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Saturday, November 5, 2011

A New Creation

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

If anyone is in Christ....
This one verse tells us about the the truth of the incorruptible life of God transforming the human nature of the Christian.  It sets forth the condition: "If any anyone is in Christ".  To be "in Christ" refers to being "in association with Him" or "connected to Him" by faith.  When I by grace through faith believe on Jesus Christ as Savior, Lord and treasure, the Holy Spirit of God takes me and transfers me from the kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of the Beloved Son.  (please compare Acts 26:18)

My natural bent from birth is to do nothing but sin - do corruption.  However when I become a believer in Jesus Christ - it is because the Spirit of God was doing a work of grace.  As He so touched my heart, I turned to Christ in faith, and thus I evidence a changed nature - a changed "bent".  Now I want to more and more everyday to wage war on sin and do the will of the Father. (please compare Ephesians 2:10).

He is a new Creature....
I am literally made a "new creature".  When God creates something, He creates it out of nothing.  When He made the heavens and the earth in Genesis 1:1, He did not have some pre-existent material lying around.  He spoke the worlds into existence and they were so. (Psalm 33:6; John 1:1-3). When God sets His affection upon a person, He comes to them and calls them and literally creates a new nature out of "nothing".  He speaks forth into the otherwise darkened, dead spirit inside of us (with no pre-existing spiritual life), and penetrates our human soul (mind, emotions, will) by bringing into it the light of His glory. (please compare 2 Corinthians 4:1-6).

As the text above states - we "become a new creature".  The corruption of spiritual deadness and darkness is no more in my human spirit.  My "nature" is changed into incorruption.  Now my soul - where my mind, emotions and will are located , is being progressively affected by the reality in my human spirit.  I am set free from having to participate in corruption. Though I will never reach the point in this life where I'll never sin again (for sinless perfection will not take place until I in Heaven with the Lord) -  yet the last time I did sin, I did not have to. 

Old things have passed away, and behold, all things have become (and are still becoming) new
To be a new creature in Jesus Christ points to the reality of the incorruptible life of God living in, and out and through the life of the Christian.  That is why Paul writes - "old things have passed away, behold all things become new".  That last verbal phrase "become new" is in a special tense in the original language.  It speaks of a reality that took place in the past and still has present, ongoing results.  At salvation I was made a new creature in my human spirit.  In sanctification my soulish realm (mind, emotions and will) are being progressively affected to desire more and more the incorruptible life.  Only at glorificiation will my body and whole being be set free from the presence of corruption.