17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:[a] The old has gone, the new is here!
2 Cor. 5:17
God is in the business of creating and recreating. He can create something out of nothing and is also able to take something dead and bring it back to life. He even likes to give us new names from time to time.
In Genesis 17:5, Abram was renamed Abraham.
In Genesis 17:15, Sarai was renamed Sarah.
In Genesis 32:28, Jacob was renamed Israel.
In Matthew 16:17-18, Simon was renamed Peter.
In Acts 13:9a, Saul was renamed Paul.
They got a new name! Why?? When their purpose shifted and grew from being earthly focused to being heavenly focused. They were no longer known as such and such, now we are known as so and so!
We’ve seen people in our lifetime attempt to rename themselves. In 1999 Garth Brooks went from country to a rock persona alter ego Chris Gages for one album. Yet, we’ll always know him as Garth. And of course, there is the artist formerly known as Prince, who changed His name to a symbol instead of the previous Prince in 1993. He changed it back to Prince in case you were wondering.
When we try to rename or rebrand ourselves it’s not lasting. Only God can do that. Only He can make something new out of something old. (vs 17)
We are not meant to be in the background of the world. We have a role. We have a NEW name!