Devotional from Pastor Tim Chalas

The world is saturated with messages about the self—self-help, self-care, self-improvement. Even within the church, you might hear messages about denying self or dying to self. But in the midst of all this noise, one question rises to the surface: What does God actually say about the self?

The gospel answers this loud and clear. You don’t need self-improvement—you need new life. And if you’re in Christ, that’s exactly what you’ve been given, because the cross wasn’t a makeover; it was a miracle. You were crucified with Christ and raised a brand-new creation. God didn’t just polish up your old self; He crucified it and resurrected a new self to walk in newness of life.

Your new self doesn’t need fixing—it needs believing. God is not asking you to become someone you’re not. He’s inviting you to live from the truth of who you already are: accepted, approved, and adored in Christ. It’s not about you striving to become, but about seeing what you’ve become..

Today, rest in this: You are brand new. You’re not in rehab; you’ve been reborn. And that truth sets you free to live with joy, confidence, and wholeness—not because of what you do, but because of what He’s done.

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. —2 Corinthians 5:17

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