, if anyone is detected in a transgression, you who have received the Spirit should restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness. Take care that you yourselves are not tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. For if those who are nothing think they are something, they deceive themselves. All must test their own work; then that work, rather than their neighbor’s work, will become a cause for pride. For all must carry their own loads. Those who are taught the word must share in all good things with their teacher. Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for you reap whatever you sow. If you sow to your own flesh, you will reap corruption from the flesh; but if you sow to the Spirit, you will reap eternal life from the Spirit. So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest-time, if we do not give up. So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all, and especially for those of the family of faith.

See what large letters I make when I am writing in my own hand! It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh that try to compel you to be circumcised—only that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. Even the circumcised do not themselves obey the law, but they want you to be circumcised so that they may boast about your flesh. May I never boast of anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is anything; but a new creation is everything! As for those who will follow this rule—peace be upon them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God. From now on, let no one make trouble for me; for I carry the marks of Jesus branded on my body. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen. (NRSV)

Grace and Peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

On the day of my nieces 5th birthday party a couple of weeks ago, four of the green chrysalis’ they had hanging in a peanut butter jar on the kitchen counter hatched into magnificent monarch butterflies. The first two came out so quickly, we didn’t notice them until their wings had unfurled a bit. Then, as we were releasing those two, we could see a split in one of the chrysalis’ and so I held the jar lid in my hands and we all stuck our faces right up next to it so that we could witness the metamorphosis. The shell cracked open, out popped some crunched up orange and black wings and then the body of the butterfly literally flopped out in a ball and immediately stretched out to its full length. Before our eyes, the shriveled wings spread out to their full size and within a few minutes, it was ready to fly. Amazing! I was just as mesmerized as the kids were to observe this completely new creature emerge from the chrysalis, knowing that it’s former self was a bulky caterpillar.

And as I think about the spectacular transformation a butterfly goes through, I am reminded of the writings of Saint Paul. For him, the central message was that to be a Christian means that you are to become a new creation. In his second letter to the Christians of Corinth, he writes: “If anyone is in union with Christ he is a new being; the old state of things has passed away; there is a new state of things." Christianity is all about becoming a new being, a new creation—what I like to explain to the confirmation students as “the new you!”

When we come to know Christ, when we answer his call, he brings about a new state of being within us. When you live in the reality of Christ’s love, you cannot go on living as your old self. You just can’t do it. That would be like the chrysalis opening up and out popping a fat caterpillar. It is a ridiculous notion. Once the metamorphosis begins, the end result is a new and different creature: a butterfly. And so it is with us. When you live in Christ, the Spirit goes to work on you and what keeps emerging, day after day, is the new you. Martin Luther put it this way: “Day after day a new self should arise to live with God in purity and righteousness forever.”

But just what does that entail? Paul discusses it in his letter to the Galatians, which we heard this morning. He talks about circumcision versus uncircumcision, and for us, this seems like rather graphic talk and we may just try to tune out. But what he’s getting at here is whether religious rules are important or not. Circumcision was prescribed by the law and so the Christians wondered how you could get away with not having it performed on their baby boys. But Paul explains that when you are transformed into the new you, only one thing counts: union with Christ. Religious practice by itself—just going through the motions—cannot produce the new you. Religious rites can be very helpful but they cannot save on their own. Christ alone saves and Christ alone transforms us into the Christians we need to be.

In the resurrection of Christ, a new thing has happened, a new being has appeared; and we are all beckoned to participate in it. Just as a butterfly soars freely once it has been transformed, so you and I are free from the former things that used to hold us. Sin, death, jealousy, greed, old hurts—all these things have no more hold on us. Now, we are claimed as God’s own children. Now, we are given the treasures of life in the Spirit. The new you is the most exciting you that you can imagine!

Paul Tillich, generally considered one of the century's outstanding and influential thinkers, wrote a book called The New Being. In it, he writes this very powerful, even shocking, statement:

“We should not be too worried about the Christian religion, about the state of the Churches, about membership and doctrines, about institutions and ministers, about sermons and sacraments. This is circumcision; and the lack of it, the secularization which today is spreading all over the world is uncircumcision. Both are nothing, of no importance, if the ultimate question is asked, the question of a New Reality. This question, however, is of infinite importance. We should worry more about it than about anything else between heaven and earth. The New Creation—this is our ultimate concern; this should be our infinite passion—the infinite passion of every human being. This matters; this alone matters ultimately. In comparison with it everything else, even religion or non-religion, even Christianity or non-Christianity, matters very little—and ultimately nothing.”

Let me tell you about my friend Allison. Two years ago this month, she was diagnosed with 2 rare forms of cancer that had metastasized in 7 parts of her body and were all at stage 4. She is quick to remind you that there is no stage 5. She was literally knocking on death’s door. At that point, she embarked upon treatment which included a major surgery and 8 months of chemotherapy, after which, she was told, there would be periodic chemotherapy for the rest of her life.

On December 29, 2005, a CT scan revealed there were no more sign of cancer in her body. She is now both cancer free and chemotheraphy free. A miracle? Yes. But even more miraculous, I believe, is that in those months of treatment, Allison became a new creation in Christ.

She found that, despite her fears, she had an enormous will to live. She followed the course of treatment prescribed by her physicians but that was only the beginning. She held fast to her faith and asked for prayer support from everyone she could think of and she made use of many complimentary alternative healing modalities such as acupuncture and aromatherapy. And she also participated in her healing by giving up the things that were impeding her overall health and well being: repressed and suppressed anger, unforgiveness, feelings of rejection, abandonment issues and codependency in the form of pleasing patterns, conflict avoidance, unhealthy anger and control.

The more Allison drew closer to Christ, the more it was revealed to her that she needed to let go of the attitudes and beliefs had become so extremely toxic to her health. The center piece of all of this work was that she recognized she needed to forgive her father for not being there for her when she was growing up. What he had done hurt her deeply and had thrown her into a long-term pattern of hurtful relationships. But she recognized that not forgiving him was hurting her even more. So she finally sat down and wrote him a letter telling him how much she had been hurt by his behavior, but then she went on to offer him forgiveness. And just like the beautiful butterfly emerges a new being, so Allison is a new creation. When I met her, the first thing she said to me is, “I’m a miracle!” and indeed she is. Not just because she beat her cancer, but because she allowed Christ to make of her a brand new creation.

Paul says that the new creation is everything! So what about you? You are here this morning because you long to hear a word from God. You want the Holy Spirit to guide you and help you. You want to offer your thanks and praise. But the you sitting there in the pew this morning: is it the old you or the new you? Do you feel broken and hurt by all that life has thrown you? Do you find that you are shackled by your resentments, attitudes or other issues that keep you from being whole?

Well then, you’ve come to the right place. In Christ, there is good news for the weary. Whatever state you’re in, let Christ grasp you. Let his grace hold you and heal you. Let his Spirit go to work on you. There is a new you waiting inside, desperate to get out and fly free. The new creation is everything! When you allow yourself to be transformed by God’s power, day after day, you will know true joy and true freedom. Because you, too, are a miracle! So let the new you soar!

Now may the peace of God which passes all understanding, keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.