“A New Creation”
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:
The old has gone, the new is here!”
-2 Corinthians 5:17
Have you ever been part of the “in” crowd? I remember that in 7th grade, I wasn’t very popular. I’m still embarrassed to say this, but I got up from sitting with my friends during one lunch period and moved to the “cool kids” table. I sat at that table for the rest of the semester. While I went up a notch in popularity, I upset some long-time friends. I eventually apologized. My attempt to place myself in the right friend group left me on the outs with some real friends.
When it comes to being “in” Christ, there’s nothing we can do to place ourselves there. Second Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ.” It is God that places us in Christ. He reconciled us to himself. That means he did all the work on the cross to make it happen. This is called positional righteousness. We receive a gift of grace from God when we trust in Christ as our Savior. It cannot be taken away and is not earned. It is solely based on Jesus’ work on the cross. Second Corinthians 5:21 confirms this: “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God”.
In the beginning, God created us in his image (Genesis 1:27). God said his creation of man was very good, but something happened. Man disobeyed God, and sin entered the world. Man’s sin separated him from God. Only God could fix this. He didn’t clean us up, and we didn’t reinvent ourselves. He created something brand new. This is called being born again (John 3:7). Our new birth in Christ comes from God alone and not ourselves (John 1:13). When God creates us brand new, our newborn soul desires to please God and turn from sin. Our perspective of this world and our thoughts, desires, and purpose change. This is the new life in Christ coming and the old life in sin passing away (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Lent helps us focus on being new creations in Christ. We are reminded about our eyes being opened to the things of Christ and our former way of living without him. It reminds us we could never save ourselves. We needed God to make us brand new through Jesus’ death on the cross. Galatians 2:20 summarizes being new creations in Christ: “I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
Questions:
Why did God make us brand new instead of just making us better?
What “old” in your life has passed away since becoming a new creation?
What “new’ has come?
Prayer:
Jesus, thank you for making us new creations in Christ. Your gift of salvation took away our old sinful nature, which lived to please itself. Thank you for giving us a new spirit that desires to please you. Help us remember your grace, which gave us new life and purpose. In Jesus’ name, we pray, Amen.
Read:
2 Corinthians 5:17-21
Action Step:
List qualities from your “old’ life without Christ and your “new” life in Christ. Use it to develop your testimony and share it with someone who needs Christ.
OLD
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NEW
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MY TESTIMONY:
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stephen R Harrison 
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