* New Creatures

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: 

old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.  

2 Corinthians 5:17

God loves us the way we are but He loves us way too much to leave us that way.  So, He gives us this wonderful gift in the form of His Holy Spirit which enables us to become the new creature He called us to be which facilitates a far better life than we’ve ever lived on our own.

The word 'therefore' refers us back to verses 14-16 where Apostle Paul tells us that all believers have died with Christ and no longer live for themselves.

For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:  And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.  Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.  2 Corinthians 5:14-16

Our lives are no longer worldly; they are now spiritual. Our “death” is to that of the old sin nature which was nailed to the cross with Christ. It was buried with Him, and just as He was raised up by the Father, so are we raised up to 'walk in newness of life'

Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.    Romans 6:4

That new person that was raised up is what Apostle Paul refers to in 2 Corinthians 5:17 as the “new creation.”

Newness of life is becoming unleashed to every ungodly, unrighteous, negative thing and people that hindered or stopped our progress in gaining a right relationship with God.

The opportunity that God gives us to loose our self from all of our hindrances – think about it – no more worry, doubt, fear, anxiety – because we have faith to believe that God will make everything alright.  Not only will He make it alright – by faith, we know that it is already alright!  God said in His word that He will avenge that wrong thing

And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?  Luke 18:7-8

This new birth was brought about by the will of God. We did not inherit the new nature or decide to re-create ourselves anew. Neither did God simply clean up our old nature; He infused us with something entirely new; something that we could not create on our own; that we could not accomplish on our own - and that is the gift of the Holy Spirit.  Let’s not deceive ourselves, there is not a self-help program on this earth that can make us the knew creature that God calls us to be!  It is only through the gift of the Holy Spirit, that something entirely fresh and unique is created.  Let’s go all the way back to the beginning of the gift of the Holy Spirit.  When the crowd of some 3,000 people inquired of the disciple, Peter, what shall we do, Peter did not give them self-help programs, He told them 2 things they needed to do:

1.       Repent

2.      Be baptized in the name of Jesus for the remission of your sins

And the one thing that would start and keep them on their journey of becoming new creatures:  gift of the Holy Ghost

Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.  Acts 2:38

There is no amount of money that you can pay to make you a new creature:

But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.  Acts 8:20

Best of all, this gift is for everyone!

And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.  Acts 10:45

Once you've repented, been baptized and received the gift of the Holy Spirit, “old things have passed away.” 

The “old” refers to everything that is part of our old nature—natural pride, love of sin, reliance on works, and our former opinions, habits and passions. Most significantly, what we loved has passed away, especially the supreme love of self and with it self-righteousness, self-promotion, and self-justification.

It all should have died in the watery grave, but did you reach back and pull some of it out of the grave to accompany you in your new life?

 

I hope not!  The new creature looks outwardly toward Christ instead of inwardly toward self. The old things died; were nailed to the cross with our sin nature.

Along with the old passing away, comes the gift of the new has come! Old, dead things are replaced with new things, full of life and the glory of God. The newborn soul delights in the things of God and abhors the things of the world and the flesh. Our purposes, feelings, desires, and understandings are fresh and different. We see the world differently.

     √          Reading the bible is exciting though we may have read it before.  There is a freshness about it which we never saw nor understood before.

     √         The whole of nature seems to have changed, and we seem to be in a new world. The heavens and the earth are filled with new wonders previously ignored or not perceived, and all things now speak the praise of God.

     √         Old, jaded, feelings are replaced by new feelings toward all people—a new kind of love toward family and friends, a new compassion never before felt for enemies, and a new love for all mankind.

     √      The things we once loved, we now detest. The sin we once held onto, we now desire to put away forever. 

We put off the old man with his deeds

Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;  Colossians 3:9

and put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness

And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.   Ephesians 4:24

There is a difference between continuing to sin and continuing to live in sin. No one reaches sinless perfection in this life, but the true believer is being sanctified (made holy) day by day, sinning less and hating it more each time he fails. Yes, from time to time we may still sin, but unwillingly and with less and less frequency as we mature in Christ. Our new self hates the sin that still has a hold on us.

The difference is that the new creation is no longer a slave to sin, as we formerly were. We are now freed from sin and it no longer has power over us!  We are unleashed from the bondage and free now to pursue righteousness and holiness!  No chains holding us back!  That’s a gift and a gift that we aught not take lightly.

Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Romans 6:6-7

Now we are empowered by and for righteousness. We now have the choice to let sin reign or to count ourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus

Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.  Romans 6:11-12

Best of all, now we have the power through the gift of the Holy Spirit to choose the latter.

Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.   Hebrews 13:21 

The gift of the new creation is a wondrous thing, formed in the mind of God and created by His power and for His glory.

Many people try to bypass this transfer of ownership and instead try to change their own outward behavior or start going to church in an effort to feel like a part of the body of Christ. However, willpower can only take us so far. Jesus did not come to manage our sinful flesh; He came to kill it.

And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.  Luke 9:23

Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.  For he that is dead is freed from sin.  Romans 6:6–7

The old and new natures cannot work together, nor can they peacefully coexist:

Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.  For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.  For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.  Romans 8:12–14

We must die to self before we can experience the new life Jesus offers us

And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.   2 Corinthians 5:15

We are to present our bodies as a living sacrifice and to renew our minds so that we begin to think as God thinks:

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.   Romans 12:1–2

As we focus on knowing God, reading His Word, and surrendering ourselves daily to the control of the Holy Spirit, our choices change. Our pastimes, priorities, and passions change. The fruit of the Holy Spirit -

. . . love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.   Galatians 5:22–23

- becomes evident where there were once only the works of the flesh

. . . Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.  Galatians 5:19–21

Experiencing the new birth is only the beginning. God continues to work in us to present to Himself a holy people on that day when we see Him face to face

Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:  Philippians 1:6

For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.   Philippians 2:13

For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.  2 Corinthians 11:2;

That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.   Ephesians 5:27

Biblical Studies

02/16/22