Not many days go by that I don’t hear the word new. There are new recipes, new homes, a new baby, or a new idea. The word new brings a certain excitement, a freshness that brings a smile. It is the idea that something has changed or is at its beginning. This is what Paul is talking about when he says in II Corinthians 5:17 that those who are in Christ are a new creation.
II Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
When we accept Jesus as our Savior, we are not reborn physically but spiritually. This produces a change. Paul’s phrase to indicate our new identity is “be in Christ.” We become united with Jesus. In John 15:5, Jesus said “I am the vine, ye are the branches.” The branch of the vine gets its nourishment and its sustenance from the vine. If there is any break in the connection to the vine, the branch will begin to show it by the withering of its leaves. If the connection is not revitalized, the branch must be cut off. It dies and is worthless. The usefulness of the branch is dependent on its connection to the vine. When Paul uses the phrase “in Christ” it is not just an identity to hang on us, he is indicting a close tender connection between us and Jesus. The vine and branch symbolize the same. All of our spiritual growth must come through the vine. We are to be an extension of Jesus here on earth.
As a new creation, we have a new purpose. Our purpose is to honor and glorify God in all we do.
I Corinthians 10:31 “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”
He left us here to be witnesses so that others would come to know Him. This is our main purpose as Christians. In Heaven, we could praise Him, have a perfect body, and be completely worry-free with no more pain or sorrow. The one thing we cannot do in Heaven is witness to the lost. It was His last command to us.
Matthew 28:19-20 “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”
As a new creation in Christ, all things become new. We have a love for Christ, which gives us a love for others. Our views change. Now, we see sin as Jesus does, and what is right takes on a new look. Old things pass away, and they do not have a hold on us. The person who seems always to gain the promotion doesn’t bother us anymore. We are happy for them to succeed. We now see everyone as a soul Jesus died for, and we pray for them because the truth and reality of Hell are real to us. As a new creation, we do not want the wrath of God to be poured out on anyone.
This transformation is not of man but of God. You can modify your behavior, do good deeds, serve others, and still die and go to Hell. The new creation comes from God working in us. It is all of Him.
John 3:5-6 “Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”
As a new creation, we are dead to sin and alive to Christ. While we will battle temptations in this life, it will no longer have power over us. The Holy Spirit lives within us to help us to resist temptations. The old person is crucified with Jesus, and this death with Christ frees us from the power of sin.
Romans 6:6-7 “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.”
Are you a new creation? Have you begun to slide down the slippery slope of apathy? Do you go through the motions without your heart and soul being engaged? These are danger signs where we allow our flesh to creep back into control. We need to remind ourselves daily that we are new in Christ. We are not to look back and long for the past. We need to pray, study, and do all that we can to follow Him in all our ways. If you have not been changed, then salvation has not taken place. Examine yourself today while you have the opportunity.
