How is God able to make us into new creations in Jesus Christ (2 Cor 5:17)? Here are ways He does that.

The Old Man

I heard one preacher say he is sick and tired of sin, and can’t wait to be saved to sin no more. He meant on the day of Christ’s return we will receive new bodies and glorified ones at that and our sin nature will be gone forever. Until then, we’ve got this sin-stained body to live in that is broken and frail, and worse, time is against us. We are slowly decaying…we have an appointed day to die and then comes judgment (Heb 9:27), but even worse, we’re going to die in our sins unless we repent and put our trust in the Savior (Mark 1:15). Jesus came to give His life as a ransom for many who would believe (Mark 10:45), but how is God able to make us into new creations in Jesus Christ (2 Cor 5:17)?

Dead on Arrival

You don’t have to be a Bible scholar to know we’re dead in our sins before conversion (Rom 3:23, 6:23). But for those of us who have trusted in Christ, “We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin” (Rom 6:6). The Son has set us free in order that we may live to sin no more; no longer slaves to sin as before. Of course we’ll still sin, but we should be sinning less! The Holy Spirit begins His work of sanctifying us; day by day, hour by hour, but the old man doesn’t die easily.

A New Creation

If someone claims to be a Christ, then their life ought to reflect it, because “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Cor 5:17). The Greek word used for “creation” is actually “creature,” meaning us! God creates a whole new creature by His Spirit. In the beginning, God created man…in Christ, He recreated man. We can receive the same righteousness as Christ does. I know that sounds outrageous, but that’s why God’s grace is so amazing. How can this be!? It was precisely, “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor 5:21). There was no other way but through Christ (John 6:44; Acts 4:12). That’s how we can be a new creation. We have a new Person living in us and that’s the Holy Spirit. God is not only with us, but in fact, He’s in us! You are not who you used to be; but we’re not yet who we need to be.

Covering of Sins

In the Old Testament, the sacrifices only covered sins but never took them away, and it was only “under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins” (Heb 9:22). Today we are saved “with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot” (1 Pet 1:19). This spotless Lamb died for the blemished and defective and this sacrifice needed to occur but once and for all (Heb 10:12). That means our sins were taken away…forever, proving the supremacy of Christ over high priests, over men and angels, and prophets and apostles, however, we don’t overcome sin all at once. Let’s face it, we will still sin (Rom 7; 1 John 1:8, 10), but hopefully, we sin less than we used to sin. We might fall into sin, but we no longer dive into it and do the backstroke. We get back up and dust ourselves off. We are (or should be) repelled by sin. It should be as repugnant to us as it is to God. But that’s the work of the Holy Spirit in us and its called sanctification (Rom 8). We can have peace knowing that God is working on us and in us, “for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (Phil 2:13). Don’t we need that help if we’re to overcome sin more and more? I do.

Creating the New

When God called us to Himself through Jesus Christ (John 6:44), we had a heart problem. What was the issue with the heart? We needed a new one, but God has given us a new heart; a heart no longer made of stone; a heart that would be soft, pliable, and receptive to God’s Word: A new heart that seeks to please Him. Remember, we’re brand new creatures in Christ (2 Cor 5:17). That gives us the right to stand before God (2 Cor 5:21) with no more condemnation (Rom 5:1, 8:1), so it’s out with the old and in with the new….the things of God should crowd out the things of the world, but again, it’s not like making instant coffee. We’re justified immediately, but the old man doesn’t die quickly or easily. It takes time.

A Purpose

When we received a new heart, it’s like God suddenly revealed Who Jesus Christ is and what His purpose for us (Savior). Suddenly, our lives have meaning and purpose. Without a purpose, life can be meaningless, but to those who have been given His Spirit, we know that God desires to use us as a means to save some (Matt 28:18-20; Acts 1:8), and to do what Jesus would do if He were here physically on earth (Matt 25:34-39; James 1:27). When we are doing these things for others it is actually the same thing as doing it to Him (Matt 25:40).

You can be the hands and feet of Jesus to them by serving them at a local kitchen or shelter.

Conclusion

Every lost person you know is running out of time. They are one heartbeat…one breath…one accident away from eternity, and after that, there is no more repentance possible. It is more urgent in these days than before. Time doesn’t discriminate. It waits for no one. Tick, tick, tick, and there goes the last minute of your life, never to be recaptured again, and perhaps a lost opportunity. We ought to be “making the best use of the time, because the days are evil” (Eph 5:16). You’ll never get a second chance at doing good again five minutes ago, so redeem the time, then wait for the time of His glorious appearance, when we desire to hear His most precious words, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master” (Matt 25:21).

Here is some related reading for you: What is a New Creation in Christ?

Resource – Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version^® (ESV^®), Crossway Bibles. (2007). ESV: Study Bible: English standard version. Wheaton, Ill: Crossway Bibles. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Tagged as: 2 Cor 5:17, Creation in Christ, Holy Spirit, New Creation, sanctification