Seeking Jesus First - July 13, 2023
A New Creation
Why does Holy Spirit tell Apostle Paul to describe those who put their faith in Christ Jesus as, “a new creation”? How can someone who has been living their life the way they wish suddenly become a new creation? Are you a literal new person or is it speaking figuratively?
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Corinthians 5:17–21, NKJV)
And in The Passion Translation…
“Now, if anyone is enfolded into Christ, he has become an entirely new creation. All that is related to the old order has vanished. Behold, everything is fresh and new. And God has made all things new, and reconciled us to himself, and given us the ministry of reconciling others to God. In other words, it was through the Anointed One that God was shepherding the world, not even keeping records of their transgressions, and he has entrusted to us the ministry of opening the door of reconciliation to God. We are ambassadors of the Anointed One who carry the message of Christ to the world, as though God were tenderly pleading with them directly through our lips. So we tenderly plead with you on Christ’s behalf, “Turn back to God and be reconciled to him.” For God made the only one who did not know sin to become sin for us, so that we who did not know righteousness might become the righteousness of God through our union with him.” (2 Corinthians 5:17–21, TPT)
When Jesus said, “You must be born again.”, He was speaking of being born of The Spirit and The Water. The Water can represent The Word of God because being “washed by the water of the word” gives us some understanding on that. 2 Corinthians 5 really explains what happens when we are “born again” of The Spirit and the Word.
It starts by comparing our physical bodies to the tents used in the Feast of Tabernacles. Everyone would leave their permanent dwelling and build temporary shelters and swell in them for a period of time. When the week was over, they would fold up those tents and put them a way and return to their permanent dwellings. It goes on to say that, while we do not wish to die, we long for the time when our temporary shelter is exchanged for a permanent one.
However, even in this temporary shelter of a fleshly body, we can be transformed into an a spiritual being with eternal life. We are no longer merely a human dying while we still living in condemnation. We are made into a human habitation for the Spirit of God which is now unified with our inner man. Our inner man is no longer living in condemnation. It is no longer subject to death and eternal judgement. Our inner man is now a recipient of and a participator in the everlasting flow of the river of life that comes from God Almighty.
We are enfolded into Christ, The Anointed One and His anointing, and we become something that never before existed. Each one of us is uniquely folded into Christ, so we are separate from each other in person but united in one identity in Christ. We are now one family sharing the same spiritual DNA. Listen, we did not share this Life Giving and Spiritual DNA before putting our faith in Christ Jesus. We shared in condemnation that steals, kills and destroys, but now we share in life and life more abundantly.
The Word of God has washed away all that was old and decaying, and His Spirit has become one with our inner man. Jesus Christ reconciled the world to Himself and we have been given this word of reconciliation that lovingly pleads and invites people into the family of God through faith in Jesus Christ, the only name whereby men might be saved.
This is possible because God was never interested in holding mens sins against them. He has always loved His creation and has always wanted us to receive His love. It is difficult for Him to watch us hurt ourselves or each other. Love is the key to ending that hurt and hurtfulness. He who was without sin became our sin on the cross so that we could become His righteousness in the earth. He who was love itself became without love on the cross that we might become His love in the earth.
We are completely new creations. We are righteous in our inner man. We are love in our inner man. We now have the capacity for faith, hope and love while living in these temporary shelters called the flesh.